We are asked all of the time about how we Roadschool our kids.
“What do you do with them all day?”
“Do they do real school work?”
“How is what you’re doing better for your kid than public school?”
We get it. People question what they don’t understand. We’re actually grateful for the inquiry because we’d rather dispel any myths over having people assume our children aren’t getting a proper education.
To be clear, I am a licensed teacher in both Ohio and Virginia. While I am licensed to teach high school, I follow the state standards to create our curriculum. I write lesson plans for our son (our daughter does some preschool prep but she is not even 2 yet) each week. He follows a unit study so that each week, what he is learning changes based on his needs and his interests. This allows us to keep learning fun and engaging.
Here is his typical day:
6:30am-Wake Up
7:00am-Personal Hygiene/Get Ready for the Day
7:30am-Breakfast
8-8:30 or 9:00am-Watch TV or Free Play
9:00-10:00am-School Work (This includes a Bible verse, spelling words, daily journal, and introduction to his lesson.)
10:00-11:00am-Construction or Man Stuff with Dad (While his younger sister naps, this is when our son does hands-
on learning with my husband. They might do yard work, build a shelter outside, drain our tanks (we live mobily), or fly kites.)
11:00-12:00- Core Studies (This includes work in Math, Reading, Writing, and–depending on the unit that week–Geography, Geology, Science, History, or Social Studies.)
12-12:30pm-Lunch
12:30-1:30pm-Outside Play (This is a time where he can ride bikes, hike, play, run around with his sister and his dad. This is not usually structured as it is meant to encourage creativity and problem solving.)
1:30-3:00pm-Experiments & Hands-On (This is the time when he is working on crafts, hands-on STEM projects, Science Experiments, etc that are a part of his daily lessons.)
3:00-3:30pm Snack and Break
After our school day, we sometimes go to the local rec center to workout, play, swim, or rock climb. We might take a family hike or bike ride. We also take field trips that are designed to enhance the learning from that week’s unit. These might include a trip to the Air Force Museum, the Cincinnati Zoo, a local library, etc.
Roadschooling allows our family to have freedoms we never felt with public school. We are able to gear learning toward our son’s strengths while he works on improving his weaknesses without being compared to others in his class.
Our son is considered a first grader, but he currently reads at a 3rd grade level, and completes Math and Science at 2nd grade levels. Roadschooling allows us to customize and differentiate all of his assignments.
This pathway to education is not for everyone, but it has been such a gift to our son and to our family. Not having the time restraints in the mornings has freed us from so many daily meltdowns. The ability to provide hands-on learning and cultural experiences is something my husband and I are so thankful to give our children.
Remember that if you ever have questions for a Roadschooler or Home Schooler, just ask!
5