This fall our family joined a homeschool co-op group. We meet once a week for various classes and activities organized by the moms in the group, as well as by paid instructors. Admittedly, this is not my cup of tea. I’ve never been fond of the “classroom” structure that moves kids from one subject to another every 30 minutes. But I wanted to give it a try for two reasons: 1) My son is getting to the age where friendships are increasingly important and I wanted him to meet more kids in our area. 2) The co-op offered classes that my son was really interested in.
I have been pleasantly surprised. I’ve discovered that 30 to 60 minutes of a class or activity is often enough for a child of 9 years old. Just enough to peak his interest, but not so long as to bore. He comes out of the day with a very charged attitude, eager to show off his projects and worksheets and to delve further into the various topics. The co-op is not designed to so much “teach” him as it is to expose him to new things and inspire him to want to learn more. And that is what it’s all about, if you ask me.
The moms are also wonderful. On our first day, I pulled aside the mom running the first session to let her know that L was pretty nervous. The next day, she called me on the phone. She could have easily emailed me, but she took the time to call and tell me that he did great and was a pleasure to have in the group. That meant so much to me.
L is taking a pre-algebra class and an art class, in addition to the activities the moms organize. And C is taking Chinese class! I hesitated to sign her up, but we had nothing else to do while L was in math, so I figured it couldn’t hurt for her to be exposed to a foreign language at age 3. And now she can count to 10 and sing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” in Chinese. I am amazed!
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We have loved our co-op this year too.. I am consistently amazed by the curriculums the other parents come up with and the excitement by the kids!
I am so glad you all made this decision. It truly is important for homeschooled children to also have a peer setting where they aren’t the odd homeschooler out.
The added bonus really comes when they are older, as they delve into subjects that are not your strength. It is like having a private tutor with their friends!
YAY! I just love our homeschool co-op. I knew you would, too. It’s just peachy.
I’ve read about this and am really looking forward to it. This is something I’ll be doing next year with my daughter.
We have a local co-op too. The kids really love it. They have taken classes like Blood and Guts, Chinese, Building with Lego’s, Frogs and Toads, and even cake decoration. Our co-op is for two hours once a week for 6 seeks, We have a fall and a spring co-op each year. I’ve found it to be beneficial especially if it’s something they are interested in and I not very skilled at, such as sewing. Love you blog, glad I found it.