# Home schooling for Cruisers



## Cruisingdad

We will be home schooling the kiddos this time around. I will try and give everyone our thoughts on what has worked, what has not, etc. Anyone can feel free to post thoughts or questions. Thought this might be a good thread for it.

Enroll in Local Schools​
Our first option, which we are not going to do but have done before, is to enroll the kids in the area you will be in for a while. I will give you my opinions of it and what works, doesn't etc.

Positives: It gets the kids off the boat. THis is not just a "piece of mind" thing, but also healthy for the kids. Another positive is it allows the kids to really meet lots of friends at their peer group. It is also free, if you enroll as a resident of that state. This typically requires signing a lease for a period of time with a marina, or something similar.

Negatives: Locks you down. Also, many of the projects that kids at home can do become a big issue on a boat (big posters, etc). Also is the issue of gettin them to school and back. Lastly, you have little to no control over the curriculum.

Calvert School​
You can find the sight here: Tour of Calvert School

Positives: You take control of the curriculum and have a lot more flexibility on when you turn things in and how. You are not locked to any state. Seems like a solid program also and well thought out. You have various stages of school involvement, or you can run the thing by yourself and be a true home-schooler. You don't have to be connected to the internet.

Negatives: Cost for one. My 8 yo is $1200, while my 12 yo is $1500. ALso, this program requires a lot more hands-on by the parent. You will in some ways become a F/T teacher.

Florida Virtual School​
Online High School | Online Middle School | Grades K-12 | Florida Virtual School

Positives: You have more control over the curriculum, but it still follows the SD guidelines you enroll with. It is free, if you are a resident. It is monitored and managed by teachers who are interested and available to help your child during the day. This system is almost like regular school but without them having to go into a classroom. I also like many of the teaching methods here, like how they creatively incorporated history into an online game that seems very forward thinking. Also, YOU, as the parent, choose when to start. It is almost year round school - very similar to a university format.

Negatives: You must have an internet connection daily. You must turn in all homework on Fridays (requiring internet). You must register locally with a school and register as a home schooler for that county.

K12 Online Schools​
K12 | Online Public School, Online High School, Online Private School, Homeschooling, and Online Courses options

We are researching this one and will get back to report here.

Brian

PS I will try and edit any incorrect information here if I messed anything up. I also urge anyone else to feel free to post in this thread with relavant information.


----------



## elspru

Hey, we're also planning on homeschooling our kids.
Have been doing lots of research in relation to it.
My spouse is an early-childhood-educator,
and I program artificial general intelligence.

You mentioned so far several "school-at-home" approaches, 
such as correspondence schools and parent as teacher.

There is also "parent guided learning through non-textbook and life" style education, 
such as woldorf, unit study, classical education and living books. 
As well as "child-directed-learning" unschooling,
where the children's interests guide at least some of the material that is focused on.

We are likely going to do an ecclectic mixed approach "life learning with various degrees of structure".
Here is a good link with explanations about these various homeschool education styles:
Teaching Methods for homeschooling

Genius's are more likely to occur, if a child has many (mature) adult role models.
If they are surrounded by peers, that can stunt their learning, and behavioural development.
It's only in the last few hundred years where children have been institutionalized.
Living and learning near parents and seeing how the world really works,
is far more informative, for learning useful life skills.

When people, including children, see the usefulness in learning a skill,
they are much more likely to be interested, and integrate it for life.

Also another good thing to know about homeschooling is parenting-style.
Authoritative parenting is the best kind, for the most independent, happy and successful children.
The authoritative parenting style: A guide for the science-minded parent


----------



## SeaQuinn

I home schooled three of my kids....much better than any public school. One is a critical care nurse, one an engineer and business owner and the last is still a work in progress! You will not regret home schooling!


----------



## IronSpinnaker

Okay so I don't really like to relate my personal life much on-line, but this issue strikes close to home.

I was home schooled all grades except kindergarten. We had a curriculum we followed though it was long before on-line schools/curriculum. Out of several siblings we are all pretty successful in life. 

Now that I have kids I would never put my life and interests in front of their education. I would NEVER home school my kids and subject them to the struggles I went through trying to adjust to life as a member of society after leading a pretty sheltered and isolated life due to Homeschooling.


----------



## SeaQuinn

There are probably as many different kinds and methods of homeschooling as there are private schools....each persons experience is different. While some parents probably home school to shield their children from the world others do it to better expose them to the world. Mine were all very active in scouting, hobbies, church activities etc. if anything they had more socialization than kids who only are exposed to a peer group get. 
It does not work for everyone....that's why it is good that we all have choices.


