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Homeschool Co-ops, Support Groups and Regional Groups. How Does It All Fit?

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There is nothing more confusing when you are new to the homeschooling world than to hear veteran homeschoolers use strange and never before heard terms like homeschool co-ops, support groups and regional groups.

The focus can be so much on curriculum gathering that help for you can get lost.

Knowing which groups are which will help you to decide if one is right for you.

A Look Inside

If a focus of a support group could be narrowed down to a few words it would be socialization (yes we do believe in it as homeschoolers) for the kids and support for mom.

Groups serve a very defined purpose even if they don’t intentionally advertise their purpose.

If homeschool co-ops are more academic than fun, the emphasis is still on camaraderie.

That too is a concern for a lot of new and experienced homeschoolers alike. Will my child know how to socialize in a group? Will he receive cultural experiences that I believe will enhance his love of learning?

These are valid concerns and can be successfully met if you are actively involved in support groups.

Take a look at these definitions so you can understand how each one is used in the homeschooling world.

Regional Group – This is perhaps the biggest and largest of support groups. Just like it says, it is regional.

It could be county wide, most of the state or just a portion of the state or even country.

In some larger states, regional groups may host annual homeschool conventions. In some states where local groups are limited, a regional group may host Bible Bees, Spelling Bees as well as Graduation Ceremonies. There is normally a fee to be a member.

The emphasis for most regional groups is to focus on support for the whole family. Though they most host activities, unlike a local support group, their emphasis normally is on preserving homeschooling rights and giving you support through your whole journey.

Tip: Ask the Regional Group what is their mission. There usually is a Board of Directors and some method to their communication whether it’s email, private e-loop, online newsletter and yes even some groups still prefer snail mail of newsletters. Find out and get that communication.

If a group can define their mission and the way it seeks to accomplish that mission, then prospective new members can see if it is a fit for their family.

Homeschool Co-ops, Support Groups and Regional Groups How Does It All Fit @Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Support Group – This term is perhaps the most general.

A support group can be anything from a private e-loop on yahoo or google plus groups that plans field trips to a meeting at the park each week by a few families.

It can have fees or no fees. Some groups may want you to sign a statement of faith or may indicate that religion is not a factor in their membership.

Some support groups act more like a group that hosts field trips and part like a larger regional group. Again, support group is a very general term, but it too has a defined purpose.

So find out what it is.

Look at some of these general questions to ask any support group:

  • What is the age group preferred?

Some groups plan activities for young and old alike and the whole family is involved.

Some groups are formed specifically for tweens, others for highschoolers or preschoolers.

  • What is the group preference?

For example, is it for gifted children, a specific religion or just Christians or secular?

  • What are the activities hosted?

Some host field trips. Are the field trips set at regular schedules or just when the members plan them?

Examples: Are there activities to focus on a special skill like Lego building or character development or are the activities varied?

  • Do they have a board of directors?

This question you basically are asking here is how organized are you without being so blunt.

Let me explain here too before I go on.

Leaders or Board of Directors are not door mats and don’t get paid normally for their service.

They render these services to the homeschooling community for a love of people.

Most Leaders I know spend countless hours planning and hosting activities (all to the exclusion of spending time with their family on weekends or weeknights).

Some Board of Directors may have been lulled into inactivity. So be sure you see a schedule of events coming up or speak to them to see what is planned.

For example some Board of Directors may be slanted by only meeting the needs of one particular group of their members.

For example, are they meeting the needs of the new homeschoolers and not just the veterans?

Are they meeting the needs of the mom with preschoolers and not just highschoolers or vice versa? It is no easy task .

A group may not possibly be meeting all of these criteria as it takes man power or like most groups woman power to do that. That is fine. As long as they meet your needs, it may be a good fit for you.

One group may not be a fit now in your journey while it may in another couple of years.

Homeschool Co-ops, Support Groups and Regional Groups

Co-op.  A co-op is a class on ANY subject.

It is a group of families that get together for a purpose. Co-ops are as varied as support groups.

They can be informal and just for fun or serious and supervised more like private schools.

They can be on any topic and can form and dissolve each year based on the needs of the area and those that are willing to lead them.

They can be held once a week, once a month, or every day.

Look at some of these specific questions to ask a homeschool co-op group:

  • What is your focus?

