How much time do I need to spend each day roadschooling my children?

My son, ringing the bell in a Burmese temple

“A school day is about five hours, and that doesn’t even include homework time,” a letter I recently received asked. “How can I make sure my children will learn just as much (and hopefully more) while roadschooling? I like to believe education is not as efficient at school as it can be at home (or the road) since there’s only one teacher with twenty or more children, and at school is less likely to be child-led. Nevertheless, it seems like you still need a lot of time per week where education is the main goal.”

You’d be surprised. When your life revolves around education, you end up spending very little time on it.

I know that sounds weird. What I’m trying to say is that as you travel, you’ll be doing this stuff anyway. You’ll go to national parks and explore the visitor centers and listen to ranger talks. That’s all “school.” You’ll take hikes around battlefields and talk about the wars that happened there as you walk. That’s “school” too.

Every time you visit a cheese factory or a zoo, when you play in tidal pools along the coast or race up sand dunes, it’s “school.” Take advantage of every opportunity to get out and play, and your kids will be in school all the time.

In the evenings, after a long day of playing tourist, you’ll need some down time – that’s when your kids will reach for books to relax with. There’s your reading for the day. Before they go to bed, have them spend a few minutes writing a journal entry.

You don’t have to stress about it – you really don’t.

Nancy Sathre-Vogel is a 21-year classroom veteran who make the decision to leave the classroom for a life on the road. Together with her husband and twin sons, she spent a total of four years traveling the Americas on bicycle roadschooling her children, including a journey from Alaska to Argentina. For more information about educating your child on the road, visit her site at www.familyonbikes.org.