----------



## chall03

Just want to chime in here and say that while I have very little to offer at the moment, I am watching this thread with interest, we are looking at some extended cruising down the track and home schooling is something we have talked a great deal about.

Largely because of the vastness/remoteness of Australia, Our local options here are very good, but once we leave Australian waters things will get harder, but our options also open up.


----------



## St Anna

I am saying this from a study, having gone ashore /off the boat for my sons last 2 years of school.

However ; I support the home [boat] schooling]. You should well find that the set work may only take 1.5-2 hours per day and that you can include so much practical applications - obviously maths, physics geography etc.

You will also find many other cruising kids and a vhf and later. when separated, an HF will allow the kids to stay in contact. [You flash types probably have satellite and/or email]

You will find the children grow rapidly into accepting responsibility and taking on tasks you thought only adults or older teens would take on.

The benefits of travelling and meeting people from all walks of life is a lifelong reward.


----------



## tdw

If we were land based I'd be pretty much against home schooling. While there may be certain advantages the lack of connection with other kids is to my mind too big a downside to ignore. 

That said, were we with sprogs and out cruising I'd have no compunction whatsoever about boat schooling during early years , say to around age 16. Reality is the life lessons to be learnt plus the inate sociability of the cruising community make boat schooling a very practical alternative, provided of course the youngsters have the right parents.

I guess though that I think StAnna has got it right and towards the end of their school years its probably for the best that young people are on land. There is a good chance they'll want to go to university or college or some kind and sending them off blind would not seem a terribly kind thing to do.


----------



## St Anna

Thanks TDW, but its still a gamble whatever you do - they will turn out the way they are gunna! [and you cant rewind the clock and have another bash at it]

I have been both seriously bagged for taking off cruising as well as the opposite. Cant change the past - did what I thought was best.


----------



## elspru

IronSpinnaker you are an exception among homeschooled children, 
since most homeschooling parents actively have their children participate in community events.

quo
John Taylor later found, using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, "while half of the conventionally schooled children scored at or below the 50th percentile (in self-concept), only 10.3% of the home-schooling children did so."[26] He further stated that "the self-concept of home-schooling children is significantly higher (and very much so statistically) than that of children attending the conventional school. This has implications in the areas of academic achievement and socialization, to mention only two. These areas have been found to parallel self-concept. Regarding socialization, Taylor's results would mean that very few home-schooling children are socially deprived. He states that critics who speak out against homeschooling on the basis of social deprivation are actually addressing an area which favors homeschoolers.[26]

In 2003, the National Home Education Research Institute conducted a survey of 7,300 U.S. adults who had been homeschooled (5,000 for more than seven years). Their findings included:

Homeschool graduates are active and involved in their communities. 71% participate in an ongoing community service activity, like coaching a sports team, volunteering at a school, or working with a church or neighborhood association, compared with 37% of U.S. adults of similar ages from a traditional education background.

Homeschool graduates are more involved in civic affairs and vote in much higher percentages than their peers. 76% of those surveyed between the ages of 18 and 24 voted within the last five years, compared with only 29% of the corresponding U.S. populace. The numbers are even greater in older age groups, with voting levels not falling below 95%, compared with a high of 53% for the corresponding U.S. populace.

58.9% report that they are "very happy" with life, compared with 27.6% for the general U.S. population. 73.2% find life "exciting", compared with 47.3%.[27]
quo te bo Homeschooling - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia from be ya.

so if you want what's best for your children, you shall at least allow them to be homeschooled, while also making sure they partake in various socializing events, like co-op homeschool events, library readings, church groups, sports and other socializing community events.
which in the long run are much better, as they can continue doing them as adults.


----------



## oneshotonekill

Brian,

From one homeschooling dad to another, it sounds like your taking a good, balanced approach to your kids’ education. Evaluate what each of your children need and adjust accordingly. We have been homeschooling for 10 years, and it’s generally a good thing. There are issues that will come up, but it really does beat the alternatives.

In the FWIW arena, if I had a way of making a good income away from the office, I would do exactly what you’re doing. I wish you and your family well.


----------



## Cruisingdad

Update:

Well, we have been doing the Florida Virtual now for several weeks. It is certainly too early to pass judgement, but here are some inital thoughts:

First, it ties you into a fast connection on the interenet pretty heavily. They watch periodic movies and do a lot of downloads. Also, printing things off is necessary. That could be a concern for some cruisers. We are using an ATT WIfi (4g LTE) here which works fine, but we will go over the 5 gig alloted it seems. We planned on it, but just fyi. 

We installed a WIFI Extender (Bullet m2HP) which does work - if you have an extended wifi connection that is open. THat is hit and miss. 

Second, the transition into it was WAY smoother than we thought. The kids caught on quickly. WIth a decent internet speed (see above) it is very manageable.

