I have had a few questions about what we are doing for with our five boys about schooling. I know a few families that are traveling around Australia with enrolling the children into schools from state to state or town to town.
I have thought about doing that, especially as we are spending time in one place for the moment while we get our Bedford Comair Motorhome finished off!
Home Schooling In Australia
Yes I have decided to be brave, or crazy, to try Home Schooling In Australia. I have homeschooled with two of our boys a few years back so I know what to expect with Home Schooling but this time I am also homeschooling our older high school boys so it’s a bit different! I hope this video explains how we are Home Schooling While Traveling and what we are doing with the system we are using. I have answered as many questions as I could think about, but if I have left any answers out then give me your questions below the video and I will get back to you……
Home Schooling and Traveling
I have heard a few families say how hard home Schooling is while traveling, as they find the work load too much and not giving the children enough time to tour the places that they are staying in. So far with the work we have been given we have managed to combine days staying at home and getting work done, with days going out and exploring.
Its a matter of being able to combine the best of both worlds – hands on learning with school books learning. I was lucky enough to find a Home Schooling In Australia company that supplies all we need for our five boys in one handy location. The company is ran and owned by Frank and Valerie – who have been homeschooling for over 20 years so they know what they are talking about! To read more about them or to see what Homeschooling Supplies that they do have then use the link provided above.
Homeschooling Supplies
There are many different companies online or businesses around Australia where you are able to buy your school supplies. I have shopped up at the Sunshine Coast when we were homeschooling Nicholas and Cameron many years ago. And I have brought many books from many different stores.
The best place I have found and the people with the most knowledge is Frank and Valerie from Homeschool Supplies Australia. I have spoken to them over the phone, and spent a fair bit of time making sure I get the right test books for each of our boys. They do say on their website that they only go up to year 10 but that is only because their work is so much more advanced then what is being taught at schools!
Testing Stages For Homeschooling
To start off our homeschooling we needed to order test books so that I can see where the boys are at and what books they do need. As each child is different Homeschooling system is perfect because they do not have to work at a level that is either above where they are at, or at a level that is too easy!
The testing stages for homeschooling lets us know (and Homeschooling supplies) what level of book each child needs for Maths and English. Once the book is completed (which most of our boys have done!) then we ring back Frank and Valerie and have a chat for which book we need to start our Homeschooling year with! Looking forward to seeing how much the boys can learn in one year compared to a year at school.
If you need any more information about Homeschooling In Australia then either ask me below, or ask your questions on youtube. If you are doing Frank and Valerie Homeschooling system then I would love to hear how you are going.
Are You Traveling Australia And Homeschooling?
Cheers
Lisa
New Life on the Road
I admire your courage and determination to do things your way. Good luck on this great adventure.
Hello Ariel,
Thanks for stopping by. We are looking forward to getting on the road full time with our boys and showing them what Australia has to offer as real education!
Cheers
Lisa
Hi Lisa
I always wondered how you go about home schooling.The Home Schooling Supplies appear to have everything covered. The boys will also learn heaps by travelling around Australia, what a great experience.
Kerry Lea recently posted..Royal Botanic Gardens
Hello Kerry,
Thanks – Frank and Valerie from Home Schooling Supplies have been so helpful. They are assisting all of our boys with schooling needs. I sure hope Australia will provided more hands on learning!
Cheers
Lisa
Hey Lisa, Great site! It’s awesome to read about homeschooling. I have been a school teacher in South East Queensland now for 4 years and its so great to see parents taking responsibility for their childrens learning. All too often I see parents who take no part or even interest in what their children are doing at school and its really quite sad! Anyway, loved your article about Bundaberg! Bless ya,
-Brad
(http://www.holidaybox.com.au)
Brad Evans recently posted..Bundaberg Adventure Travel
Hello Brad,
Wow – I take my hat of to you for being a school teacher. What grade do you teach? Its sad to see how many children are falling through the system and no one is noticing. With regards to parents…I guess each of parent differently!!
Thanks for stopping by and for using my ezine article on your blog 🙂
Cheers
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
Homeschooling on the road is easy! We homeschooled for two years before we started travelling, and now 6 months on the road. Really, it is only maths and language that you need to worry about – science, history, social studies, geography, even p.e. are all taken care of by the places you go, things you do and see. My kids leaent so much about rocks in Central Australia, and along the Limestone Coast – they’d never have learnt that at school. Best of all, they are interested in it, it’s relevant – they retain it. They’ll shoot ahead, and if they are like my older two they’ll read constantly in the car, or you can play some classic audiobooks because you have a captive audience.
