Our 3rd Year of Homeschooling in an RV (2020-2021)
This is our third year of homeschooling, or roadschooling (learning on the road as we travel full time.) Each year, things change a little, as my idea of education continues to evolve. Each year we get more relaxed and less regimented with our studies. I’m “unlearning” what school should look like.
I used to think school was learning specific subjects on a specific schedule during specific hours of the day. I mean, that’s basically what going to a school IS like! But is that the best way to learn? Maybe… for some… but probably not for most.
So many people are moving to homeschooling since Covid, and are feeling so much pressure to imitate school.
They’re worried their kids will “fall behind” or get off schedule. There are fears that they might not test on their grade level if they don’t follow specific standards or subjects. I had these same fears when we first started roadschooling!
Our Pivotal Moment: Unschooling
A pivotal moment for me was meeting Margie Lundy, author of the book, Unlocating. A fireside chat with Margie and her husband, Allen, in Las Vegas sparked an interest in me to think more outside the box regarding education (among other things). The Lundys have been full time RVers for YEARS and raised 3 kids on the road, who have all become adults now.
You can check out Unlocating on Amazon HERE.
We’ve met several RVers who unschool. Unschooling can mean different things to different people, but it typically means that learning revolves around the child’s interests. We unschool in some subjects, but not all. Some days I seriously consider unschooling all the way, but I’m not quite there yet, as I want to finish the curriculum we’ve already paid for!
We use curriculum for two subjects: language arts and math.
Reading is important to me, and I’ve loved watching my children become strong readers. It’s an activity that they both love, and it’s a great way to fill time and expand their thinking. They were both motivated and wanted to know how to read, and the more we work on Language arts, the stronger readers they become.
We use The Good And The Beautiful curriculum for Language Arts. It encompasses so much more than just L.A. The curriculum goes over maps, art, writing, poetry and more. It’s put together very well and it’s a visually beautiful and eclectic resource.
We write letters to family members and friends now and then, which gives the kids practice writing and addressing envelopes as well as helps them keep in touch with people we don’t get to see often as we travel.
For math, we have an online subscription to Teaching Textbooks. Math is not my strong suit, but my kids excel at it, so I appreciate that this program teaches the lesson for me and gives them practice problems, helping them if they need assistance. There is an online assessment that your child can take to see which level they are on so that you know which one to purchase. You can actually try 15 lessons absolutely free to see if the program works for you!
Other School Subjects
With Language Arts and Math being our two main subjects, we fill in learning about other subjects based on interests. We are all interested in learning Spanish, so the whole family is learning using the DuoLingo app!
We learn about the history and geography of the places we travel to by looking up YouTube videos about them. We memorize the state capitals of all the states we visit.
We enjoy getting a new Science video each Monday from Mystery Doug. The kids also enjoy doing science experiments. We visit National Parks whenever we can and take part in the Junior Ranger program, which teaches the kids about the animals and history of the park.
We love reading little science lessons with a Biblical message in the book, Indescribable, by our pastor, Louis Giglio. I read aloud almost every day to the kids. We swap books with other kids on the road, and love reading classics like Old Yeller, James and The Giant Peach and Island of The Blue Dolphins.
I regularly ask the kids what they’re interested in learning, to keep things fun! Casen loves learning about natural disasters and Calista is into baking and sewing. I teach them what I can, but signing them up for classes on www.Outschool.com is a terrific resource we enjoy a lot.
If your child is interesting in coding, use code THE.WANDERPRENEURS35 for 35% off any course on the Code Changers website.
Unstructured Play
Last but not least, the kids indulge in unstructured play daily. Lots of it. It gives them the freedom to explore, create and discover without guidelines.
It's been shown to foster cognitive development while boosting physical development and social and emotional development. They enjoy things like:
Building with blocks and Legos
Building forts indoors and outdoors
Playing pretend and drawing
Hiking, biking, exploring, and climbing
Our outdoor time is so special to us.
Each year we move more towards unschooling as our days are more and more unstructured
I see just how much the kids learn and grow without the curriculum and structure I once thought was so necessary. If you’re interested in learning more about unschooling, check out this article.
Other Homeschool Articles
Homeschooling while RVing full-time: 6th Edition! We have just begun our SIXTH year of homeschooling. Check out what we have planned for this year.