Third, the material is good. It has captured their attention for the most part. THat is not always easy given the subject matter and setting.

Fourth, it has required a bit more interaction that we anticipated. Our oldest (12) can more or less run his own day, but we need help out on many things. THe youngest requires a lot more planning that often starts early in the morning before they get up. Remember, this is even though their work is dictated (daily) by the school district.

Fifth, you have to be mailed information - so a address where you can receive things is neccessary.

Lastly, you will be required to provide proof of residency to make this work. I got a FL DL with the marina address and also provided the slip contract. Plan ahead on how you will work out the residency if you choose this option.

General thoughts at this point is that although we like it, it may be difficult to maintain this long trem for cruising. We are (according to the principal) the only homeschoolers that live on a boat. It even took special permission from him to make this work. Technology has improved such that this 'can' work for cruisers, but with stipulations. We may end up having to shift to Calverts or something similar because of the technilogical difficulties.


----------



## Cruisingdad

oneshotonekill said:


> Brian,
> 
> From one homeschooling dad to another, it sounds like your taking a good, balanced approach to your kids' education. Evaluate what each of your children need and adjust accordingly. We have been homeschooling for 10 years, and it's generally a good thing. There are issues that will come up, but it really does beat the alternatives.
> 
> In the FWIW arena, if I had a way of making a good income away from the office, I would do exactly what you're doing. I wish you and your family well.


Thanks for the kind words. Feel free to add anything.


----------



## Cruisingdad

elspru said:


> Hey, we're also planning on homeschooling our kids.
> Have been doing lots of research in relation to it.
> My spouse is an early-childhood-educator,
> and I program artificial general intelligence.
> 
> You mentioned so far several "school-at-home" approaches,
> such as correspondence schools and parent as teacher.
> 
> There is also "parent guided learning through non-textbook and life" style education,
> such as woldorf, unit study, classical education and living books.
> As well as "child-directed-learning" unschooling,
> where the children's interests guide at least some of the material that is focused on.
> 
> We are likely going to do an ecclectic mixed approach "life learning with various degrees of structure".
> Here is a good link with explanations about these various homeschool education styles:
> Teaching Methods for homeschooling
> 
> Genius's are more likely to occur, if a child has many (mature) adult role models.
> If they are surrounded by peers, that can stunt their learning, and behavioural development.
> It's only in the last few hundred years where children have been institutionalized.
> Living and learning near parents and seeing how the world really works,
> is far more informative, for learning useful life skills.
> 
> When people, including children, see the usefulness in learning a skill,
> they are much more likely to be interested, and integrate it for life.
> 
> Also another good thing to know about homeschooling is parenting-style.
> Authoritative parenting is the best kind, for the most independent, happy and successful children.
> The authoritative parenting style: A guide for the science-minded parent


I appreciate your insight on this stuff. You obviously know a lot more about it than I do!

Brian


----------



## Cruisingdad

IronSpinnaker said:


> Okay so I don't really like to relate my personal life much on-line, but this issue strikes close to home.
> 
> I was home schooled all grades except kindergarten. We had a curriculum we followed though it was long before on-line schools/curriculum. Out of several siblings we are all pretty successful in life.
> 
> Now that I have kids I would never put my life and interests in front of their education. I would NEVER home school my kids and subject them to the struggles I went through trying to adjust to life as a member of society after leading a pretty sheltered and isolated life due to Homeschooling.


I am aware of a very similar issue that I have witnessed first hand. I am also aware of many more that are not. Sounds like it wasn't the right thing for you. I think the key is getting them with other kids and getting outside exposure. Just my opinion though.

Brian


----------



## Cruisingdad

St Anna said:


> I am saying this from a study, having gone ashore /off the boat for my sons last 2 years of school.
> 
> However ; I support the home [boat] schooling]. You should well find that the set work may only take 1.5-2 hours per day and that you can include so much practical applications - obviously maths, physics geography etc.
> 
> You will also find many other cruising kids and a vhf and later. when separated, an HF will allow the kids to stay in contact. [You flash types probably have satellite and/or email]
> 
> You will find the children grow rapidly into accepting responsibility and taking on tasks you thought only adults or older teens would take on.
> 
> The benefits of travelling and meeting people from all walks of life is a lifelong reward.


Great post my friend.

Brian


----------



## Cruisingdad

chall03 said:


> Just want to chime in here and say that while I have very little to offer at the moment, I am watching this thread with interest, we are looking at some extended cruising down the track and home schooling is something we have talked a great deal about.
> 
> Largely because of the vastness/remoteness of Australia, Our local options here are very good, but once we leave Australian waters things will get harder, but our options also open up.


