How To Create A Homeschool Co-op (Learn & Link)

 

Our family has been in a few homeschool co-ops. This year we are in another co-op but it’s four classes with a few of us homeschool mom’s teaching. It’s broken up by age and subjects. Since there 6 of us moms with a total of  25 children combined we had to come up with a game plan. 

  

create a co-op

 

Here are a few tips when planning a homeschool co-op:

 

Decide what subject you would like to have for the co-op.

 

Carefully decide how many homeschoolers you want in your co-op and who you want to join. If you are joining a co-op with other homeschoolers you do not know maybe get to know them for the co-op starts. Set up one on one play dates so that they children get to know each other while you get to know the parent. 

 

Make sure that everyone meshes well together – parents and children so that there will be no conflict in the future. 

 

Find a place that will accommodate your needs. It could be at your home or a clubhouse. We use 3 rooms in my church. 

 

If multiple homeschoolers are teaching decide who is teaching what subjects. For instance in our co-op one of the mom’s is teaching our anatomy class and she is a great fit to teach this because she is a nurse. 

 

Set guidelines in place for instance I was in a co-op years ago with 3 other moms. It was great, we alternated each others home as well as who taught that week for the one subject but then other homeschoolers started inquiring to join and they wanted to change what we already had in play. Some disagreed while others agreed allowing more to join and with such opposition the co-op crumbled and we never finished the full year. So if you do not want to allow others to join after it starts make sure that is clear from the get go.

 

Are there multiple age children, if so will there be something for the younger children to do while the older kids are in their co-op? We have 3 rooms so we have all toddlers and babies in one room with 2 moms in there, one room for Kindergartners and the other room for 1st and up. Each room has 2 moms per room and we alternate rooms.

 

Make a budget. If you are paying for supplies out of pocket maybe pay a certain amount up front and then have one person in charge of that money, keep receipts when making purchases, turn in receipts and then get reimbursed. 

 

Create a Facebook group once the co-op starts. We have one and it’s a place we touch base with each other, etc. 

 

 How long will the co-op last for? How often is the co-op, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly? What holidays are you taking off for? 

 

What are your guidelines for sick children? In our co-op if a child has a runny nose, cough or fever we ask that they miss until better. Maybe older children can be dropped off so they do not miss out.

 

Our family is really enjoying our co-op this year. Everything has fallen into place. What homeschool co-ops have you been in and are you in any this year? 

 

Mama to 5 Blessings is also linking this post at:  

 Monday:  Enchanted Homeschooling Mom,  Deceptively Educational,  //  Tuesday:  Linda’s Lunacy // FridayLiving Life Intentionally,  Flaunt it FridayWeird Unsocialized HomeschoolersHomeschool Creations,  // SaturdayI Can Teach My Child

 


Comments

  1. Great tips! We started a co-op this year with our homeschool group. It’s exciting and scary all at the same time. Wonderful tips and ideas for helping us to get started. Thanks for sharing!!

  2. This was interesting to read. My kids go to public school, so I really have no clue how homeschooling works.

  3. This is a very informative article. I’ve often wondered about the ins and outs of homeschooling, and I’d never even heard of a co-op before.

  4. I just joined a co-op this year and it has been amazing thus far. I wish I knew to do this before!

  5. Co-ops remind me of the small, one room school houses you see in westerns. It must be a really great learning environment.

  6. This sounds great! I love that homeschooling can be done with other families and kids so children still get to learn social skills.

  7. Great tips. I think for homeschooling families co-ops are important! I actually like the idea of having other home schooling families come together and teach the kids together. Gives kids the opportunity to interact with other kids and feel like they are in a classroom setting. awesome idea!

  8. Back in the dark ages, when I homeschooled my kids, we didn’t have a lot of support. Something like this, would have been so helpful. I’m going to share the link to this post with a young friend, who homeschools her 5 children.

  9. this is such a neat idea, it seems like Homeschooling is the new way to go.

  10. Danielle K says:

    These are great tips! I have a few friends that do co-op and I think they could really benefit from this. Thanks for sharing 🙂

  11. A co-op sounds like a great idea for expanding the home schooling experience. The kids make new friends, and they learn subjects from different teachers with different styles.

