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Homeschool groups (OT?)
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I belong to a homeschool group in my town, and we’ve been with them for a year. I really enjoy field trips and park days. I guess I just want to participate in that aspect, mostly just as a social connection for all of us.
Our group is growing, and the leaders are setting up academic activities that I’m sure will be fun for a lot of the kids, though they look like they are going to be very structured, and not CM. Many of the activities are faith-based Evangelical style, and we are Eastern Orthodox. So I’m hesitant about participating, but I really don’t want to say why, because there are no Orthodox homeschool groups in my area and I’m just happy it’s Christian. I’ve been asked to lead some of the activities (everyone leads things at some point), and I don’t want to make waves in the group.
If you are involved in a homeschool group, how much do you participate? I’d love to hear your stories.
There are all kinds of Homeschool groups in our area. Some have coops, some do lots of field trips. We settled on one that mainly does park day weekly. I too do it mostly for the social aspect. I have tried little coops at times but I am never happy with how they do the academics. It is not worth it to me to waste a day or a morning if it is not meeting a real academic need for us. Could you just do the parts you have enjoyed and skip the coop bit?
Nebby
Can you pick and choose activities? We attend a co-op that has a couple of classes for them to choose from (except the younger ones). We try to stear clear from classes that get into theology…mostly the classes are arts/crafts, history, science, etc. Most of the HSers in our area are non-denominational, so I try to avoid ones that will conflict with our doctrine. They have taken classes covering basic Bible stories or Christian missionaries.
There are several families that just participate in some of the activities like field trips and park days.
I lead a CM group of 30 families in Florida. Speaking as a leader, most co-ops with classes need everyone to fully participate to make it work unless it’s a drop-off and then it isn’t really a co-op, but more of a paid program. Some groups that are more loosely structured can offer random classes open to only interested families
For example, we have 65 kids from 0-16 for next year. We need all 30 moms to make our classes work. We tend to stick with non core subjects, but all have great merit – Jr. EMT, Ballistic Blast, Sew Much Fun, Drama, etc. Our group is not a drop in and wouldn’t work as such. All parents have to participate. Our group works so well because we’re all interested in CM, but the group I left had 120 families from all methods and it worked well too. I think it just depends on what you’re looking for.
I have to second Nebby. I couldn’t find a group that had simular values that I wanted to give my kids, they were at weird times, to offen or not offen enough, or the cost was so crazy paired with volunteer hours we though we might as well put the kids in a christian school.
So I started a summer group that meets weekly at either a local park, trail (for bikes, walking, etc) or a beach. We rotate everyweek and then when it’s warm (in MN that’s not along time) we do the beach weekly as we can. I also set up 3-5 field trips in our area from May – Sept, around one a month. They are on a different day, usually free and 1 movie each year. The theater opens just for our group before the 1st regular showing and gives a good deal. This year our local electical company will come and give the kids a talk about all the safe, dangerous and ins/outs of working for and with electrisity. We did a DQ tour, we toured the local feed mill (see I told you we were out there) and learned how it’s been around family run since 1897. We still have the movie, a tour with making a notebook at our local copy/printing place and hopefully our most turned out field trip a year – the canine dog / policeman demenstration (with every other year to the firestation). We have fun and get some good friendships started. For some of us going on Wednesdays is more for the parents I think then the kids, but we have so much fun and I have made some really good friends.
No cost unless a field trip has one and then only if you want to come, no volunteering, no commitment. Just come and show up. It works for me and those who want to come. It’s not big. Started 4 years ago with only 3 families who would come, and more for the field trips, now we have about 10 families who come weekly. Mind you we live in the country not the inner city so that’s a nice size group for us.
Anyway.. all that to say co-ops are not for everyone. We are one of those families. They just never seem to work so I made one up myself with no contracts or cost!
I agree that co-ops aren’t for everyone, but I wish to give a bit of perspective. Misty mentions cost and volunteer hours as negatives, but honestly how would a co-op with classes run without these? Our group does not make a profit. As the leader I spend 10+ hours a week running RCHA not counting the 4 hours I’m at group. It is my ministry and I am happy to do it, but the parents that participate don’t spend near that amount of time. Most prepare their 12 weeks worth of classes in the summer so it’s more grab and go each week. Re. $ – we charge what the expenses are. PE is generally $5 a term to allow us to buy equipment as needed. Lego robotics would cost $220 per person to buy a simple kit at home. By doing it at co-op, we’re charging $60-$75 per kid and will work in pairs. This will take us teaching it at least 3 times to recoup our investment. This doesn’t count the time that I’ve spent trying to have laptops donated to class. Our parent volunteers are not paid. We’re there for the benefit of all of the families. My church donates the use of the building each week, but many groups have to rent meeting space. We charge $35/family/year which covers website, cleaning supplies, plates, etc. for events and there is no profit.