Hope it helps. I encourage others to chime in here too because what works for us may not work for everyone. I will try not to encourage one method over the other, just lay out our experiences on them and the reader decides.

Brian


----------



## seaparrot

Hey CruisingDad! I never home schooled/was home schooled on board a boat, but I was home/self-educated from 6th to 12th grades. It can be a great experience, and it's always exciting to me to hear of people doing interesting or off-beat things with their kids. In my case, I went from having a fairly rough time in school to earning a full scholarship for college. I now have a Ph.D. in my field of study. Needless to say, I am pleased with this outcome. I did to Calvert for a year ... and while I didn't continue, I have good enough memories to consider it for our boy when the time comes. (We also live very near the physical Calvert school. Another option.)

To me, the strength of home schooling is the fact that there are as many potential approaches to education as their are personal values, family needs, and individual students. It can be a great opportunity, when it fits the student's needs. And when a family isn't just negatively retreating, but instead finding new ways to explore the world and contribute to it.

And if a family has a chance to do something as interesting and cruise and travel -- that sounds wonderful to me. Now that we have a little one and live in a major U.S. city, I would be temped to home school partly with the objective of getting out and doing things/meeting people that one otherwise would not. I used to just wander around and meet all kinds of great/crazy people .... 

BTW, CD, you gave us great liveaboard suggestions a couple years ago. We're not living on board, and we actually did buy a house an settle down, at least for now. But we have a baby boy now and are in quest of that first boat. So we'll see what comes.


----------



## SV Glossa

We have been homeschooling for over a year and just moved aboard a couple of months ago, we pretty much live at the dock for now and go out on a sail a few times just for the day/weekend. But my experience is that the homeschooling is working out pretty much the same in the boat as in the house. I can see a few issues that would need to be overcome if one were cruising full time. 

Best of luck with the educational endeavors.


----------



## SailSnail

Interesting discussion. I personally think that they will end up turning up what's meant to be for them no matter how amazing the home boarding or school you send them to.


----------



## Skyhawk52633

Hi! I home school my daughter and we are all interested in living aboard and cruising in the future. I would love to make connections with other home school families so my daughter (6) can chat with other kids her age who are living the life. Looking to make mew friends! or just chat once. Skype or face time?


----------



## Cruisingdad

Skyhawk52633 said:


> Hi! I home school my daughter and we are all interested in living aboard and cruising in the future. I would love to make connections with other home school families so my daughter (6) can chat with other kids her age who are living the life. Looking to make mew friends! or just chat once. Skype or face time?


I will send you a PM. We are in St Pete about two more weeks or so.

Brian


----------



## Cruisingdad

Homeschool Update:

Well, we have just hit our first snag in the Florida Virtual Home school. I want to set this out in case any others want to use this program or are following this thread.

The benefit of FVHS is the kids get a diploma and have a set curriculum and teachers. It is basically like being in a brick and mortar school where the parents are the teachers working under specific guidance from a 'head teacher'. However, this also has created a major issue for cruisers: THe FCAT (THe FLorida end of year achievement test which all children enrolled in public schools have to take) is mandatory. 

The rules are that the child must go into a brick and mortar school to take their FCAT (2-3 days). THe problem is that the FCAT location is chosen by your listed address. So assuming you stay in one place, no problem. But if you are moving around, you just hit a snag. SO we have to register where the kids will take their FCAT by establishing residency in another location (where we will be in APril) and they have to have that set by the end of March. Be aware, if you use FVHS, you will have the same issue. Proof of residency is a rental agreement, change of address on DL, and/or your name on a utility bill. In general, 30 day rental agreements at a marina do not count. 

Other than that, the program has been good, but for those that plan on moving about, be aware of this issue.

Brian


----------



## Cruisingdad

Final discussion on Florida Virtual:

The school year has ended so this is a good wrap-up on using Florida Virtual, Connexus, K-12, or other similar online schooling systems.

*Positives*​
First of all, it is free. That does make a difference. Second, you do get a lot of time interacting and teaching your children. For those parents that wanted to home school to be more involved, this is one way. Third, you have the specifics laid out for you. There is no planning as a parent or deciding what "course work" for that day, per se. You do get to run a scheduler to outline out many of their classes (for instance, putting your child in math and only math all week long), but each lesson is pre-planned with what must be learned, tested, and accomplished. Fourth, there are extracurricular activities. Unlike some schooling programs, you do get to go out and meet your classmates in field trips. They really make an effort with these throughout the year and in various, interesting places. Fifth, the teachers really care and are always there to help. It is not unusual to miss them when calling them, but you have a teacher dedicated to your child and able to help them with the course work. I also found the teachers less interested in 'grades' and more interested in making sure the children learned the information. For example, if they did poorly on a project, they would let them re-do it. What mattered to them was mastery of the subject. I really, really liked the teachers. Lastly, you can opt into a International Baccalaureate and college equivalent classes in HS. This is a big deal and really makes it a program to consider.

