Hashtag Van Life: The Modern Parent’s Guide to Roadschooling
Home education is nothing new, but in recent years, this trend has begun to explode. With newer generations of parents seeking more mindful, alternative lifestyles and with the Covid pandemic further acting as a catalyst that forced people to consider a more flexible way of living, home education is now all the rage.
Add to that the increasing desire to explore more of the world and live a nomadic life, and you’ve got the latest educational trend that has parents buzzing: roadschooling.
However, while similar to home education, roadschooling offers its own unique set of challenges and benefits. So let’s take a closer look at this growing trend and what it’s all about, including tips on how to start roadschooling your kids.
What is Roadschooling?
Roadschooling, as the name suggests, is simply about teaching your kids while traveling around on the road.
For some parents, it is about being able to live a more flexible, nomadic lifestyle and teaching their kids while they do so. And for others, roadschooling can be a very intentional act of educating their kids on the road with the purpose of teaching them about specific places or regions and about the varying cultures and people in those areas. Roadschooling can also fall somewhere in between those two ideologies.
Are You Ready to Roadschool Your Kids?
Many parents today are interested in homeschooling, but roadschooling, just like homeschooling, doesn’t necessarily have one set way of doing things. As such, it’s important to understand how it works or how it could work to ensure you are ready to take the leap.
There are many different types or ways of homeschooling, for example. This can include classical home education, the Charlotte Mason method, virtual learning, the Montessori method, and unschooling.
Those same methods can also apply to roadschooling, or you can take an entirely different approach and create a structure or curriculum that is unique to your wants and needs or your child’s wants and needs.
And while there are many benefits to roadschooling, like having more freedom to live and educate your child as you choose, there are also challenges, which can make roadschooling a bit harder to adapt to than traditional home education.
Things to Keep in Mind When Roadschooling
Anytime you try something new, there will be challenges you’ll need to face and overcome. And roadschooling is no different.
However, while there might be some unique things to keep in mind with roadschooling, this does not mean it’s impossible. But it is important to understand what you will be dealing with to ensure you are fully prepared and ready to hit the road with your child.
Logistical Considerations
First, it’s important to think about the logistics of roadschooling. Primarily, how you will afford to live on the road and what your permanent address will be. You’ll need a source of income that allows you to live on the road. And you’ll need to have a permanent address, even if it’s just a P.O. box, so you can still receive mail and establish a “home base” to meet homeschooling regulations.
There is also healthcare and doctor’s visits to consider. Getting healthcare on the road can be different, so you’ll need to consider how you will get medical attention and preventive care when needed, such as in-office visits or telehealth visits.
Home Education Laws
Next, you’ll need to pay attention to national and local laws for homeschooling. Elective home education guidance outlines your legal responsibilities when educating children at home. This can help parents understand required structure, curriculum, and outcomes, as well as define your local council’s responsibilities.
Curriculum and Structure
For some, the hardest part of home education or roadschooling is figuring out the structure and what to teach. Again, you will need to adhere to your national laws, but beyond that, you may still have a lot of flexibility to create your own structure and curriculum.
For example, there may be specific requirements concerning subjects like math, science, and English, but you will still need to decide how you will teach your child those things on the road and what else you want them to learn beyond that. Will you have a strict lesson plan structure? Will you take each day as it comes? Or will you throw structure entirely out the window and simply teach in a way that uniquely suits your child’s needs and interests?
These are things you will need to iron out before you hit the road, and it’s even a good idea to have some backup plans or methods in case your first idea doesn’t work out.
Teaching Practical Skills
For some parents, what draws them to homeschooling and roadschooling is the freedom to teach their kids more practical life skills that they wouldn’t otherwise learn in a traditional classroom setting. This includes things like budgeting and cooking.
With roadschooling, however, you have the added benefit or challenge of adding in other life skills as you are on the road, such as teaching your child survival skills like hunting or generally just how to live in the wild and respect nature.
Socialisation
Relationships are an important part of a child’s growth. While they might have you and any other siblings with them on the road, friendships outside the family are also important. Kids can get lonely if they don’t have friends and there is much they can learn from having friends as well.
So it’s important to find ways for your child to still connect with others their age while on the road. Luckily, as home education and roadschooling have become more popular, there are lots of online resources and communities out there that host events in different locations where parents can bring their homeschooled kids to socialize.
Are You Ready to Hit the Road?
So, do you think you have what it takes to provide your child with an education while traveling on the road?
You don’t necessarily have to be a full-on “survivalist” parent, but you do need to be prepared for whatever life and the road may throw at you. If you take the time to do your research and plan ahead, however, there’s no reason why you and your child can fully thrive on the road. Again, there is no one right way to roadschool; it’s all about finding what works best for you and your child while still making sure you are meeting home education regulations.