Look forward to hearing more, and we might be able to meet somewhere on the way,
Amy
Hello Amy,
thank you so much for stopping by and commenting. Our older boy is not keen to travel nor do homeschooling. I so wished he could see how much better his education will be on the road! Our other boys are so keen – and yep I think if they are keen to learn then they will learn more than if they were sitting in a classroom setting. I am so keen to get going and travel around Australia. Be great to meet one day somewhere on the road 🙂
I am looking forward to following your travels with your blog and vlogs.
Cheers
Lisa
Well done this site is so informative we are taking our 5 year old boy around ox for a year leaving in january 2012 thankyou so much for all this information good luck on your journey 🙂
Hello Troy,
Thanks for stopping by. So wished we had travelled when our oldest was five. Its best to travel when the kids are younger so that they get to experience the real world and learn all about the Australian history 🙂
Keep in touch as we would love to hear how you go with your travels.
Cheers
Lisa
You seem to be well prepared, you got all the angles covered. And I am very impressed on how you have the courage and the risk you are willing to take, not to mention your son too is very courageous. Kudos!
Hi Mary,
THanking you for your kind words 🙂
Our boys are amazing with how much courage they do have!
Cheers
Lisa
Hi there, Lovely to read this! I am in the process of thinking about the future education of my children, exploring the alternatives that will allow them a greater experience of the world / our fine country / the diverse people in it. I appreciate you posting this, it’s given me food for thought. Whilst travelling/being on the road with my kids is still just a pipe-dream at this stage, it’s definitely not as unachievable as I perhaps would have first thought. Cheers! 🙂 Hope your travels are well!
Emma recently posted..No one is a "follower" in this household…
Hi Emma,
So good to read about your thoughts with regards to Homeschooling. I reckon that we are actually teaching our children from the day they are born, so homeschooling is just an extenstion of that 🙂
All the best with your childrens future education!
Cheers
Lisa
Congratulations on your amazing journey -we’ve found homeschooling to be incredibly rewarding and I can’t see how learning on the road could be any barrier, when you’re actually out in the world you’re learning about.. like a big educational road trip. So much to see, so much to learn FROM a wide ranging, diverse number of people, who know all sorts of things that you may not 🙂 wish you the best of luck! 🙂
Hi Carl,
Thank you for taking the time to stop here at New Life on the Road, and for leaving your great comment.
Homeschooling is a journey, and one that changes from day to day, week to week. The hardest part (for us parents) is to let the learning flow naturally, instead of in text books all of the time…our boys are learning so much by our different way of living (travelling etc)
cheers
Lisa
Hi,
I love your life at the road.
Can anyone interested in homeshooling or doing homeschooling fill in this survey for me as I need data for my uni assignment.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGtPOFhlZjMxcWhKbFQwUk5pcmFvVFE6MQ
will appreciate your help
Regards,
Adeeba
Hi Adeeba,
Thanks for contacting us here at New life on the Road. Filled out the form.
Cheers
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
Thanks a lot. I really appreciate your help. Do you know any other forum where i can post the link to the questionnaire. As I need more than ten responses to get a meaningful conclusion from the data for the assignment.
Regards,
Adeeba
Hi Adeeba,
Can you send me an email to lisawsdream@gmail.com and we can discuss this questionnaire in deepth. That way I will know what you are looking for, and how you want to promote it.
Cheers
Lisa
Hello. I have just stumbled across blog while looking for reviews/views on homeschooling supplies. We leave on our 12month lap around oz in September with our three children age 4, 7, and 10. I’m very excited by Frank and Valerie’s website but would love to know how you and boys have done in this department. Regards
Julianne.
Hi Julianne,
We have used Homeschooling Supplies for all of our boys and we found they were so great! Frank and Valerie were so good to answer my many questions, and to help me work out which books I needed for which Child.
The beauty of their system is that you can use one level for one subject, and then a different level for another subject. So that if they are advance in maths then they can go up a level, but need extra work in English then go back a few levels.
We have just returned our 13 year old son to Highschool – and they have slotted him into the higher achiever classes which really surprised me as he used to struggle in Primary school!
We are still using the books for our other two boys who are in Primary school!
If you have any more questions, happy to answer them 🙂 Hope that helps with what you are asking!
