Is Roadschooling the Next Big Trend in Education?

There’s no doubt that children learn best through firsthand experiences. Yet, despite the significance of experiential learning, our public-school system continues to rely on outdated and ineffective methods of teaching. Homeschooling – and a new spinoff known as “roadschooling” – could change all of this for you and your children.

What is Roadschooling?

As the name implies, roadschooling is basically homeschooling while traveling the country (or world). It’s as much a lifestyle choice as it is one about education – and it can be tailored to any family’s personality and goals.

“As we all know, families homeschool in a variety of ways, and the same applies to roadschooling,” homeschooling mom Chelsea Gonzales writes. “Some people choose to take a very relaxed, unschooling approach to their travel schooling. Others decide it is best to emulate something more along the lines of traditional school. Of course, many do something between those two extremes, and that is just fine as well.”

Roadschooling offers numerous benefits, including:

• Making learning fun
• Prioritizing experiential learning over memorization
• Encouraging freedom and personalization
• Fitting education around your life, rather than fitting your life around education

While roadschooling is lax and open to interpretation, you do have to follow certain rules and laws. Homeschooling is regulated at the state level and you’ll have to establish a “home state.” This state’s laws will have certain rules and criteria that must be met, regardless of whether you’re home or traveling. But assuming you abide by these laws, you’re free to experiment with roadschooling in any way you please. 

5 Tips for Effective Roadschooling

As mentioned, every family will tackle roadschooling in a different way, but here are some useful tips to help you maximize the experience:

Develop a Plan/Curriculum

Spontaneity is one of the defining characteristics of roadschooling. However, too much spontaneity can be detrimental to your efforts. That’s why it’s highly recommended that you develop a plan and/or learning curriculum for the entire semester in advance. (You might even be required to do this by state law.)

You don’t need to create a meticulous syllabus with assignment and exam due dates, but you should have a loose plan of what you’ll do each week and month. At the very least, this gives you some learning objectives to reach for. 

Based Learning Around Location

The best way to tackle roadschooling is to choose travel destinations and then base your learning around the location. Some really good options include:

• Boston. Want to teach your kids about early American history? There’s a lot to see and do in Boston. It’s also conveniently situated near dozens of other historical towns and cities – so it’s a great focal point for a road trip.

• Egypt. Visiting Egypt is far better than looking at glossy pictures of pyramids in a school textbook. Schedule a trip and be sure to take private tours led by expert Egyptologists to get the most out of the experience.

• Athens. Few cities in the world offer as much rich ancient history as Athens, Greece. From the Parthenon to the Acropolis to everything in between, there’s so much to see and do.

Other good educational destinations include Philadelphia, Williamsburg, Rome, Paris, and Machu Picchu.

Use a Variety of Learning Modes and Mediums

The beauty of roadschooling is that your children can learn through a variety of modes and mediums. Make sure you take advantage of this fact. Encourage reading, podcasts, museums, writing, tours, and language immersion. 

Travel During the Offseason

When your lifestyle isn’t dictated by a rigid public school calendar, you’re able to travel when and where you please. To keep costs down – and to avoid crowds – travel to popular destinations during the offseason. This will lead to more meaningful experiences for everyone. 

Stay Organized

The final suggestion is an important one. While it’s easy to take a loose approach to roadschooling, it’s vital that you stay organized. Take time at the end of each day to document what you did and what your children learned. At the end of each month and quarter, you should compile reports with examples of written work and assignments. Not only is this information useful to you as the parent/teacher, but it could be necessary to meet state requirements.

Give Your Kids the Education They Deserve

Public-school education serves a purpose, but it’s not the best solution for all families. If you’re looking for greater freedom, more flexibility, and a focus on experiential learning, roadschooling is worth looking into.