How to Worldschool Your Child

Worldschooling is a word rapidly on the rise in education circles. In this article, we take a look at what worldschooling is, why it's increasing in popularity, and how you might worldschool your child!

What is worldschooling?

“Worldschool” is a general term used by parents and educators who choose to teach whilst travelling. Worldschooling is all about getting an education from the “real world”, as opposed to sticking to a specific curriculum or school schedule.

While worldschooling has always existed (even before the term came about), this refreshing perspective towards education has sparked a huge amount of interest in more recent years, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic restricted travel for many countries and deprived children of exposure to different places, climates and cultures.

This unconventional approach to teaching and learning is very fluid, and there are many different definitions and applications of the term. Some families choose to homeschool their children to be able to travel or move around freely, which can be considered “worldschooling”, but still stick to an approved education curriculum. Other families however, choose to move away from a formal curriculum and adopt a highly flexible approach to education - this can also be known as “unschooling”.

Most parents who choose to worldschool aim to provide their children with a more personalized “school” experience, as it’s widely recognized that every child is unique in their own way and learn in completely different and original ways! Other popular reasons parents decide to worldschool their children include:

• The ability to provide children with unique and varied experiences from a young age
• The opportunity to learn about different cultures directly from their source
• The chance to learn multiple languages from native speakers

All of these can be attributed to the idea of receiving education through exposure to the world, rather than the confines of a classroom.

What are the benefits of worldschooling?

As discussed above, many parents and educators believe that worldschooling is the way to go, as it provides children with “useful” knowledge, which they’ll continue to utilize for the rest of their lives. Having covered some of the reasons why some families are adopting this style of education, these are some of the most common benefits associated with this method:

1. All information shared with children when worldschooling is relevant and will be of use to them instantly or in the future.
2. Worldschooling helps to develop practical skills a lot faster.
3. Communication plays a big role in worldschooling, which means that naturally, children develop this important skill easily and efficiently.
4. Worldschooling allows families to bond, not only due to an increased amount of time spent together, but also because it allows families to share valuable learning experiences.
5. It provides children with a better understanding of ethical and moral values and nurtures respect and interest in different cultures and ways to socialize.

What are the challenges of worldschooling?

The most spoken about challenges families face when worldschooling can include:

1. The lack of a set routine - some children (and adults!) are truly creatures of habit, therefore not having a concrete routine can sometimes be a disadvantage when worldschooling.
2. The fear of isolation - while worldschooling may sound like the opposite of isolation, travelling as a family all the time can sometimes feel a little isolating, which may lead children to feel a little secluded.
3. Not enough “constants” - when we live in the comfort of our own homes, we know exactly what we like to eat for breakfast, where we will be spending the next weekend and who we can call in case of emergency. This can sometimes feel like a luxury to worldschoolers, as everyday is an unpredictable adventure.
4. Children may feel like they’re missing out - in one way or another, we all have fond memories of our schooldays, and often find ourselves telling stories of those days, especially when we can share these with someone who was also there at the time. While worldschoolers will most likely have way better stories to tell, children may struggle with the idea of not having the traditional school experience (although we’re sure they’ll love to reminisce about their worldschooling days when they’re older)!

How can you worldschool your children?

Now that we’ve looked at the pros and cons of worldschooling, you may have decided that this method is something you’d like to try - but how exactly do you worldschool?

Here are some suggestions:

1. Teach your child about the history of the world, as opposed to focusing on a particular country or culture.
2. Teach practical skills, such as map navigation and cooking.
3. Encourage your children to learn a different language.
4. Be open to new cultures and routines.
5. Go on “worldschool trips” to local museums and other historical sites.
6. View everyday as a new learning experience.
7. Plan in advance and introduce your children to every new country/city/town before you get to your destination.
8. Connect with other worldschoolers in person or online.
9. Keep an open mind and be flexible - every child is unique and will learn at their own pace.
10. Take every chance you have to speak with the locals and learn directly from them.

All in all, worldschooling is inherently not a "one size fits all" approach to education, but it is a fascinating phenomenon and a brave choice from parents who’ve successfully applied this method of teaching and learning!

How Night Zookeeper can help

Technology has played a crucial role in helping worldschoolers stay connected while providing them with many useful tools to further their education journey. Night Zookeeper is used by many parents who worldschool, as a way to provide their children with some structured English writing lessons and activities that are fun! Used by many worldschoolers on the go, our homeschool language arts curriculum is a wonderful way to make reading and writing an engaging experience.

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