Boatschooling: Everything You Need to Know
Find out more about boat-schooling resources and how to get the most out of schooling kids on a boat.
September 23, 2024
Homeschooling By Boat
The mainstream public education system is not for everyone. Internet capabilities have improved, namely Starlink, and it is possible to secure a stable internet connection in most passages and crossings, making it far easier for bluewater cruising families to homeschool. Deciding which curriculum is best suited to your child is not an easy decision.
Homeschooling requires total commitment, interest, and at least a passion for the subjects that you are teaching. Living in the close confines of a boat means that the endless juggle of education, boat maintenance, socialization, and online employment creates a challenging dynamic. For homeschooling to be effective, there needs to be a clear structure in place while remaining adaptable, as the liveaboard life is inherently unpredictable.
Above: Aiden Jacobsen on the Erie Canal. Image via Andrea Jacobson.
Boatschooling: The Pros
- Skills and subjects learned on a boat, such as oceanography, marine biology, meteorology, structural physics (study the sailboat itself), astronomy, geography, and charting and celestial navigation, not to mention enriching your child's worldly views, cultural experiences, and practical and problem-solving skills.
- Cruising kids tend to have an increased sense of environmental and social responsibility and great team-building skills, learned from the boat community.
- Sailing kids are often confident when meeting new people, asking for directions, or negotiating with market vendors. Being out in the big wide world from a young age exposes them to a diverse range of people from different backgrounds and ages.
- For many, the beauty of homeschooling is that parents can tailor their children's syllabus to suit their needs, selecting from a respected curriculum and resources.
- Boatschooling allows students practice and learn at their own pace.
Cons
- It's worth being aware that being homeschooled often means that children may not be as up to speed with the latest trends, fashion sense, lingo, video games, influencers, and YouTubers, which can create some adjustment issues if they return to traditional schooling on land. While parents may not regard these matters as important, in a child's world, these nuances can make a child stand out against their peers.
- Another consideration for boat-schooled children is their lack of socialization on a boat. Addressing the issue largely depends on what part of the world you are cruising in and how willing you are to put yourself 'out there' on social media and track down other children.
- Boatschooling has often been quoted as "Hands down the hardest part of cruising life."
Above: Aiden Jacobsen studying on a boat on his descent from the Bahamas. Image via Andrea Jacobson.
Begin By Choosing On A Schooling Method
There are two ways of boat schooling. The first and most popular way is to follow a curriculum with an accredited school and schedule official exams on land to enable your child to achieve qualifications enabling them to fit into a modern society when they live on land. The second boat schooling method is a 'piecemeal program' where you pick each subject yourself, tailoring curriculum elements to suit your child's needs and interests. This option is more flexible and more easily adapted to your cruising journey. Often, cruisers take a more fluid approach when their children are younger, for example, in pre-high school, following their children's interests and letting their boat journey as a guide. By middle grade most cruisers adhere to their state's most recognized curriculum.
Choosing An All-In-One Online Curriculum
Khan Academy
An online educational program geared solely towards the US schooling system for children ages two to seven with focus on core subjects such as early literacy, language, and math. There is a strong focus on using videos to educate kids. Lessons cover math K-12 through early college, grammar, science, history, AP®, SAT®. The secular platform includes supplementary practice exercises and materials for educators. Here you can view the founder, Sal’s Ted Talk on reinventing education through video usage:
Time4Learning
An American secular PreK-12 homeschool curriculum that lets you design a learning journey as unique as your kid. Prices start from $29/month. This is a well-rounded program with interactive lessons and graded exercises giving your insight in your child's progression. Time4Learning complies with US homeschooling laws, educational standards, and credentials.
Timberdoodle
Specializing in STEM-based homeschool subjects for babies through to kids at preschool through to high school ages 14 plus. Timberdoodle is not a school, but rather a curriculum supplier and therefore it is not accredited. Timberdoodle concentrates on making learning fun with immersive and sensory tools, however the kits are not cheap. The business is owned by a Christian family, our family's faith and values are frequently reflected in their classic curriculum kits.
Oak Meadow
Oak Meadow is definitely completely different from anything you’d get in a classroom. The secular platform provides an accredited book based distance learning school. There is a gentle approach to education. You will be responsible for registering with your school district or state Department of Education (DOE) as a homeschooler and satisfying state requirements for reporting your progress. The program is very ‘wordy’ and with a strong focus on nature. Its history lessons are well regarded, however, the syllabus is slow paced, which can be good or bad depending on what it is that you are looking for.
Calvert Education
A well-rounded and customizable homeschooling program with print courses for Pre K-5. Calvert Learning's project-based curricula are designed using the research-based PLUS framework, which consists of four elements: project, learn, use, and show. Calvert is a secular program.
