Travelling with school aged children poses the question of how to tackle schooling on the road. The kids want learning to be fun (and quick!). I have a secret key to making it a great experience for everyone involved…keep it simple, and have the right resources on hand!
Having resources on hand that have more than one use, makes life easy (as they say, everything in a caravan needs more than one use). That’s why we’ve compiled a list of essentials for Road Schooling. Get the set up right, and the rest will fall into place. Resources do not need to be expensive…most can be found at discount or $2 shops.
Stationary
It’s either something you love or hate.
Personally, I love a good trip to the stationary shop to choose books and
supplies that will make school work fun. You can go for practical or pretty…the
choice is yours! Personally, I love the slip on book covers…good bye to the
days of contact and bubbles! They also help distinguish one book from another.
Make sure you grab…
- Lined books for writing (dotted thirds for
beginners come in different sizes, with the larger for younger children).
- A grid book for maths (optional, but I like them
keep numbers lined up)
- Good quality grey lead pencils, erasers and a
pencil sharpener (there is seriously a black hole for these…grab a few!)
- Good quality glue sticks (the cheap ones just
don’t cut it)
- Pens for older children (generally Grade 4 and
up)
- A diary to keep track of tasks that need completing,
great to prmote independence in the older years
- An unlined sketch or drawing book
- A ruler and maths kits for older children
Laminated 100 Chart
An absolutely invaluable resource for primary school maths. If you don’t have access to a printer or laminator, local libraries are usually more than happy to help, for a few dollars.
An alphabet strip
When children are learning to read and write, they often forget what a letter looks like. An alphabet strip is invaluable for learning to write without getting stuck on an unknown letter.
Stickers
There is no doubt about it…stickers make learning fun! A selection of different sizes, shapes, plain and decorated stickers is super useful. Keep a few reward stickers in a special place for extra great work…even better, smelly stickers are a true incentive.
Pack of Cards
A deck of cards has a hundred uses, and can be used for many maths games and activities. Add a pack to your kit (you may already have some in your games cupboard!).
Dice
Same for cards, as above. Kids love to roll dice, and they are super versatile.
Scrabble letters or ‘bananagrams’
These are the dice or cards of literacy, and have many uses. Younger students in particular, love using them to learn new words.
Small Whiteboard
There’s something about drawing on a whiteboard that is irresistible to a child (and a much more pleasant experience than scraping fingers down the blackboard!). Quick activities, problem solving, handwriting and drawing can all be done on a whiteboard, and has the added benefit of saving paper.
I love using Sparklebox for free printables. They have a stack of resources! Now you are all set to dive right into Road Schooling!