Our parents suggest classes they are willing to teach or want taught for their kids and we go from that list. I have never felt we’ve wasted a day at group, but that is in part because all of our classes are very CM in nature. We do occasionally hire outside teachers when parents request a class none of us can teach and those are pricier, of course.
I sound like a defense of co-ops partially bc I’m typing on my phone and its hard to review. My point is that while the expense of classes may be too much financially for some families, it is very reasonable in most cases. I usually pay $200 or so for my 4 kids each year to participate. Our co-op has enriched our lives in many ways and is worth the expense for our family. If I tried to find similar classes around town for my kids, I’d likely have spent over $1000-$1200 or more for the same or lesser quality classes. My time is a fair trade off.
Each family makes their own choices as to what is best, but perhaps I’ve helped someone see co-ops from a different perspective.
We’ve belonged to or set up many groups over the years. I think they have their place and merits. It depends largely on what you are seeking to gain from the group. That determines what type of group you’ll be most happy attending or joining. I have enjoyed the shorter ones most – ones with a focused topic, that lasted a few weeks.
I have never done a true co-op, so I can’t speak to what that would be like. I tend to think I would like them, but then I’m really picky about instructional time and group or classroom management too. So sometimes I fear I’d get in a co-op and just not be pleased with how it ran. I’m sure that would just depend largely on who was doing it. Christie is well organized and well versed in CM. Her co-op always seemed lovely to me – just too far away!
I can see your points Nebby and Misty. It can seem like a lot of time away from core instruction. However, if it is meeting a need/hole in your curriculum then that has merit too. How many families are really doing all of what is considered “extra” by some educational systems but “essential” by CM?
I just find that for us a few weeks/months with a group doing an activity is enough and then we’re ready for a new crowd. I am too much of a free spirit/picky and would rather pay more for individual activities throughout the year than to belong to one group doing those same things in a year.
My .02 cents!
interesting tread. We did Community Bible study for 2 years and I am looking for a change. I am going to check out a co-op next month to see what it looks like, if that would be a good match for us. From what my friend told me it is a co-op that is more geared on kids spending time w/friends and having fun than academics which would work for me. We are doing enough academics the rest of the week.
Also how often we meet is a big factor. Twice a month for me seems like a good fit.
It must be an area thing also. I wanted to add because in my area you will not find a co-op that I could put 4 kids in anything for $200. The nearest one is $200 a kid plus and then you need to volunteer a lot of hours, I don’t remember the amount but my one friend spends the entire time the kids are in lessons doing the daycare just to cover the hours she needs to.
My post was just meant to say co-ops are not for everyone for various reasons. There is a time and place for them I do agree. Also, as I said area, classes being offered and time/money commitment are all things you have to decided when joining a co-op.
Here’s one example in our area they are doing a 1 week summer program for engineering/machanics which is right up my oldest line of work. For what they will do, learn and get out of it we have made the commitment to let him join in hopes of either knowing without a dought that this is the line of work he wants to go into, or it might do the opposite and he may say I like tinkering but I don’t want to do this day in and day out. For us the money in this case isn’t a co-op for a “subject” but a co-op for a life/job skill. Which we feel is well worth it. Also, the cost was fair, the hours are all day, and no extra from mom who has 6 other kids to tend to. This type of co=op for us for the 1 week was a great fit.
Good luck making a choice it’s hard when we want to give them all the best. For each of us that best is different, based one time and place in our lives.
I’ve been involved in different coops and the ones that didn’t work were ones that had classes that didn’t really take anything off my plate. That put pressure on the rest of the week to get our regular work in and took away flexibility to have a lighter day doing something I’d rather do. The only way I’d do that again is maybe if it was the only way we could be with other homeschoolers.
Coops that have worked are ones that I have mostly led or had a big say in things. I’ve grouped together a few families to do presentations, science experiments, handicrafts, Greek/Latin roots. We met monthly for this and occasionally for field trips, nature center days. I’ve led a field trip group where each mom planned one outing per year. I’m also a part of a very large group where moms simply plan one class or outing per year and you can do as little or as much as you like.
If you’re happy with what they are currently doing, maybe you can volunteer to lead these activities and parents could have the option of joining formal classes or not?
I’d join Christies coop if I lived close because its like minded moms and would take things off my plate. But I don’t join things that add stress with little benefit. Just my .02:) Gina
I agree with the pros and cons already listed. If I could run/be a part of a CM co-op, I would in a minute, or something like Misty has created. I am a part of a co-op but not with CM families, it’s large (which my dc love), not quite as “core” or, like Gina mentioned, doesn’t take much off of my plate.
I have more to add, but don’t have time right now…if you’d like to know more about our group/co-op, I’d love to share, but you can pm me if that’s more helpful.