*Negatives:*​
These negatives are primarily from a cruisers point of view, as you will see. First, we were forced to take the FCAT. This was no simple process because as cruisers, we move. Yet, the test is based upon your registered address. It ended up planting us in Marathon (and at a marina at 21.50/foot) for a month. Yikes! Second, the internet aspect was difficult to maintain. We used the ATT Wifi unit, but always went over our 5 gig/month. It also restricted us to places that had good wifi. This ruled out going to the bahamas or Tortugas for any length of time. Third, the classes are too strict. Many cruisers, for example, may spend a month in one place then travel a week or two, then spend a week/month in the next place. Although you are allowed vacation, it is short (like a regular school) and does not allow you to really work ahead. So the option of letting the kids get ahead for a few weeks then take a few weeks off was not an option. Fourth, the "live lessons" really tied us down. The kids had multiple live lessons with their classes online and during random times of the day. This again tied them to the computer and did not give us much freedom to venture out and dive or snorkel when it was cool or the weather was nice. Fifth, you are technically tied to Florida (or the state of assignment). We stayed in Florida, and so stayed within the rules, but each time we moved, we had to update our address with them and provide proof of residency. They did allow us to use one-month leases from marinas, but as you can imagine, those get expensive. It also keeps you from anchoring out much or spending time away from the dock. Not to mention, should you wish to travel outside of the state, it would become a real issue and technically is not allowed.

So overall, I would like to say this is a wonderful program. The teaching methods and system is good. The people running it are top notch. I almost wonder if they are the 'best' of the teachers because they too get to work remote. For those who are interested in primarily living aboard at a marina and being pretty fixed to one spot, I would recommend it. For those who are cruising, it is tough to make it work. Many of the things that make up the positives of this program are actually negatives for cruising families.

There ya go. A years review for those parents who are interested.

Brian

PS It appears we are going to move into a different program this year called SeaScape. I will update on it when we are settled in it.


----------



## mark2gmtrans

There are several sites which are very helpful, one place that has compiled a great list of these resource is run by the publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, called Education Place.

Homeschooling

A resource for printer friendly worksheets is Jane Pimetel Printable Math, it does a lot more than just math, there are grammar and punctuation, math, science and many other worksheets for kids from K-12.

Janepimentel Printable Math

For those who are interested in a Christian education system which has had students accepted into many colleges and universities without problems there is one source that stands out for longevity and meeting a higher standard than unguided systems. A.C.E. Accelerated Christian Education has been in business for more than 40 years. This system uses work books that have a child working at their own pace, to develop a very good education. The course work covers a very broad range and is easily administered by a parent or small group of parents.

Accelerated Christian Education

Here is a partial list of the colleges and universities that have accepted ACE students: http://www.aceministries.com/aboutus/pdf/CollegeUniv.pdf

There are a ton of resources out there for parents who wish to home school their kids, one of the most important aspects of home schooling is the same one that is important when your children are going to public or private school on land. You have to be engaged in your child's education no matter where your children go to school. Teachers and administrators are not parents to your children, and good parenting is the key to producing good children.

I would encourage anyone who has school aged children on land or at sea to become more involved, and to take a full interest in the education of your children.


----------



## gmengg

Its nice idea bout home schooling. I like it. Kids can get more understanding and knowledge at home from their mom. That I think.


----------



## GEMINIDREAMS

HI Cruising Dad,

Some things we have done over the last couple years in Boatschool. (age 12)

Finding secular all inclusive courses are more difficult than finding "Fire and Brimstone" courses.

It takes a little forthought but we are eclectic on the courses. We are by no means an "unschool" but we left public school as much to avoid the socialization of continuing the degredation of the American Population that has blossomed since 1977 and "No Child Left Behind". The headline facing out on the local news paper rack the other day said... (paraphrazed) "Teachers not teaching kids at school to make extra money by tutouring."

Math is Teaching Textbooks, My son started on TT5 two years ago and is now starting TTalgebra1. That is two TT courses a year. His old class mates would be starting 7th grade math. His sister still in public school starts algebra 1 as an honors class in 9th grade this year. You can resell the course and break even if you are lucky.

Grammar is Saxon Grammar for his age group at the moment. Don't even bother with trying to save the course for resale. The newsprint is history by the end of the year on a boat. $35 if you buy used from those land based people. $75 new

Science has been Florida textbooks and suplementary stuff I add. Buy on ebay for about $10 a year.

