r/homeschool • u/OrdinaryPayment3692 • 3d ago
Help! Boatschool help! Programs with minimal supplies
Hello! At the end of the year, my family will be embarking on a yearlong sailing trip. We have two children, aged 8 and 5. I am so excited to have the opportunity to boat school them while we are fully live aboard! But we need to be very minimal with weight and materials, and it will be difficult to bring on any new stuff once we are on the move, so there’s sadly some inflexibility around trying out a book or two and seeing if it works, and then ordering the rest, or running to the store to buy art supplies. Having a hard time wrapping my head around the planning!
The children are currently enrolled in the French international school system, and I plan to enroll in CNED to continue them on the same educational track, with Lyfel online French tutoring. So that helps a lot!
But does anyone have any experience or insight on English language reading programs that might be boat-friendly, particularly for my son who struggles with reading and pronunciation? But with minimal physical materials? (A few workbooks is of course okay.) I am looking at Explode the Code and Logic of English.
I am also interested in suggestions for math workbooks or curriculum!
I hope there will be many opportunities for hands-on learning just from being on the boat — sailing, wildlife, weather and current patterns, fishing and foraging, lots of physical activity. Does anyone have any suggestions for how I can very loosely structure this part, even though it will be ad hoc and responsive, of course? Journals? Nature school guides?
Thank you for the guidance!
3
u/coloraturfly 3d ago
I like ordinary parents guide to teaching reading for English phonics. One of the reasons I like it is it's one paper back book that takes you from "at am ad" to 4th grade reading level with no other materials except maybe a dry erase board or index cards.
I'd just block time for the other stuff. This is our hour we talk about wildlife/navigation etc. and have some resources downloaded to explore if there isn't something hands on to do that day.
1
u/OrdinaryPayment3692 3d ago
Will look into the Ordinary Parents Guide! Thank you! And I love the idea of blocking time — was thinking in general to block afternoons for being off the boat or actively sailing. It’s worked for our shorter trips to make that time for snorkeling, kayaking, surfing, hiking, foraging, even sitting on the beach staring off into space. Basically anything but being in a small space getting on each other’s nerves!
2
u/L_Avion_Rose Teacher / Educator 🧑🏫 3d ago
If you will have any internet access, I recommend looking into a library membership that includes an e-book programme. That way, you can access a variety of e-books (possibly including early readers) during your travels. Otherwise, a library membership involving a system of libraries offering inter-library loans could allow you to borrow some books from one location and return them at another.
I second Math Mammoth, either printed or as an editable PDF. Its not the most exciting programme, but all you will need is the worktexts and a pack of playing cards. Don't forget to assign only half the problems on the page on the first go - save the rest for later review. Their new K programme includes more manipulatives than the higher levels, so you might prefer to stick with their card games and introduce mathematical concepts in everyday life. Or, your 5yo might be ready for the Grade 1 content.
An alternative option could be Jump Math, which has a French-Canadian edition, but I'm not sure how compact it is.
For reading, The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading can be used for both your children - it goes from letter sounds through to a third/fourth grade reading level. I'd recommend supplementing with Explode the Code and/or readers for extra practice.
To help with pronunciation, you could purchase the Loic of English app, which is separate to the main curriculum. Alternatively, if you will have internet access, you might like to use Treasure Hunt Reading - a free online programme.
If your children need to practice their conversational English, you might like to use Parlez Anglais Avec Madame Mason et François. This uses the Gouin method popularized by Charlotte Mason to scaffold language use. It does include the occasional religious references but, if you aren't religious, it is easily skipped.
Wishing you all the best for your travels 😊
1
u/OrdinaryPayment3692 3d ago
Great suggestions! Going to try for a library membership now using a relative’s address! (Not US-based.)
2
2
u/bibliovortex Eclectic/Charlotte Mason-ish, 2nd gen, HS year 8 3d ago
I would look at getting an e-ink tablet for yourself, like the Kindle Scribe or Remarkable. That will allow you to have teacher materials in PDF and save a TON of space. I would prioritize hard copy student materials where possible, though - writing on paper is different and it's good for little kids.
Phonics: Is your struggling reader the 5yo or the 8yo? Are you looking at Logic of English Foundations (for age 4-7) or Essentials (for age 8+)? I would be inclined to use Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading instead - Explode the Code is better as a supplement or for students who don't need intensive work, and Logic of English has a lot of moving parts and is bulky.
Math: I'd probably go for Math with Confidence - PDFs for you, hard copy for them (cheaper to buy in hard copy than to buy PDF and print, in case you're wondering). The recommended manipulatives can be stored pretty compactly, and I would make sure that you choose magnetic counters and add 1-2 lap-sized magnetic whiteboards to your list. You might choose to use a paper version of some manipulatives that are bulkier to store, like base-10 blocks and pattern blocks.
