In the world of home education, there are several terms that one hears fairly often. Homeschooling, unschooling, deschooling are just few. But have you ever heard the term roadschooling?
I hadn’t, not until recently. At first I thought it was the same as carschooling. It’s different however. Carschooling is the practice of teaching your children while they are in the car. Some of the ways that you could carschool would be to listen to audio books and music, teaching directional skills and map reading, playing word games and memory games and so much more.
Roadschooling is different in that rather than just learning in the car, you’re letting the road be your teacher, not a workbook or curriculum. You’re taking your family to where and what you want to learn about! It’s a very hands-on approach to homeschooling. If you want to teach your children about the Liberty Bell, take them there. While in historical Pennsylvania, you can also stop by Independence Hall, which many people consider “the birthplace of the US.” If you want your children to learn about Patriot Day, and to understand why we honor those lost on 9/11, you can take them to Ground Zero (and the new memorial there) in New York.
It’s not just about geography and history. In your travels you can do things such as keep a weather journal of the areas you have been to, to see what the temperatures are like in different regions. This is science. You can stop along at state parks and observe the local wildlife, insects and plant life. This is nature. You can even do math and spelling based on where you are, how long it took you to get there, etc.
While some families have devoted their lives to roadschooling all year long (check out the list of families that are roadschooling on the website Families on the Road), you don’t have to sell your house and buy that RV just yet. You can roadschool during the summer, while on vacation, and even during the trip to visit family over the holidays. The possibilities are just endless!