History is mostly field trips, and videos.

Art, music and other electives are friends, family and what ever we can find from other cruisers. A real drawing course here in ST Pete is $170!

Reading is a must have eReader or laptop. Books are heavy, rip and all the other issues on a boat. We have about 20,000 books in the library, mostly scifi and classics. But still keep a watch on Barnes and Nobels teen catagory so he has choices when we are anchored out.

We use Rosetta for Spanish at this level but will have to do a different course to get the credit for college.

We are also doing critical thinking this year and some random other reasoning materials.
*
If you are going cruising and expect to continue Boatschool you will need.*

(Our boat computer, the one we do all the videos, movies etc on is an Asus eeeBox that uses less than 20 watts playing 720p)

*Netbook*, TT math doesn't use the tablets, It also works for typing skills. Uses 20 watts or less. 
*eReader*, iPad or iPad minis are great with Lifeproof case if it is in the budget. If not, a few free programs to read the different formats of books are available for the netbook. If no netbook get a bluetooth keyboard.
*Books for courses*, including those that will be needed at anytime before the return. Make sure you have reference books about fish, shells weather, etc.
*All* paper, pencils, pens, art supplies, extra guitar strings, etc. 
*Camera* their own personal camera. Waterproof a BIG plus.
*Harddrive* An external SSD would be great but keep any in a sealed bag when not in use including the cables. This is the main back up of all work and grades that are digital.. Including the name and contact address of the school, the yearly review teacher, and pdfs of all paperwork.
*Schedule* make a schedule of the year, with places where you can get caught up if needed. They need a copy. We have a 5 day schedule that repeats weekly. The weekend does not have to be the weekend in Boatschool.
*Jobs* Make a chore list and call it a job list. Give them responsibiltiy at anchoring and casting off. Let them pull the daytime watch. etc. It is all a learning experience.

and most important

*BE FLEXIBLE* Playing with an octopus or watching a shark is much better than the scheduled video for the day.

Other suggestions:
basic first aid
basic swimmer classes

Wes


----------



## Cruisingdad

GEMINIDREAMS said:


> HI Cruising Dad,
> 
> Some things we have done over the last couple years in Boatschool. (age 12)
> 
> Finding secular all inclusive courses are more difficult than finding "Fire and Brimstone" courses.
> 
> It takes a little forthought but we are eclectic on the courses. We are by no means an "unschool" but we left public school as much to avoid the socialization of continuing the degredation of the American Population that has blossomed since 1977 and "No Child Left Behind". The headline facing out on the local news paper rack the other day said... (paraphrazed) "Teachers not teaching kids at school to make extra money by tutouring."
> 
> Math is Teaching Textbooks, My son started on TT5 two years ago and is now starting TTalgebra1. That is two TT courses a year. His old class mates would be starting 7th grade math. His sister still in public school starts algebra 1 as an honors class in 9th grade this year. You can resell the course and break even if you are lucky.
> 
> Grammar is Saxon Grammar for his age group at the moment. Don't even bother with trying to save the course for resale. The newsprint is history by the end of the year on a boat. $35 if you buy used from those land based people. $75 new
> 
> Science has been Florida textbooks and suplementary stuff I add. Buy on ebay for about $10 a year.
> 
> History is mostly field trips, and videos.
> 
> Art, music and other electives are friends, family and what ever we can find from other cruisers. A real drawing course here in ST Pete is $170!
> 
> Reading is a must have eReader or laptop. Books are heavy, rip and all the other issues on a boat. We have about 20,000 books in the library, mostly scifi and classics. But still keep a watch on Barnes and Nobels teen catagory so he has choices when we are anchored out.
> 
> We use Rosetta for Spanish at this level but will have to do a different course to get the credit for college.
> 
> We are also doing critical thinking this year and some random other reasoning materials.
> *
> If you are going cruising and expect to continue Boatschool you will need.*
> 
> (Our boat computer, the one we do all the videos, movies etc on is an Asus eeeBox that uses less than 20 watts playing 720p)
> 
> *Netbook*, TT math doesn't use the tablets, It also works for typing skills. Uses 20 watts or less.
> *eReader*, iPad or iPad minis are great with Lifeproof case if it is in the budget. If not, a few free programs to read the different formats of books are available for the netbook. If no netbook get a bluetooth keyboard.
> *Books for courses*, including those that will be needed at anytime before the return. Make sure you have reference books about fish, shells weather, etc.
> *All* paper, pencils, pens, art supplies, extra guitar strings, etc.
> *Camera* their own personal camera. Waterproof a BIG plus.
> *Harddrive* An external SSD would be great but keep any in a sealed bag when not in use including the cables. This is the main back up of all work and grades that are digital.. Including the name and contact address of the school, the yearly review teacher, and pdfs of all paperwork.
> *Schedule* make a schedule of the year, with places where you can get caught up if needed. They need a copy. We have a 5 day schedule that repeats weekly. The weekend does not have to be the weekend in Boatschool.
> *Jobs* Make a chore list and call it a job list. Give them responsibiltiy at anchoring and casting off. Let them pull the daytime watch. etc. It is all a learning experience.
> 
> and most important
> 
> *BE FLEXIBLE* Playing with an octopus or watching a shark is much better than the scheduled video for the day.
> 
> Other suggestions:
> basic first aid
> basic swimmer classes
> 
> Wes


