Nobody wants to read about a boring homeschool co-op much less attend one. A this point in the co-op process, you need to coordinate it so that all your hard work pays off. Attention needs to be given to the details and I have some tidbits to help you.
I created this acronym above to help you remember some of the basics to ask about a co-op. Things to cover like finding a place to have it, what activities to include and how to get members of the homeschooling community to your co-op, determining if your group will be inclusive or not to the homeschooling community, and how expenses will be handled gets the basics out of the way.
The type of co-op that I will share about from here on has to do with enrichment and an emphasis on socialization and fun. Again, there are many co-ops that are created for academic purposes only but I happen to not be interested in them because I prefer to teach my kids the basic subjects. That is not to say we won’t take advantage of a class here or there for something that is unique, but as a general rule I don’t go to co-ops that teach my kids how to write, do math or teach them to read. In my humble opinion academic co-ops can border on private school status and it takes some finesse to keep them from being set up like a mini public school day.
My focus is how to coordinate a co-op that is for enrichment, has plenty of fellowship, and is hands-on for all ages.
Here are a few key tips.
- Subject matters.
The best co-ops focus on science or history topics. Those topics seem to lend themselves to finding a lot of hands-on activities that can be done by multiple ages of children.
Too, I learned along the way that this is a good time to consider a time period in history that is more expansive if you have not had time to cover it or to even consider a narrow topic. It doesn’t really matter if the topic is narrow or general, it just matters that you find enough games and projects to do. When we did the Westward Ho Co-op, it covered a longer time period and we covered many topics from Mountain Men to the Oregon Trail and the Gold Rush. Any one of those topics could be a whole unit itself. Then, when we covered Reptiles/Amphibians and it was a much more narrow subject. Either way, try to vary your topics throughout the year.
- Prep the learning environment.
Appearance matters at our co-ops. When members arrive, we always try to do some visual presentations about what the kids will be learning or decorations so they understand the theme.
If you have highschool kids, preparing boards is a great project for them to do. If your group has all small kids when starting out like ours did then have your moms in the group do the presentation and learning boards. You will learn right alongside the kids and the kids will appreciate having the information boards to learn from during the day or weeks you use it.
Too, I am not surprised anymore by what a bunch of hard working parents that ban together can do. I never did any of these co-ops by myself. For the rainforest co-op, one mom made “trees” complete with leaves that she stood behind the table. We used green netting to show the forest canopy and draped animals inside the canopy for the younger kids. She even made a bridge you can see between the trees and put animals on pieces of “steps” or cardboard. I used banana leaves that I ordered to drape the table in and we also used the banana leaves as “plates” to eat off. One family made food that came from the rainforest. In addition I made fruit skewers that had fruits from the rainforest. We ordered a chocolate fountain and scattered bubblegum throughout the table and used bromeliads as decorations. It was a joint effort but when time is taken to coordinate a co-op, all benefit from not only the fun but the rich learning environment.
- Plenty of hands-on activities is the key.
Contrary to popular belief, learning is about doing and not always telling. Even things that may be boring to learn about, like an ecosystem, can come alive when it’s done with others. The key to a successful co-op is choosing hands-on activities and having those activities ready to go when the members arrive. The leaders do not have to shoulder all the work. For example, if there is a lot of cutting involved because you will be making crafts, then an experienced leader will have some of the prep work done ahead of time. She will not use the time at the co-op when together to do something boring like cutting. Doing small things ahead of time so the hands-on projects move along and don’t get bogged down by tedious things adds to being more productive.
Try to determine how much work can be done ahead of time, but don’t rush the hands-on projects at the co-op either. I have learned that projects that I planned on doing, we did not get to do because we had so much fun doing the few we had done. I always plan for more activities than we have time to do because it is good to have a “fall back” plan if one or two activities don’t go over so well.
Let the children lead and dictate and they will. We were surprised at some of the things they found satisfaction in doing. As long as they are together, most of the time they will savor the time and learning.
- An end they will remember and cherish.
Whether you meet one day or several, we try to do something the whole group can do that not only signals the end of the event but is something they will remember and cherish.
Whether you choose to play games, learn a new dance, sing a time period song, perform a Shakespeare Play, or have a Renaissance group perform for your group, make a memorable and lasting ending to your co-op.
There is no need to do this by yourself but you could if you don’t choose the right leaders. Next post I will share what I feel are qualities to look for in a fearless leader.
Hugs and love ya,
If you missed the other posts in this series, here they are for you.
5 Days of A Homeschooling Co-op Convert – Day 1:Who needs one anyway?
5 Days of A Homeschooling Co-op Convert – Day 2:What are the basics?
