The girl next door Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 We're heading on a road trip before we return to school and I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for carschooling? Things that work or don't work? What to focus on or what to avoid? I'm primarily thinking of my 5 year old (first grader) who should be doing as much reading and writing as possible.... but I'm not sure how that will work in the car! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acorn Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 We have enjoyed audiobooks while traveling. Mouse and the Motorcycle and Little House in the Big Woods were favorites at age 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uff Da! Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Mary Pope Osborne's "The Odyssey" was a big hit here. We borrowed it from the library. The Odyssey is inherently violent with all the monsters and so forth- but my little ones loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Jim Weiss CDs, audiobooks....we also work on poetry memorization in the car. I have a lot of CDs of poetry, and I pick a poem and play it over and over again until they (and I!) have it memorized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The girl next door Posted August 12, 2012 Author Share Posted August 12, 2012 Thanks for the suggestions.... I'm off to check out what the library has in audiobooks! Any suggestions for quiet activities (for when someone is sleeping)? (Will bring headphones as well). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenbrdsly Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 We like to play a game called "yellow car". Any time you see a yellow car, you say "Yellow Car". It sounds ridiculous, but is addicting. :) Here's a carschooling link with all of the library call numbers listed for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caedmyn Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 We've done: Spanish (Teach Me Spanish, Fun Spanish, Magic Spanish, & this year I have some Spanish/English beginning reader audiobooks) Song School Latin, Grammar Songs (just for exposure at this point) History Songs Geography Songs audiobooks from Librivox Jonathan Parks creation science CDs Mondo Math math drills songs (these didn't go over too well) We've also done memory work and Spanish "conversations" in the car, although that doesn't work well now that we have a minivan and DD sits in the far back. If your DS is a decent reader you could have him read out loud in the car. We've done this with easy readers where I could easily tell if she mispronounced or misread a word without having to look at the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Be aware that your child may not be able to read in the car-many of my plans for carschooling hit a snag when it became obvious that reading in a car makes DD carsick. We do a lot of listening. Here's the blog post I wrote on some of the things we use (and where I got them) about a year or so ago. http://makingmusicwithkids.blogspot.com/2011/07/musical-carschooling-primary-grades.html I would also add-if you can get the Classical Conversations CDs, I've found them very helpful in just adding little bits of memory work in between longer songs on the playlists. It's amazing how much my DD learns from the CC memory work just in driving around in the car, and how it comes back later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinchick Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 We just returned from a trip to Virginia; we drove from New England so there was LOTS of time for carschooling! Like a PP mentioned, DD gets sick when she reads in the car, so I read aloud. We were visiting lots of historic sites (Mount Vernon, Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg), so I read books about the things we'd be seeing, specifically: Who Was George Washington? Phoebe the Spy Pocahontas and the Strangers A Lion to Guard Us If You Lived In Williamsburg in Colonial Days We also did the Bedtime Math problems every day while we were on vacation. It really helped pass the time, and DD got a lot more out of the trip than she would have without the background information. Also want to note, though, that we also listened to fun music and played a couple of DVDs (Disney Princesses - nothing educational). In addition to the historic sites on the trip, we also went to an amusement park and a water park. All work and no play... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrissySC Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 I vote for some good audiobooks and Dover coloring books that are topically related. Do you have an ipad, ipod, or similar tablet? You can load up games that do not require internet connectivity. This would be a great time to practice many foundational skills, such as the math facts. (A usb connected to a car charger that accepts usb is available. I can't live without ours.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 I only get about an hour a week in the car with my kids and we use it for French. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 There is a Rand McNally Road Atlas for kids-- it is really kid-friendly, and has questions for them to answer, things for them to find, etc. Might be a bit old for a 5YO, but for future trips, you might consider the "Roadside Geology" books. There is a book out called "Car Schooling." Sticker book of the 50 states. Yes & Know answer books with those magic pens are fun. They may not be as high standards as listening to books on tape, but are good for getting in some quiet time :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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