Wes,

Thanks for the very informational post! That is great.

We do a lot of those things too - especially taking the time out to enjoy the life we are experiencing. It makes all the difference too.

We are in the keys now. Where you you and your family? Would love to meet up if you are in this neck of the woods. Have 9&12 yo boys.

Brian


----------



## vtsailguy

Really interesting discussion!

So my day job is teaching teachers. There is an important shift right now in schools revolving at exactly what the goals are. Tony Wagner in his book The Global Achievement Gap gives seven "survival" skills that schools need to shift to rather than traditional content coverage
Tony Wagner?s Seven Survival Skills

Critical thinking and problem-solving
Collaboration across networks and leading by influence
Agility and adaptability
Initiative and entrepreneurialism
Effective oral and written communication
Accessing and analyzing information
Curiosity and imagination

Right now one could comfortably argue that schools are not well equipped to address these. Whereas an extended period of time on a boat can make the ideal living classroom to do so.

Think not "home" schooling but "boat" schooling.

I think that a break from regular schools and investing your children in the daily authentic challenges involved in cruising will pay huge dividends for future life AND when they go back to school.

I see the "home schooling" part as minimum skill retention to try and make sure they don't "lose ground."

This is going to be my approach next year when we take a year off with our three kids.


----------



## davidpm

We home schooled both of our children. Daughter is 32, son is 28. Daughter has her US teachers certificate and is teaching in Guatemala City and loves it. She aced college, loved it. She still visits with her favorite professor whenever she gets back to the states.

Son didn't want to go to college and is a sailboat rigger in Annapolis. He has always made more money than our daughter, and has no college debt, so go figure.

I had a fun answer to the most common question we would get when someone found out we were home schooling.

The question was" "Aren't you worried about socialization"

My answer was: "Yes it is a big problem I worry about it all the time. They spend so much time with other kids and their parents what with their museum trips, trips to go to work with parents, trips to zoo's, aquariums, farms etc. it never ends. Excess socialization is something I'm concerned about." 

I would get a stunned look and a mumble. I wasn't really kidding either. 

We were pretty moderate. My wife tried to cover a regular curriculum. It only really takes a couple hours a day. Most of the day in schools if you remember is wasted. Moving between classrooms, discipline and just plain waiting. If you get mono you can keep up with your class with someone that comes to your house for an hour or so a day.

We had some friends that were pretty extreme. They believed in un-schooling. They made it their business to not teach their kids anything. They had lots of material around, would suggest what to do during the day but there were no education goals at all. If the kids asked a question they would answer it. Most of our friends has children that went to public school of course. In the end I was amazed at how little anything mattered. The unschooled, the public schooled and and moderate homeschooling like ourselves. The ones that wanted to go to college went to college and did well. The others found jobs they liked to do.

You would have thought it would have made a bigger difference but it didn't. I'm talking about probably 50 children. 
My favorite story was one of our young unschooler friends who couldn't read by the time he was about 14. At that time he could already rebuild an engine and weld because that is what he liked to do and his father was adamant about not forcing anything on him. Eventually he went up to his mother and asked to get help reading. After she fainted and she came to they started and within weeks he was up to grade level. The reason, he wanted to be able to read his motorcycle shop manual.

The fact of the matter is that some children thrive in public school, some in private school and some home schooled. 

Based on my experience while I understand it takes a trained expert to teach 20+ children at once in a school setting or a college setting I'm pretty sure any literate parent can handle K-12 for a handful of their own kids with a little help providing they are willing to put in the time and money. We found it was not cheap, not easy and took a lot of time. It is way easier to send them to school.
It is definitely not for everyone.


----------



## John33

We're not cruising yet, but we've been on the road for the past two years in an RV. We've got one school-age kid, and my wife has been teaching him using the Ambleside Online curriculum. It's gone pretty well. He doesn't always want to do his lessons, but it's becoming less of a problem. Now that he's started 2nd grade, we're putting more of the responsibility for his lessons on him (instead of us making him do them) and he's responding well to that so far.

