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What Homeschool Teachers Want
RV Full-timers to Know
Is your children”s school schedule keeping you from going full-timing? Homeschool can get you Out There sooner than you think.
For answers I went to Shirley M.R. Minster, M.S. Ed., a Master Degree certified teacher with credentials in education, educational guidance, and counseling. A founder of Royal Academy Education and a long-time leader in the homeschool field, she works full-time as an online teacher.
Learn more about Royal Academy and its individualized student programs at (www.) Royalacademyeducation.com
QUESTION: I am a single mother on a budget. I can’t afford a large RV. What space do I need for a school setting?
SHIRLEY MINSTER. A child needs only a flat space on which to write or draw. The table is fine, but so is a lapboard with a beanbag base. Have a quiet area (the bed space, for instance) so reading and writing can be more focused. A good reading lamp is helpful, too, and internet capability. Younger children need art materials, which can be boxed up so they don’t roll around.. I recommend a math textbook and some reading books, but with the accessibility of textbooks online, and excellent choices of literature online, space isn’t as much of an issue as in earlier years.
Children can work inside or outside. Keep one school box per child so school materials are all together.
QUESTION: When leaving a homeschool program, how can I return my children to public school?
SHIRLEY MINSTER. Records are important. Keep a portfolio for each year that each child was homeschooled. It should include the child’s picture, a list of courses completed, names of textbooks and materials used, a list of literature read, field trips taken includingphotos of places visited and proof of projects completed (e.g., murals, posters, science experiments). (If you keep these reports and photos on a thumb drive, make sure to have a backup.)
If you kept grades for your child, write out your grading scale (i.e., A = 90-100, B = 80-89). If you didn’t use a traditional grading system, write a simple explanation of how you knew when your child was ready to move on to higher levels. I also recommend that you include an explanation about the many enriching opportunities your child had while Rving.
QUESTION; Is any financial aid available?
SHIRLEY MINSTER. Look for materials in used bookstores, Goodwill, and Salvation Army stores as well as online. Suggest to family members that they give gifts of books and materials, but be specific so you have what can be used that year. If you have more than one child, look for materials that can be re-used.
QUESTION: My son has ADHD and is now in a special program in public school. Is it fair to him to try homeschool?
SHIRLEY MINSTER: Often a child with ADHD is very successful in homeschool because he or she can focus on one subject at a time for a smaller amount of time. The atmosphere is more conducive too. There is no classroom noise, no other students distracting him. Because you are celebrating what he is learning and his personal interests, he will enjoy homeschooling, too.
QUESTION; When I’m on the road, all alone, where can I get help?
SHIRLEY MINSTER. First, go to state and national websites. They often list free, downloadable materials. Also, check out the state library. AAA and the National Park Service have interesting materials, many of them free.
JANET GROENE ADDS: There are also online support groups for full-timers with children such as (www.) familiesontheroad.com and (www.) Homeschoolnewslink.com. Start your own group, website or space, specialized to your special situation on the road and in education.
QUESTION: How far can my children go in homeschooling?
SHIRLEY MINSTER: You can continue through high school. Students who are considering college can take online courses. Some parents stay in one location for a semester so their high schooler can attend a local college on campus. If a student is considering a career in science, it’s important to have lab equipment and materials available. They can be purchased through supply companies. Your child can take an online course, do the experiments in the RV, and complete the course.
QUESTION; I don’t have a college degree. Can I handle homeschooling for my kids?
SHIRLEY MINSTER: One does not need a college degree to homeschool. If the parent does not feel qualified, either hire a tutor for that subject or enroll the student in an online course. A LIVE-TIME course is better, in my opinion, than one that has been taped because the student can ask questions immediately rather than emailing questions and waiting until the teacher gets back to him.
QUESTION; Tell us more about your role as a teacher.
SHIRLEY MINSTER: Royal Academy is a full-time, internationally accredited, year ‘round school. Our staff will design the program that best fits your child. We work live-time (personally present) with each child .We also write courses to fit each student. Some classes have up to 5 students and they can interact, encourage, and have fun with others. Other courses are taught one-on-one. Our teachers and staff love to travel, too, so (RV full[timers) will be talking with like-minded folks!
CAMPGROUNDS; GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS FOR 2025
We troll local media, real state transactions, zoning hearings and such to keep an eye on where new campgrounds and RV parks may be built. This news may be premature or incomplete but is presented here to give RV-ers an earlybird look at what may be happening in your neck of the woods.
CAMPGROUNDS REOPENING
Port Crescent State Park, Michigan opens its reservations window on January 7. Closed during 2024, the park will reopen next spring after massive renovations including full hookups i the campground.
Cape Lookout State Park, Oregon near Tillamook, has postponed its closure for campground renovations. It will open in the spring as usual. Stay tuned for a closure date, possible by Summer, 2025.
CAMPGROUNDS CLOSING
Oregon’s Nehalem Bay State Park has had delays in its construction projects, so it will remain closed through the spring and possibly until late summer. When it reopens at a date to be announced, it will have new restrooms, accessible campgrounds and improved traffic flow.
Tar Hollow State Park, Laurelville, Ohio is closed pending extensive improvements that will include full hook-ups in the campground. Reopening is expected to be Spring, 2026. Stay alert for the opening on the reservations window later this year.
NEW OWNERS
California’s Lupin Lodge, a long-time nudist campground and resort is for sale and it’s expected that new owners will take it “textile”. Bring your hiking and pickleball outfits. The trend in California seems to be for fewer clothing optional campgrounds.
In El Centro, California, the one-time KOA campground is now the Country Life RV Park under new owners.
The 170-acre, formerly family-owned Riverbay Resort near Lincoln, Alabama has been purchased by large company. The lakeside resort has RV sites, tiny homes and mobile homes. (205) 763-7732
NEW RV PARKS
Bossier, Louisiana is about to get a massive casino complex that will include a 31-acre RV park! The grand opening of Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana will be February 13. The casino will have 47,000 square feet of gaming space, an Event Center for concerts and meetings, a fitness center, restaurants and bars galore and a flashy resort-style swimming pool. Stay tuned.
The Turtle Creek RV Park at the Turtle Creek Casino in Williamsburg, Michigan is set to open in spring 2025. Call (800) 922-2WIN. In the future a clubhouse, pool, hot tub and entertainment venue will be added.
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If you have late-breaking local campground news to share, email janetgroene@yahoo.com
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