Cheers
Lisa
Hey Lisa,
I too obtain our books from Frank and Valerie. They definitely are the best. We have been homeschooling for about three years now (our ten year old) and our 3 year old will start a bit more formal education this year too. It means they can come on trips away when I need to work interstate but other than that we plan on having our own life on the road too! Hopefully early next year sometime so we may meet!
Brooke
Hi Brooke,
Thats great to hear from you! I love to hear about other families using Frank and Valerie Homeschooling system. Do you think that your children can learn more from homeschooling than they can from a classroom situation?
Cheers
Lisa
Hi Lisa!
I just stumbled across your wonderful blog today, whilst looking for homeschooling resources. How is it all going with your travels and the boys homeschooling? I have a nine year old boy with high functioning autism and have recently decided that this is the way to go for us. He’s coping at school but we want him to thrive and enjoy his learning in a place he feels secure and comfortable. I’m a primary teacher so I’m feeling reasonably confident, but of course want to choose the right curriculum. Due his autism, he really does thrive on routine and structure, so the resources you are suggesting sound great! Funnily enough, I emailed Valerie and Frank a few minutes before I found your blog, so it is very reassuring to read how much you like the material!
What a wonderful experience you are providing for your boys! Will keep reading about your travels!
Paula
Hi Paula,
Thanks for the great connection! I would so totally go for it! Homeschooling is way easier than you think ~ and can happen anywhere anytime. Kids learn more from life than from sitting in a classroom being forced to learn stuff that they dont really need later on in life!
Frank and Val Homeschooling Supplies system works so very well. We are using it with our youngest, and will be going to back to using it with our boys once we move on from where we are at the moment!
Being a Primary Teacher you will have so much to give your son. Being nine years old its a perfect time to start homeschooling.
Wish you all the best with it!
Cheers
Lisa
Thanks Lisa!
Thanks for the encouragement! I’m actually quite excited to start! I look forward to continue reading about your travels.
Regards
Paula
Hi Lisa. You are living my dream. What an opportunity for the kids.
I hope you guys are loving every moment of the journey 🙂 I live on the Sunshine Coast and I am really considering Homeschooling my 13, 9 and 7 yr old. But my only concern is finding a good homeschool group where the kids can socialize with other kids there age and be support network for myself. You mentioned in your video a group you met on the Sunshine Coast that were helpful. Could you please pass on the details. It would be much appreciated. Thanks, Kerrie 🙂
Hi Kerrie,
Thanks for the great connection! Regards homeschooling groups on the Sunshine Coast, you so live in the best area! I searched on yahoo “Homeschooling Groups” and that is how I found so many different ones.
Here is a link to one of them – http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/SunshineCoastHomeschoolers/
There are many ways to homeschooling, many different methods. Its a matter of finding one that suits your family 🙂
All the best. Have fun meeting other families on the Sunshine Coast – there is some magical get togethers!
Cheers
Lisa
i wanted to find out how and who i go through to home school my child whilst we travel around australia
Hi Lauren,
It depends on which state you are living in and what your child’s needs are with learning styles 🙂
Cheers
Lisa
Hi , just ran in to your blog,
I am heading off on an adventure in august sept … from vic up to far north Qld , Plan on spending around 3 mnths exploring before settling ( although this may all change depending on the trip and what we come across,,,
I have a 10 yr old girl and 4 yr old boy, wondering what the best option is for schooling ? she is quite high up in her class at school and wouldn’t want her to fall behind…. would love some info,,, its all so overwhelming looking at so many sites, AGHHHHHH
thanks so much XXXXX
Hi Saorin,
We use Homeschooling Supplies in Australia for our “Book Work” and then explore Australia and we find our boys learn as they go. Also meeting up with homeschoolers in the area, library visits, museums where ever we are, exploring nature through bush walking – and many other aspects of our Lifestyle along the way.
Its confusing {when you first start out} but soon it gets easier….depending on what your daughter is interested in will depend on what your schooling will be based on! Have you seen “Beverly Paine” website – we purchased her Homeschooling Book when we first started our journey and that helped with working out what choices to make.
Have lots of fun – all the best with your trip from Vic to Far North Qld 😉
Cheers
Lisa
Yes, homeschooling can be done while traveling and it would be really helpful for the families relocating frequently, homeschooling eliminates the problem of credit transfers when they move across the nation. Homeschooling that moves with you wherever you go and helps you earn the education beyond the geographical boundaries.
Ashley recently posted..Online Education – The New Way to Learn
Hi Ashley – great points about traveling and homeschooling. Thanks for sharing them 🙂
I like the concept of homeschooling. Best wishes for your venture!!!