Homeshool Co-op HOW TO

Start a Homeschool Co-op from Scratch

Co-ops can be frightening, especially for the parents planning them.
There are people with horror stories.

Then there are stories like mine – this parent’s experience with homeschool activities & clubs was vital to their children’s education.

It takes forethought and some planning, but co-ops can be a positive experience for all involved!

Homeschool Co op Considerations

Determine the type of kids co op you’d like

Art home-school co-op
- Maybe you’d like free-form art expression so you’ll collectively provide art materials and let the kids choose which “station” they’d like to create at this week.
- The possibilities are endless. Ask your kids what they’d to learn: Monet or tag art?
- Maybe you’d like to hire a retired art teacher or college student and divide the cost of their time between several families.
Science clubs – making bubbles or dissecting crayfish?
Scouting type activities homeschool group
Religious activities or digging up dinosaur bones? Invent a new type of co-op that’s perfect for your kids!!
- 2 hours each with a break between classes for this fun crowd. You might want to give them an hour of unstructured time to socialize and really solidify friendships as part of your high school co-op.

What ages is your co-op for?

Preschool Homeschool Club – Those little kids are soooo cute!
- They need short bursts of teaching time peppered with free play.
Elementary Homeschool Group – Variety is the name of the game and making lessons FUN keeps kids engaged
Middle and High School Homeschool Co-op – High school classes go on students’ transcript for colleges and employers. Prepare them for a lifetime the homeschool way!
- These kids can handle 1-2 hours of class time before they need a short break. The best cooperatives include an hour of free time so kids can solidify friendships.

Where the activities or lesson plans come from?

You can work through a book – some of the homeschool curriculum you bought but didn’t end up using, maybe.
- One year I created book extra’s for Apologia’s Zoology 3 Land Animals as our lesson plans for the elementary science co op. http://www.highlanddove.org/apologia-zoology-3-land-animals/
- Apologia Exploring Creation with Botany Jeopardy Game http://www.highlanddove.org/apologia-botany-jeopardy-game/
You can purchase lessons. Teachers Pay Teachers is one I use all the time
You can write them for yourself if you enjoy that work.

The purpose of communication is to communicate

If this is just a couple of families getting together, you may not need a dedicated communication person. If, however, your co op is popular, you may need…

A website – and someone to update it
A social media presence with a reminder to be kind
An old-fashioned phone tree for last-minute cancellations
A newsletter – would one of your high school students want to put this together for you?

And what sort of things might you need to communicate? New families that want to sign up…and food allergies of a student…and changes in the schedule…and…

Rules? We don’t need no stinkin rules! Uh…yeah we do.

Parents homeschool for a variety of reasons. There are also as many ways to homeschool as there are to parent. So we have to have some consistency. Here are some of my favorite co-op rules:

If a teacher has a problem with a student once, she’ll contact the parent. A second time will involve the parent and student. The third time means the parent must attend class with the student.
If a student destroys property (table, chairs, window) their parents will replace it to the satisfaction of the location owner.
No swearing.

Location, location, location

Where will you host your co op? Your house? I’ve done that. At a library with a big main room? I’ve done that. At a school with extra classrooms? I’ve done that. At a church? I’ve done that.

You mostly have to call around or see if someone knows someone who knows someone. Leave no stone unturned.

Continuing the Relationship with Your Homeschool Space

Throughout the year and at the end of the year we make sure to leave the space nicer than we walked in.

Meet after having lunch, and get several families together to clean.

Bring supplies and share the work.

Then check over your work.

Don’t forget to send a thank you to the owners of the space with all the families’ signatures.

HELP my Homeschool Co-op!

Would you like someone to look with fresh eyes to see how you can improve? Or help you go from the vision in your head to a workable plan? Highland Dove Homeschool Helper can help your homeschool co-op!

http://www.highlanddove.org/topics/co-op/