Homeschooling Out of the Country Questions
by khadija
My daughter is 6 years old and she is now in kindergarten and we are leaving America for a while. Is it possible for me to homeschool her following American academic programs or not? How can I start doing so? I live in Texas - Fort Worth. My husband will still stay in America. I would really appreciate it if you answered my questions. Thank you. Hi Khadija! A couple factors to consider: your daughter's citizenship, what country you are going to and how long you are leaving for. If you are American citizens and just visiting another country, you should be fine. Many American homeschooling families travel extensively, or leave the country for a few months time to visit family members in other countries. A few of my friends do and they take their school work with them. They are American citizens, though; I don't know how it works for citizens of other countries. You could purchase materials before you leave and pack what you will need for the length of time you will be away. A lot of programs can be accessed online too. (A free online homeschooling program is The Head of The Class; currently you can find complete grade materials for PreK-6.) Since your daughter is so young, you could focus on the basics - reading, writing and arithmetic and then use the time away in another country to create a wonderful hands-on learning experience. I'm sure there are going to be a lot of things to learn about and see that you can't find in the US; different plants, animals, insects, food, etc. Education just doesn't come through books or worksheets - bring your daughter with you wherever you go. To visit family, special landmarks, or other places of interest in the country where you are going. You will also find a lot of free fun, hands-on activities at homeschoolshare.com. Your daughter may enjoy lapbooking and you can find some great units - some may be for the exact place you are visiting. You would need access to a printer, paper, scissors and glue while you are gone. Depending how long you are leaving, you could create a some weekly unit studies - print out everything and use large envelopes to put the work in for each lapbook or unit study. This is a more cumbersome idea for travel, but if you are going to a home with modern conveniences and will set aside time for school each day, it would be fun. Other website visitors who have homeschooled out-of-country may provide additional help and guidance for you. Enjoy your time away! Blessings, Heather
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