The emphasis is on fun and socialization on the co-op I was lead.

We have so many members we feel they each prefer their own method of schooling or academics. So when we meet, we spend more time doing games, listening to speakers about certain topics, learning to square dance or even learning to draw.

Some groups are more academic focus and this can be a huge advantage to a mom that is overwhelmed or feeling unprepared on a subject.

For example, the co-op can meet for preparing for the SAT. It can meet to help homeschoolers with math. Too, for science you may dissect an animal.

  • What is the cost?
  • How long do they meet?
  • Do you want parents involved?

The co-op we lead is not a drop off service. We require parents to be involved. Some co-ops are more like private schools and parents are not required to be present.

You can navigate these groups better by defining what you want too from each group.

Remember there is not a limit on how many groups you can join.

Which groups will you belong to this year?

Hugs and love ya,

Tina Signature 2015c

Check out some more tips!
5 Days of a Homeschooling Co-op Convert

What Homeschool Subjects to Teach and When to Teach Them? Part 3 of 3

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What Homeschool Subjects to Teach And Does It Matter When I Teach Them Part 3 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

What Homeschool Subjects to Teach and When to Teach Them?

Day 1.What Homeschool Subjects to Teach and When to Teach Them?
Day 2. What Homeschool Subjects to Teach and When to Teach Them?

In one of our co-ops, the kids learned to sing Greensleeves.

Once they learned the words and melody it was the most beautiful and soothing sound to hear them sing again and again. I feel your homeschooling day can be the same way when each subject complements the other.

An important point to keep in mind regarding the skill subjects like reading, writing and arithmetic is that just because your child is doing well now does not mean he has mastered that skill.

HOMESCHOOL TWO STEP DANCE

Learning takes place in a three steps forward, take two back ritual.

That is why we wonder sometimes what happened to them when they had “it” once, but now forgot it.

Information needs to be introduced at one time, but later it becomes mastered or it becomes part of their learning cycle.

Like an orchestra or singing Greensleeves, it required several rehearsals.

Each time, we focused on different parts of the songs or music until it was finely tuned. Your subjects need to be the same way.

So do not be so quick to discontinue phonics early. Even if your child is a good reader, keep on with phonics until the 4th grade or even 5th grade. Phonics is more than just about reading, it’s about spelling too.

Knowing basic letter sounds is just touching the fringe of learning phonics. It includes learning how to change endings on words. Changing the ending on a word, for example, like “act” to “actor” changes the meaning completely.

As mentioned, phonics is about spelling too and not just reading. It involves the connection between letters and their spelling. Continuing spelling until 8th grade can be sufficient for most children, however, if your child is still struggling continue through to high school. I have now stopped teaching my oldest son spelling however I do hold him accountable for each word he writes. In this way, he can focus on the words that may still give him problems.

Math is one of those subjects that I feel should continue all the way through highschool and not stop in the first two years of high school. Why? Math is a subject that is so logical. I certainly did not feel that way in the beginning because math was not my strong subject.

However, much like learning a foreign language with a code and set of rules, you can begin to understand the language. The logic and thinking skills that a student acquires in the study of math can serve him lifetime regardless of whether he goes to college or not.

Grammar is a tool to use for composition, but I have always been of the mind set that emphasis should be placed first on writing instead of grammar. Grammar has taken a back seat in my journey, starting formally in 3rd grade for us.

Of course, basic grammar has always been applied early on but applied more formally when my sons are composing.

Composition cannot be enjoyed unless attention is given to penmanship early on and first. What child can enjoy composing beautiful thoughts or silly ones if just holding a pencil or pen causes discomfort?

Many children have needs that need to be addressed regarding fine motor skill, however, many do not. It simply has been a lack of sticking to some kind of writing daily or fun activities to strengthen those fine motor skills.

Daily, if you will give attention to penmanship with tiny baby steps, your child will be well above others for the simple fact he can compose more than one well written paragraph.

History, science, Bible, field trips, game playing and co-ops are at the heart of any enriching program.

Science is not about vocabulary words but out hands on experiments, questioning and investigation.

History is not about dead people, but about the way they lived. What they inspired others to do.

Can you make it come alive by attending reenactments, doing a lapbook, cooking recipes of that time period and wearing costumes. We do and please hear me, I am NOT the crafty mom. But I know that passion on a subject, starts from a spark of interest.