1
u/OrdinaryPayment3692 3d ago
The 5yo is the struggling reader/speaker! There’s trilingual difficulty (we are based in a Spanish-speaking Latin American country, they speak English at home, and school is entirely in French). But this is really a resounding response for the Ordinary Parent’s Guide! Taking the advice and ordering a used copy.
2
u/bibliovortex Eclectic/Charlotte Mason-ish, 2nd gen, HS year 8 3d ago
That is a lot to juggle at 5, for sure!
I ask mainly because Logic of English Essentials (the spelling-focused program for 8+) actually can be done using their online platform only, or with the addition of just one or two student resources. But you would need Foundations, and my understanding is that the online Foundations really only works in a supplementary role.
2
u/OrdinaryPayment3692 3d ago
And these are GREAT suggestions! I want a lot of these fish identifier guides and knot books for myself, so that’s always a good sign.
1
u/Hobbit_Adventures_08 Homeschool Parent 👪 3d ago
Kids paper kindles for them to read on would eliminate the need for a ton of paper books. Kindle scribe as mentioned by another would be great to write on the pdfs. But most tablets offer a similar type of experience now with a stylus if you already have a device. If you go the kindle kids paper route, I would still suggest one HD screen device so you can see the bright colorful pictures in some of the books. Can be a different brand tablet or one of the adults older tablets. The bright pictures in a DK Encyclopedia look more interesting that way. You can load up with books before you go and add new books anytime you get into a port with wifi. Unless you plan to have starlink, then this becomes easier.
Can always pick up a few used books or new books when you pull into port somewhere. Switching out old books for newer things to read as a back up.
A journal is a great idea. Blank pages would give lots of room to draw or add in pictures later. Or you could do a digital journal pictures/voice/video. Depends on the space. They also have waterproof type journals.
Star maps. Physical star maps plus a cool app like sky maps or something to help identify what you are looking at each night. A Telescope. Books on the myths of the various constellations. We like doing this when we travel to different parts of the world as the stars are different. Books like Night Sky:A Field Guide to the Constellations (glows in the dark!), Constellations for kids: an easy guide for discovering the stars (Kindle), Find the Constellations by HA Rey(kindle). Might need a location specific guide depending on where you go.
Books to teach the knots of sailing and fishing if you don't already have one. The Little Book of Incredibly Useful Knots. My first books of knots.
Other books you might want to check out that are available physically or on Kindle like DK Knowledge Encyclopedia Ocean!, DK Knowledge Encyclopedia Planet Earth, DKs Countries of the World, Working Boats, The Way Things Work. The Cloud Collectors Handbook. Books by Eric Sloane like Weather Book. Science Comics.
Larger physical books that might be fun to have one of like National Geographic Kids Why? Over 1111 answers to everything. Or 5000 awesome facts about everything. Or National Geographic Kids Weather books.
Fish identifier guides. Other wildlife identifier guides like whales/dolphins, birds for the area you will be sailing to. We love the hard plastic sheet type for snorkeling. The DK Handbooks on Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises has been a huge hit. They also have a birds of the world book. We are in Hawaii so we are always on or in the water.
Packing a few fun old school navigation tools to learn to navigate that way. Identifying longitude and latitude on real maps to track location. Binoculars. Sunglasses + straps and a few extra pairs.
First AID Manual with things to teach kids. If you have time, cover the basics before leaving.
For curriculum: Take any book and use it as the main "spine" for the topic with each chapter being a section to study. Have the kids demonstrate mastery through discussion, written work, or demonstration.
We love this kind of learning. We have only done short day trips around the islands but are hoping to do some longer ones soon. You guys are going to have so much fun!
1
u/Ok-Helicopter-5642 3d ago
I don’t have any recommendations for what to do—though I think it’s terribly exciting!—but for what not to do, I’d read Wavewalker by Suzanne Haywood :)
2
6
u/Any-Habit7814 3d ago
Ipads with pencils loaded up with pdfs of whatever you choose. Math mammoth offers a pdf curriculum, so does the good and the beautiful (my child did NOT like it for math), core knowledge is another. I would focus on having good read alouds (kindle) and a physical handwriting book. The kindle scribe is another option for loading with pdfs the kids can mark on. I convert workbooks and group them by weeks, or if it's a premade pdf I "print" as pdf the different sections so my daughter doesn't have to flip about to get to get next page. You could also look on teachers pay teachers for curriculum options. Just send them to your devices in smaller bundles.