Wolsey Hall Oxford
Follows the National Curriculum in England. It’s a rather intensive program and your child needs to be committed because it can be draining. Geared towards independent learning. The secular platform is driven for children who thrive in a self-directed learning process.courses have been prepared for children aged 4 – 11. They are designed to cover Years 1 – 6 of the English National Curriculum (Key Stages 1 and 2). Pricewise, it’s on the upper end of the scale, prices start at £3800. The program widely respected but one of the more costly options.
Gather Round
Teach every child from K-12 with one cohesive curriculum with a modular setup. They have both books and pdf that you can purchase and print off which is convenient since many liveaboards do not have an address to ship materials too. This is a secular-taught program.
Piecemeal Programs
| MATH RESOURCES | Online | Offline | Ages |
| Singapore Math | X | PreK-8 | |
| Life of Fred | X | K-12 | |
| Saxon Math | X | X | K-12 |
| Math U See | X | X | K-12 |
| RightStart Math | X | K-12 | |
| Beast Academy | X | X | Grades 2-5 |
| Teaching Textbooks | X | X | Grades 2-12 |
| Math Mammoth | X | Grades 2-8 | |
| Derek Owens | X | X | High School |
| ThinkWell | X | Grades 6-12 | |
| HISTORY RESOURCES | |||
| Story of the World | X | ||
| SPELLING RESOURCES | |||
| All About Spelling | X | K-6ish | |
| Logic of English | X | Grades 1-6ish | |
| WRITING RESOURCES | |||
| Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) | X | K-12 | |
| Learning Without Tears: Building Writers | X | K-5 | |
| Brave Writer | X | X | K-12 |
| Cover Story | X | X | Grades 5-9 |
| Beyond the Book Report | X | Grades 6-12 | |
| Logic of English | X | Grades 1-6ish | |
| Michael Clay Thompson - Grammar | X | X |
Lesson Planning
Twinkl is a great resource for lesson planning and provides you with a wide range of materials. You can download and print out worksheets to take on long passages. The free version offers a lot of choice but the paid version is superb and is low cost.
led by experienced teachers who provide attentive, one-to-one support.
Fun Ideas For Learning On A Boat
- Take a trip to local history museums and archeological sites countries you are visiting
- Find out about weather systems through sailing
- Learn about stars and planets through stargazing and celestial navigation
- Learn about local foods by visiting markets, engage in culinary experiences and local cooking courses
- Incorporate passion projects into learning
- Listen to podcasts on current news and affairs
- Read books set in the countries that you are visiting to improve your child's literacy skills.
- Organize fancy dress parties with other cruising families using traditional clothes once worn in the local area.
- Incorporate what you are doing or seeing into your kids' schooling. For example, study whales in Tonga and then dive with them. Or if you find yourself in Vanuatu, study Volcanoes then hike them!
- Use Pinterest to put together experiments and activities for any given topic.
- Schedule litter pick-ups to instill a strong sense of environmental responsibility.
- Physical education, hold a diving contest off the transom, organize swimming races with other sailing kids, yoga on the beach, cycle around local villages, climb mountains, scuba dive in the reefs.
Team Up With Other Kid Boats
Kids4Sail is a worldwide community of cruising families who are currently preparing to live aboard and/or travel a platform for sharing tips and local knowledge. It's a great place to connect with other families to enable them to group together and teach each other's children. Parents of different backgrounds and experience (plumber, vet, physiotherapist, civil engineer) often complement each other and you can curate a well-rounded education.
Everybody has something different to offer when teaching and children often thrive on the novelty of being taught by somebody new and are keener to learn and more likely to listen to somebody other than their parents!
Exam Time
When it is time for exams, being in a port that has a teacher, librarian or port captain willing to administer the exams is essential.
Reading Eggs
A reading program designed for children aged 2–13 that provides interactive lessons, reading games and over 4,000 e-books for young readers.
Library Resources Available to Non-Residents
archive.org
The Grand Prairie Library System
Broward County Library System
Build Your Own Library
Special Needs Resources
The Barton System
Linamood-Bell
Toe by Toe
All About Reading
Fix It! (within Institute of Excellence in Writing - IEW)
RightStart Math
Enjoy The Journey
There is no doubt that boat schooling comes as a big challenge to everybody involved, but memories made frolicking on the beach and in the water with other kids at beach parties might just make it all worth it.
Just For Fun
When asking other cruisers which they would prefer:
1. A magical gnome mechanic who kept everything working
2. A food fairy who did all the shopping and kept everyone fed
3. A mythical sailing selkie who kept every watch and trimmed every sail
4. A private tutor.
Everyone said 4.
If you enjoy bluewater cruising you might be interested in reading Cruising In The Caribbean: Everything You Need To Know
