Homeschool options for highschoolers

[10kreasons]

We are planning to take the kids out of school Spring of 2018 and cruise the Bahamas. The issue we are running into is that most of the homeschool programs require almost daily reliable internet access. We will have a 3rd grader, 10th and 11th graders. Any experience with non-internet dependent homeschool programs? Would love to connect with anyone who has homeschooled highschoolers from a sailboat. Thanks

[SV THIRD DAY]

Hola.
We came back when the kids hit high school age, but our friends on SV Totem have continued on with high school age kids. You can contact them through their blog and they love to help cruising families.

Sailing Totem

[svTOTEM]

Most important part of a homeschooling "program" is that it has to work for everyone. Sounds obvious, but often can take a few tries to get it right. Students learn differently. Teachers have varying degrees of skill, patience and flexibility. A few considerations...
1. There is good internet in the Bahamas, should you choose a program that requires it. The internet was relatively cheap at 15Gb for $37 (1 month ago), but I understand costs recently changed and may not be as good.
2. There are excellent digital offline resources - if you set them up using good internet before you go: Khan Academy Lite, Wikipedia Offline version (using Kiwix), Crash Course videos, and more.
3. There are many approaches to teaching while cruising. One consideration, especially if out for a fixed and relatively short time (1 year-ish), is whether learning while cruising should model regular school. It's comfortable, and may work best for you, but it takes time away from experiencial learning as a traveler. A different learning model is to start with a general understanding of what kids "often" know at given ages, add relevant resources, and build daily experiences into learning. Teachable moments happen! Except, not so much for math - which they have to slog through (we like Khan Academy Lite).
4. There's more to learn, and learning, then comes out of a fixed curriculum. Even if you stick to a program because it works for you, foster learning when the text books are closed. If the kids are interested in marine life - get field guides and marine biology books. If they like history, there is a lot interesting about the Bahamas etc., etc.

Sorry that I can't offer anything on specific programs - we build our own curriculum, so I'm a little out of touch with programs available now. We've been cruising for 9 years and the kids are now 18, 15, 13. Our oldest will take the GED soon (hardest part is finding a test center to fit our location/schedule). He did very well on both SAT and ACT - and was planning on starting college this Fall, but realized we would complete a circumnavigation without him. So he pushed college out to next year.

Good luck with your path into cruising!

[10kreasons]

Thank you S/V Totem. I looked at your website and we might want to consider your consulting services. What is your availability like over the next couple months?

[svTOTEM]

It's good - will PM you details.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Is the Calvert School a viable option? I ask as for decades they were one of the main ones used by cruisers. Though that was prior to the proliferation of the internet, & electronic devices.

[svTOTEM]

Calvert is viable and works very well for some. It's not our choice because: 1. 3 kids means 3 large boxes with a year's supply of stuff (big boxes). 2. the curriculum have nothing to do with the places we are visiting, which is a lost learning opportunity. 3. 3 kids (relatively close in age) doing 3 unrelated curriculum is harder to manage than related curriculum taught to different complexities relevant to age.

I mean nothing against Calvert - it's a great program.

[SailingTerrapin]

If your children will be in public school during fall 2017, you may want to ask their teachers about continuing with the curriculum they will have started. Most educators/schools are willing to allow you to "check out" the books they will have started with and upon sending the books back you will not be charged.