heartofdakota.com

My father-in-law LIVES for my boys (his only grandkids), and though we live 1000 miles away, he visits us often and calls the boys daily. But he is very sick now, and the doctors told him yesterday that he probably has a few months to three years at best. Therefore, it looks like the boys and I will be doing a good deal of traveling over the next few months to years. I'm so thankful that we are homeschooling and have the option of spending extra time with him for the next while.

I don't want to stop school while we're traveling, but carrying all of the materials for both boys is difficult, especially when we end up flying. I know there are some "nomadic" families on this board, and I'm hoping to gather all of your knowledge. Does anyone have any tips to make it easier to travel with Beyond, Bigger, or Preparing? So far I've come up with:
- cut the spines from the Teacher Guides and carry only the units you need (this one is scary for me!)
- Kindle is available for a few of the history and science resources
- choose DITHOR books and Storytime books that are on Kindle
- get a library card for FIL's local library to use while we're there
- keep an extra supply box at his house with pencils, erasers, sharpeners, crayons, glue, and scissors

I have no idea how to handle:
- Grammar, 2 books per boy = a lot of bulk & weight for travel
- CD player for Bible memory & hymns

Thanks for any ideas you can give me!

How about one of those zip up three ring binder/folder combos, and photo copied grammar pages, maps, etc.? I wish I would have thought of that myself when I needed to take 6 weeks away with my three boys. Prayers for your family

Can you transfer audio items to an iPod or similar device?

I second ripping the music to your computer and them loading on your phone or other device (or loading to iTunes or Google Music). This is what we do normally for any CDs we have.

For grammar, would it be possible to buy a second set of the books? They aren't super expensive, and it might just be easier to buy at least the teacher book to keep at Grandpa's. You could create an overlay for the page so they can't see the answers if you don't want to buy both a teacher and student book (just cut some paper to show only the student page).

Also, check to see what your library has in terms of ebooks. I know our library has many ebooks available (pdf or Kindle normally, some are other formats). That could work for DITHOR, allowing them to read on the plane to help the time go faster.

Thanks so much for the ideas.

I've got one of those zip-up 3-ring binders just sitting unused on a shelf. Perfect idea!

Putting the songs on an MP3 player would make it easier to listen to the songs for travel, school, and everyday as we're going about our day. Brilliant!

I suppose I could get an extra teacher's grammar book for each boy. I still hope to find an even better solution. Perhaps we could do grammar one extra day per week while we're home and skip grammar altogether while at grandpa's. It should kind of even out in the end… or would that be too disjointed?

I did search his local library's website and found many books from Beyond and Bigger (we won't be starting Preparing until September, so that one's not quite as pressing). Between Kindle and interlibrary loan, I may only have to carry the 3 TMs (Beyond, Bigger, and DITHOR), 2 DITHOR workbooks, 4 grammar books, "American Pioneers & Patriots", "Cheerful Cursive", 2 Singapore math workbooks, and a Singapore math textbook.



OK. That still seems like an awful lot, though, doesn't it? I really don't want to tear the manuals apart, but it seems to be the best option. Can anyone either talk me out of it or convince me that it will be okay to deface my manual?

Are they ahead in grammar? Is the one in Beyond doing Rid and Staff now? What level is the older one on? If they are ahead/on the advanced track, you could just do some of the pages from the Rod and Staff 3 (or higher) workbook or do some activities or of the Beyond guide for Rod and Staff 2.

There is a Rod & Staff Workbook? Hmmm…

Off to google!

One thing I figured out awhile ago was that if we were just sitting in a car or plane, they might as well be doing schoolwork.

Honestly I'd not worry about keeping DITHOR with the guide. Just do a genre when you are home and not worry about it otherwise. That would cut down on a lot of stuff (one guide, two workbooks) I would imagine you could easily three hole punch Cheerful Cursive and only take what you would use in that trip. And we definitely double up on some R&S lessons, so I would imagine one or two per week doubling up would work well.

Alternately have you thought about alternating what you take each time? Like one trip take DITHOR and math and the other take the guides and R&S?

TBH, it seems like a lot if work and inconvenient to use. Would it really save that much money? I almost think it'd be better to just buy a durable suitcase and pack up everything you need in it when you need to travel.

If you are traveling in a vehicle, maybe you would have room for a plastic crate with some hanging files? All the books you need in one crate, pick up carry to the car, dc can pick out what they will do while traveling and when finished can file it back, pick up out of the car and tote into FIL's, nice spot for everything to be and be returned when finished, pick up to take back home. Agree with doing the DITHOR either while at home only or...save it for visits only...add math, English and handwriting. Not too much of a load while visiting but the basics are covered and lots of story time?

Thank you so much, ladies. Here's what I'm thinking for this first two-week visit (by car for this particular trip):

3-Ring Binder: contains needed printouts for two weeks (HOD units removed from TM? , Cheerful Cursive/poetry copywork pages, science experiment sheets, hymn lyrics, poems, Bible verses, spelling/dictation lists, narration tips, etc.), blank paper, and index cards
Left-side, Storytime, & Science: Between Kindle and the local library, I only have "American Pioneers & Patriots" to tote.
Music CDs: have been put onto my iPad to listen to as needed
Grammar: I took a picture of the needed pages from my TMs with my iPad for me to use on the trip. We will carry the Pupil Textbooks with us for the boys.
DITHOR: We will skip formal lessons for DITHOR. However, I will have each of the boys take two books for "fun" reading while traveling to and from grandpa's--the books will happen to be from genres we have already studied so I can have the boys mentally compare the new books to others of the same genre
Math: I have the Singapore Intensive Practice workbooks that are just sitting there. We will just work through those to review and hone skills. They could probably even do that in the car. I might leave them at grandpas to use on the next visit!

The 1" binder with print-outs, "American Pioneers & Patriots", 2 R&S pupil Textbooks, 4 paperback books, 2 Intensive Practice workbooks, a pencil case, and the iPad should fit into a bag that will fit between the boys in the car (especially if I leave the Intensive Practice workbooks behind). I'd imagine it might fit under a plane seat, as well. I will use this car trip to reassess and make necessary changes before our plane trip in two months.

If you have any more ideas, please pass them on. I've gotten so many great ideas from you so far!

PS: I haven't removed the spines from my TMs yet. Maybe they will both fit into the bag, too? Probably not. I'm still just so horrified by the idea of destroying a book! I don't think I can make that decision before this first trip. Maybe I'll leave them as-is for the car trip. After toting them this time, I should know what I need to do before we fly. Any advice?

Quite honestly, I would not unbind your teacher's guides. That's just me. I don't think they are that big and bulky to carry around. I know you have to economize on every ounce for plane travel, but if it comes right down to it I would maybe copy/scan/photograph the pages of work you might do on the plane and put them in your checked luggage. For me, the reason is that if I unbound my TMs I would probably lose parts. I have one TM that is unbound because someone else unbound it before I got it, and don't like it as well at all. First the binder I was keeping it in broke.... I had to reorder all the pages. Then yes, occasionally I take out a page for a hands-on activity where I don't want to bring the whole book with me, but I am so paranoid about getting the page put back and in the right spot. I like using my TM's that are the way they come a lot better.

Maybe take pictures of the pages in the T.G. with your iPad (like you did for Rod and Staff)?

~AmyLynn
dd 23
dd 20
ds 18
ds 10~ Bigger
dd 6~ Beyond
dd 5~ Little