  12. That sounds awesome! We don’t homeschool but I love seeing anything I can do to help my kiddos learn.

  13. I always think it’s so interesting to read about home schooling. I thought about doing that with my son for awhile, but I quickly realized I would be the worst teacher ever. I have no time!

  14. We do not home school. But when I ran a day care, any sign of illness and the child had to stay home

  15. My little guy is too small for school, but I know many people in the area who are big fans of home-schooling! I’ve heard that if you choose to home-school, co-ops are a must!

  16. This was interesting. My kids always did public school so it was interesting to hear a little about homeschooling and to see that so much thought has gone into it.

  17. I do not homeschool but always curious how it works. thanks for the informative post.

  18. My mom homeschooled a few of my you get siblings and the co-op was really what made the whole experience amazing and worthwhile. I remember one year they all studied Indians and for three weeks in the summer we had a huge teepee set up in the backyard. We slept out there several nights. So fun. – Katy

  19. Alisha Kostiuk says:

    My children attend public school but I will be sharing with my preachers wife who just started homeschooling this year.

  20. I would love to start an educational co-op like this for after school tutoring. I wonder if I can apply your guidelines to such an endeavor. I have noticed where several of the children in my sons class have similar issues and it could really benefit him and other students.

  21. Thank you so much for writing about this. I have some friends that are home school moms and could really use this post. I’ll forward it on to them. 🙂

  22. Sounds like a great idea to have a co op for home school.

  23. This seems so helpful, especially for someone who is interested in connecting and working with other homeschoolers.

  24. Jennifer Williams says:

    We are home schooling this year and honestly I was not sure what a co-op was until now. I have been looking for groups to join to work on socialization. My son is definitely not ready to be turned over to someone else for school yet.

  25. Elizabeth O. says:

    These ideas sound great for homeschool coop start-up.

  26. What great tips… I know many mama’s who homeschool and who could really use this. Thanks for the info

  27. God Bless you all who love homeschooling. I could never do it. I just don’t have the patience!

  28. We don’t homeschool but I know many who do and would probably appreciate your tips for building a homeschooling co-op. Thanks for sharing these!

  29. Great idea. Lots of fantastic and creative things.

  30. What a great idea! These are such great tips. I’ll be sure to pass them along to others who could use it.

  31. These tips are so great for parents looking to homeschool their children! Thanks!

  32. I have a friend who homeschools that I bet would find this really helpful. I will definitely be sharing. 🙂

  33. I think it’s easier to teach things that you’re passionate about. This is definitely a great way to go about it.

  34. Oh I was JUST talking to my friend about this earlier today! I can’t wait to show her this!

  35. That is pretty cool. I always wanted o homeschool but it did not work out. I wish I could go back!

  36. I’m so happy everything has fallen into place for you. It’s nice of you to share your advice and what’s working here!

  37. This sounds like a great way to enhance the home school experience! I bet all the kiddos involved will love it!

  38. I really wish I had the patience to homeschool! With this Common Core nonsense I seriously gave it some thought. Do you know I had to Google 3rd grade math to help the kiddo with homework??!! I had no idea a co-op was even a thing either! I seriously lean more that way all the time!

  39. I don’t know much about Homeschool but I do love these tips. I’ll share them with my other homeschool mamas!

  40. I’ll have to forward this on to my homeschooling friends! I don’t know if they’re part of a co-op, but it sounds like a great idea!

  41. I’d love to homeschool my kids, but we are not christians, so it’s hard down here in the bible belt to find a homeschool co-op that isn’t religious. These are great tips to creating one yourself.

  42. This is an interesting idea. I will share it with my friends who homeschool.

  43. There are a few homeschool coops in our area. I went on a field trip with one of the groups and had a great time!

  44. I always wondered about the ins and outs of homeschooling. Thanks for sharing this information.

  45. This is such a great idea, and very informative tips on how to get started! I love the idea of collaborating with other homeschoolers, since that’s the first thing many people who don’t homeschool or are against it bring up — ‘how will the kids be properly socialized?’ You got it going on with this idea!

  46. I think homeschool co-ops are fabulous!

  47. Some good tips based on personal experience! Thx for linking up at the Thoughtful Spot!

  48. Thank you for this post! I just started home schooling my daughter this year and I have not been able to find a co-op yet. Looks like starting my own will not be so hard!

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