Carschooling - Tips for Parents and Homeschoolers

Carschooling by Diane Flynn Keith

Title: Carschooling 
Author: Diane Flynn Keith
Genre: Homeschooling, Teaching, Parenting Advice 
Publisher: Homefires, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Publication Date: 2009 
eBook: Available in paperback
Pages: 360

Have you ever counted license plates with your children, or practiced spelling words while you were driving to and from various appointments, soccer games, or friends’ houses? If so, you were engaging in a form of carschooling, a new way to make the most of those hours you spend driving around with your kids.

Diane Flynn Keith’s book, Carschooling, takes everyday car-related activities to a new level. Why not make the most of those hours spent in the car and give your child a carschool education while you are driving?

What is Carschooling?

I spoke with Diane Keith to get her perspective on her unique approach to learning. When asked, “What is carschooling,” Ms. Keith replied:

“Carschooling is the act of turning travel time into fun and engaging learning time.”

Carschooling is a great book for all parents – the homeschooler and the traditional schooler alike. It is divided into subject sections, each describing a variety of activities that parents can do with children while they are riding in the car. Games and activities are included for ages 4 though 17, and examples of age-appropriate “carschool curricula” are given at the start of the book.

But how did Diane Keith come up with the idea? She told me:

“My kids and I spent a lot of time in the car commuting to classes, field trips, the library, friends’ homes, the park, sporting events, enrichment activities – and running everyday errands. Sometimes, when my kids got bored they’d whine or complain. To calm them, I’d play an audio book or music. That almost always led to interesting discussions and it was clear they wanted to learn more. 

I began to search for activities, games, and resources we could use in the car to boost their knowledge of the world.  Because we homeschooled, I looked for resources that would help my children learn language arts, math, science, geography, history, social studies, and more.  I asked other parents what they did in the car to pass the time and tried their suggestions.  Over time, I realized we weren’t just homeschooling – we were learning on the road or ‘carschooling.’ Eventually, I compiled all of the ingenious ideas and fun resources into my book, ‘Carschooling’.”

Ms. Keith also addresses common and practical concerns such as car sickness, items needed to successfully carschool, organizational materials, and even which types of vehicles are more conducive to this unique educational method.

Car Games and Activities

Carschooling includes activities for all subjects typically required by national school curricula, from science and math to visual and performing arts, and even health and physical education. Ms. Keith also includes activities for “electives” such as current events, economics, and driver’s education and even some for “recess.”

Especially helpful at the start of each section is the list of subject area-specific tools needed to enhance the activities. For example, resources for the science section include such handy items as binoculars, cameras and film, rubber gloves, a journal, and the Periodic Table of Elements. Each section has similar suggestions that are specific to the subject area.

Rest Stop Olympics, How Do They Make That?, The Car Mechanic’s Cat, and Skeleton Hokey Pokey are just a few of the over 350 activities included. All are appropriate for use in the car, but many can also be adapted to other forms of travel, or just for some backyard fun.

Perhaps what is best about using Carschooling’s methods are the benefits for both parents and children. When asked, “What is the most important thing you’d want parents to know about using this method with their children? What are the benefits of using it?,” Ms. Keith replied:

“Carschooling not only makes your kids smarter, it improves your relationship with your children. Playing fun and interactive educational games in the car together, or having earnest discussions about provocative issues of the day, improves communication, builds trust and good will, and bonds families together in profound and heartfelt ways.”

Learning Resources for Parents

Ms. Keith includes a robust list of resources that parents can use to expand upon the ideas presented in the book. Many additional ideas are found at the Carschooling site as well.

Here are some of the Carschooling success stories that Ms. Keith recounted.

“The book is chock-full of stories from parents who have successfully used time spent in the car to engage their children in learning about every subject through fun games and innovative resources.  

One of my favorite stories is from the Hunt Family. On a 6-week long car trip they used a ‘Memory Box’ to help the kids record a history of their trip and instill an understanding of historical artifacts.  Each child had a shoebox and at each stop along the way, they were encouraged to find an item to put into their box as a reminder of the place they visited.

Each box contained a mishmash of items including rocks and feathers found along the way, as well as postcards purchased at souvenir stores. The children spent hours reviewing the contents and talking about each item. When they got home they considered burying the boxes, imagining an archaeologist in the distant future excavating their yard and discovering the priceless artifacts from their trip.”

Ms. Keith’s advice for parents using Carschooling:

“When using the games in ‘Carschooling’ remember these guidelines:

1. Games and activities are supposed to be fun for everyone.  Learning happens when it is desired by the learner. So don’t force it. If you’re not having fun, move on to something else.
2. Keep the rules to games as flexible as possible. It’s okay to change them to accommodate your children’s needs, interests, and imaginations.
3. Some children are comfortable with competitive games; others are not. Remember that competitive games can be turned into cooperative games by having everyone do the activity together. Set a goal within a specific time frame, and once it is achieved – everyone wins or gets a treat.

Encourage learning while building self-confidence in a fun and affirming way. Be on your kids’ side and recognize their accomplishments. When children experience success, it will motivate them to learn more. Above all, have fun learning in the car with your family.”

All in all, Carschooling is a great resource for parents looking to expand their children’s educational opportunities while making time spent driving around in the car both rewarding and productive.

Diane Flynn Keith is also the author of Papa's Pearls, winner of the Dan Poynter Global ebook Gold Award in the Parenting and Family Non-Fiction category.

Sources

Keith, Diane Flynn. Carschooling. (2009). Homefires.
Email interview with Diane Keith. (2013).

Copyright 2013 Irene Taylor. Permission to republish  in print or online must be granted by the author of this blog in writing.