We have attended a fine arts co-op for the past five years. The first year or so, I was very hesitant to have others teaching my children for a whole day. So one year, we opted out and I thought I could “fill in” with our own scheduled activities. But after a few months I saw that with five children, I just couldn’t fill that gap on our own anymore. Our church was small, and I needed to fill in the social need for them. When the children were little, we did a weekly co-op but it only met for about 2 hours…the kids had a gym class, the moms would pray and chat, and we would plan about one field trip a month.
Now, five years into this full day co-op, I would say that it is a highlight of all of our family’s week. All of the families are Christian, but with varying denominations and learning styles. Every week it is a blessing to be there.
They have learned many different instruments, taken voice, choir, drawing, watercolor and acrylic painting, and then had a variety of enrichment classes taught by the moms/dads. I teach a fiber class (spinning, knitting and crocheting) and sewing and next year I may do a grammar or writing class. They’ve had economics, colonial life (made beautiful lapbooks), cooking classes, Latin, etc.
It’s a very personal choice that each family has to make and there are many factors: ages of your children, cost of program, distance away, work for mom (I teach 2-3 classes and do nursery as well), size of group, etc. Take some time and pray about what the Lord would want for your coming school year and how you might meet those needs. Keep us posted on what you decide! ~~~Lisa
We have a wonderful homeschool group in our area. We’ve only been here a year, but it has been a true blessing. We have a webpage and we do have to pay to have access to that. It is something like $7.50/year. The money pays for the website and there is not profit to the group. If you want the newsletter mailed to you instead of (or in addition to) web access that is a $15 cost for postage. One of our Moms volunteers to set up field trips and we’ve had 1 about every month. We’ve done a Thanksgiving dinner, a Christmas ball, a Valentine’s party and will be having a track and field day next month. We’ve had a couple of park days and severl Mom’s night out to just socialize and share/glean about homeschooling. We can participate as we want/are able to. Whenever a larger event is planned (like Thanksgiving, etc) then a message has gone out asking for volunteers to help out.
Amongst the group, there is a science coop. Not everyone participates in that, but if you are involved you are needed to be involved every week and the Moms split up who is teaching which lessons and to which age level. We don’t participate in that, so I am not sure about a cost. I thought about being involved, but then found out that they meet on my DH day off and it is more important to us to have that time with Daddy than do science with others.
Thank you everyone! I’ve received so much helpful information on this thread.
After hearing more about the co-op in my group I’m thinking that we would enjoy it. It’s in it’s startup phase, and I’ve been asked to lead nature study if I’m interested. And I sure love nature study! I was concerned about the time commitment, since it most certainly would be a commitment. But if the kids were there I’d have to be there anyway so why not get involved in this way?
Does anyone have any advice for me on leading nature study in a group setting? I’m going to purchase The Handbook of Nature Study (I think that’s the title), Anna Botsworth Comstock? The plan is for the class to have an inside instructional period and then we head outside for some notebooking. I hope that I can inspire the kids to see the wonder and beauty of God’s creation.
@Misty – the engineering class sounds like a neat opportunity for your son, but it would be considered a paid class opportunity, not a co-op.
SOME DEFINITIONS AND DISTINCTIONS
A co-op, or cooperative, is generally a group of homeschooling families working together for a common purpose. A co-op requires all parents to contribute toward the goal and contributions are usually in effort, not money. The money charged for classes covers only the expense of materials and should not be confused with paying for an instructor. Co-ops can hire paid teachers, but families generally agree on that need and pay that teacher individually. The co-op doesn’t make money. Co-ops can be eclectic, core, fine arts, science, or any combination. The basic idea is a group that has decided to work together toward a goal.
Homeschool group or support group – these can vary widely. Some are for moms only – to fellowship, exchange ideas, or pray; some meet for park days and field trips; some offer some co-op class opportunities within the support group that are optional and may use parents as teachers or hire teachers.
There are also what I call part time schools. These are drop in programs that parents pay tuition for their child to attend, usually twice a week. The school sets the curriculum and pace, the school’s teachers teach those two days, but the students complete the rest of their work at home with a parent. Examples in my area are PEP (Providence Extension Program) and Harvest Community School.
@Melinda – our CM co-op is just adding nature study to our program for the coming year. Our kids are separated into Forms or 3 year age groupings. Each form will study the same nature topic for a period of several weeks. We are working on that schedule now and will likely use the AO style roation couple with the Handbook of Nature Study and the HONS blog. Due to our location, we will bring in specimens often. Bringing in specimens will help to focus kids new to nature study instead of opening all of the outdoors and overwhelming. We also won’t start with animals that are tricky to draw or dry brush. We’ve gotten some good ideas from the CM in the Bluegrass group, Mindful Hearts. This is certainly not the only way, but simply one way to get you started thinking of ideas.
Blessings.
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