Homeschool vs. Distance Learning: Which Works Best for Full-Time RV Families?

For many full-time RV families, the decision of whether to homeschool your kids or engage in distance learning is a tough one. There are pros and cons to both. To help you make your decision, here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning and homeschool for RV families!

Homeschooling in an RV

Homeschooling is a fantastic option for RV parents who love to teach. It often allows parents to incorporate learning into all aspects of their day. Homeschool for RV families is excellent for those families who are prepared to create a daily routine for learning.

When it comes to homeschooling your RV family, it’s important to decide if you want to structure your learning after a typical classroom or instead lead a less structured day. As a parent, it’s important to establish a routine that will help your child adjust to learning from home and understand that you are both their parent and teacher.

Advantages of Homeschooling

The advantages of school at home include:

• Family closeness. Homeschooling is very intimate, since it requires you to be both a parent and a teacher. You’ll get the chance to not only teach your child learning material, but also life experiences. It’s up to you how you create lessons and learning experiences, and this can allow you and your child to become closer than ever.
• Child-focused learning. At a regular school, the day isn’t structured around just your children. Instead, the learning experience is centered around catering to every child, which makes it less individualized. At home, you’re able to create lessons and experiences that focus on your kid’s interests. You can support them better in areas where they struggle and reward them with experiences that they would personally enjoy.
• Flexibility. Have you ever struggled to get your kid to go to school on a particularly difficult day? With homeschooling, this problem is nearly erased. Homeschooling allows for quite a bit of flexibility, which means that if you ever need to alter your schedule or routine, you’re able to.

Disadvantages of Homeschooling

Some of the disadvantages of homeschool include:

• Teaching difficult material. At school, the teachers who are educating your children are trained professionals. At home, you’re a parent studying education material in order to teach your kid. This can make it hard to teach your children hard-to-teach concepts or skills.
• Less socialization. With homeschooling, it can be difficult to provide the social aspect of school. Living as an RV family creates a unique life, and choosing to do school at home rather than distance learning can make it even more difficult to find social opportunities for your kids.
• Time and cost commitment. Homeschooling requires a huge time and cost commitment. While the time commitment shouldn’t be too bad for RV families, it still requires changing your daily routine, schedule, and even planned trips in order to accommodate homeschooling. It can also cost a lot to purchase all of the required materials.

Distance Learning in an RV

Distance learning is a somewhat new concept that involves students learning from an online teacher while still at home. Many schools will provide the option for distance learning, especially in 2021, although your student may have to attend a completely online school.

Distance learning is unique in that a licensed teacher instructs all classes. Class materials, structure, and work are all provided by and led by teacher instruction. Your child will be experiencing the classroom, but from home via virtual meetings, classrooms, and more.

Advantages of Distance Learning

Distance learning provides a very unique experience. Some of the advantages include:

• Independence from home. While homeschooling is a great option to create a family bonding experience, if your child craves independence in their RV lifestyle, distance learning may be the perfect solution. Distance learning allows your child scheduled time out of the day to practice independence.
• Social life. Although distance learning still isn’t a way to get lots of in-person interactions, it provides an opportunity for your child to be social. Attending a school, even if just online, can introduce your child to other students, giving them the chance to get interaction and social time throughout the day.
• Licensed learning. Learning as an RV family can prove difficult in many ways, including learning and teaching certain subjects or skills. Distance learning addresses this problem by having your child be taught by licensed professionals. Additionally, distance learning gives your child the opportunity to take higher-level classes while in school, including AP courses, honors classes, and even college classes when it comes time.

Disadvantages of Distance Learning

While the unique experience of distance learning provides many benefits, there are some disadvantages that come with it:

• Learning is less fun. With homeschooling, you have the opportunity to cater learning to your child’s interests. You also get the chance to incorporate fun activities and experiences. Distance learning is just like being in a classroom, and is more structured, routined, and less interactive.
• Keeping an internet connection. Distance learning requires a strong, stable internet connection. When you’re living life on the road, you may struggle to find an internet provider who can give you the connection you need. Without a stable internet connection, your child may miss out on valuable class and learning time.
• Learning can be harder. Although classes are being taught by licensed teachers, it can be harder for your student to learn. Learning via a computer screen isn’t always easy for some students, and without the ability to ask questions in person, it can be hard to grasp some topics.

So, Which Should You Choose?

Learning as an RV family means making the right choices for your family. When making your learning decision, you should keep in mind your lifestyle. If you plan to spend more time traveling and experiencing the world, homeschooling may be for you. If you like structure and routine, the choice may be to engage in distance learning.

No matter your choice as a family, it’s important to have good, stable internet. Nomad Internet can provide you with a strong internet connection, no matter where you are.