We've also run into a number of traveling families that unschool. It's definitely very popular - no curriculum, no milestones, no pressure. I can't speak to the results though.

- John


----------



## bwalker42

IMHO, 
There is no school like home!


----------



## bljones

Did you homeschool your children, Brenda?


----------



## davidpm

The real lesson of my prior post was that society has put a huge burden on parents by implying that only professional teachers can do the job and that it can only be done one way. I've got nothing against teachers, my father was one. My daughter is one and she was home schooled except for one semester of high-school and her senior year of high-school.

It is a big scary responsibility. It is now the norm to pass it off to society. It is always the parents responsibility no matter what, but for homeschoolers it is more obvious.

As someone who is 10+ years past that stage based on seeing dozens of children being raised in radically different ways I'm pretty sure our schooling choices have much less impact on most children than we would typically expect.

In other words, chill, have fun and play it by ear. 

If you have a kid like my daughter who was reading the complete works of Shakespeare the third time by age 11 and snickering in the corner over the randy parts you will have a different experience than with my son who could build anything out of Lego's and delighted in making rubber-band boobie traps all over the house and playing forts in the swamp next door. But didn't want to read until very late.

The biggest advantage I see for home schooling is the opportunity for the parent to tailor the day to the child. If the child is ahead in some skills either reading, math, welding, machine repair, carpentry or behind in some skills, traditional school can be very damaging. 

It is very hard for a teacher to keep children from being either bored or lost and frustrated when they have so many to care for and limited time and state enforced tests to cram for.

Homeschooling while anything but easy can actually be easier in some circumstances with some children.

But like I said before it is definitely not for everyone.


----------



## bljones

But david, the challenge for parents homeschooling without a net (ie without a homeschooling resource center or a network of fellow homeschooling parents) is that the pupil will have the same teacher for every subject, and thus be subject to the weaknesses, and strengths of that sole-source educator.
If you are not a strong speller and don't like to read, for example, what are the odds that you will emphasize that aspect of the curriculum, and by extension, what are the odds that your child will have an interest in literature and be able to structure a sentence coherently?

i disagree with your philosophy on the societal responsibility for educationEducation has been seen as a societal responsibility going back to the ancients. even in primitive tribes, children have always learned skills as part of the group. it is a relatively recent phenomenon, largely of the first world, to assume the parents can privately educate our children better than the group as a whole.

Where the public education system falls apart is the failure of the educator/parent link. If parents and educators don't work together, the school and the students fail.

i have had discussions with people who want to withdraw their children from the public system and homeschool their children because of some vague and unformed belief that the public school system is a failure. ias how many conferences they have had with their children's current teacher, how many PTA meetings they have attended, what volunteer work they do at the school, and the answers often range from "none' to "little.' I ask, if you are relatively uninvolved in your child's education now, how successful do you think you will be as their teacher in the future?

that tends to kill the conversation.

Our children were public schooled through elementary school, then homeschooled through their high school years, after giving high school a try. 
Was it a success? 
they both "graduated' earlier than their peers, getting their GED and going on to college 2 years ahead of their peers, and both are thriving in the college environment. They had support through a homeschool resource center, and they understood the importance of deadlines, and their performance was measured, and above average performance was rewarded. 

Would we do it again? depends on the kids, and the kids needs. I believe that one has to have at least attempt structured school- some kids, in fact most kids, thrive.


----------



## rikhall

Self educating your children:

If you want to do it you will read the "positive" posts and go away smiling.
If you do not want to do it you will read the "negative" posts and go away smiling.

Some learners seem to learn no matter where you put them and who "teaches" them.
Some learners don't seem to learn no matter where you put them and who "teaches" them.

If you do not have the skills you need (Literature, Science, Art, Music, Mathematics, Sociology etc.) then it might be best if you get some qualified help.

Me, I think an educator should be a trained professional, but many people home school with good results. And, if you are a world cruiser, with children on board, you might indeed finding yourself doing "Home Schooling", "Home Mechanical work", "Home Dentistry", "Home Surgery". 

Good luck in your adventure.

Rik


----------



## Pearson796

K12 and Connections Academy are the two that we have used. Our oldest daughter, who is with us on the boat, is a graduate of K12.


----------



## xort

From all I have seen and read, the 'failure' or under achievement of home schooling is extremely low, miniscule. Can anyone say that for the us public school system?


----------



## Pearson796

xort said:


> From all I have seen and read, the 'failure' or under achievement of home schooling is extremely low, miniscule. Can anyone say that for the us public school system?


Probably because it is a structured curriculum and they "discharge" students who do not do the work. Both programs we have used require motivated students and parents.


----------