How to Fit It All In a Homeschool Day?

The Bible is a subject that is just part of our daily life but some do include it as a formal subject.

The last tip I want to share is WHEN to do all of this.

IF you school year around, then you can divide up your year into two big chunks of learning.

Along about January, I switch out subjects. I may start one subject in summer and end at this time of the year around November or December just in time to start another one in January.

That is another tool we have in homeschooling – flexibility. Be sure to use it. If you need to stop and not do one subject like history, science or geography for a few months to concentrate on another, do that.

Then by the end of your year, you will have introduced or mastered more areas or subjects.

Have your child taste all the subjects and do not become lopsided even if you feel you like one more than another.

We all like one or more subjects than another, but the point is we want a well rounded out harmonious sound at the end of our homeschooling journey.

Do you have a starting point for knowing which homeschool subjects to cover and when?

Did you miss the other two posts?

Hugs to you today,

What Homeschool Subjects to Teach and When to Teach Them? Part 2 of 3

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What Homeschool Subjects to Teach And Does It Matter When I Teach Them. Part 2 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

In What Homeschool Subjects to Teach and When to Teach Them Part 1, I laid out the general subjects to cover and gave you a rule of thumb as to when to cover them.

As you can see from that subject list that subjects like art, music, foreign language and physical education, to name a few were not included. Why?

Foolproof Way to Choose Homeschool Subjects

This does not mean that they are not important, but it does mean that you determine their importance in your family’s journey.

Should the subjects go above the line (see my document on Part 1) or below the line?

Above the line subjects are vital to your family’s goals or essential and without them you feel your child would not receive a superior education. And below the line are subjects that are important, but may not be necessary to meet your goal in education.

This reminds me of a homeschool family that I helped that were mostly interested in physical education and scholarships for their son for football.

The whole family was athletic and such a joy to support. However, art ranked very low on their family’s goals.

To meet their family’s goal, physical education had to take up a good part of their day after the 3 Rs.

The point in all of this is that the subjects listed on Part 1 are to give you the framework and are at the core of a superior education. After that, you need to determine the importance of other subjects to your family.

Switching gears on you now because I want to hone in on language arts and give you some specifics about it.

Out of all the subjects, it seems that language arts is the area that needs to be demystified.

There seems to be this cloud of uncertainty as to what language arts is and what it compromises of in any grade.

Language arts at its very basic meaning simply means these four areas:

1. Spelling

2. Reading

3. Writing

4. Grammar

As you can see those subjects will draft in other ones like phonics and vocabulary.

For example, a child cannot read well unless he has some phonics and that phonics cannot stop in the first or second grade just because a child is advanced or already reading chapter books.

Phonics has many levels and the basic level is letter recognition and sounds. It has been my experience that some children do well by studying phonics intensely while reading and others focus on reading and understand phonics as they go along.

I have seen some programs continue until fourth grade as well. The point is that phonics is part of the core subjects that make up the 3 Rs and without a good foundation in these subjects a child may not be equipped for lifelong learning.

Too, vocabulary is needed if your child wants to write well and understand what he is reading.

It may not need to be a separate subject. I feel vocabulary is best taught in the context of what the child is reading and not as a separate subject, unless of course you have the time to do so.

Mastering Homeschool Subjects

Then writing includes both penmanship and composition.

In the early grades, penmanship is what we want to achieve so that soon thereafter the mechanics of writing will be mastered and so that the child can now focus on composing his thoughts.

A well written composition is no easy task but harder yet if the basics of penmanship are not mastered.

Do not wait to teach penmanship until later grades.

By grade three, you want your child to be comfortable with the mechanics of writing.

In my journey, I taught all of my sons cursive first and used a simplified version of cursive since I was not impressed with the superfluous cursive I had been taught. By third grade, cursive was mastered.

Two of the reasons children dislike penmanship is that it is not taught early enough so that they have time to fine tune their motor skills and the other is that a parent may choose an old fashion traditional cursive script like the Palmer method and that could add to the struggle.

I used a version of simple script by Calvert, which combined the easy use of print on cap letters and it was free of a lot of the extra curves and lines that the Palmer method of traditional cursive that I learned in school.

Simplified Cursive Alphabet @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Each kid mastered the script as I taught it to them.

Mastering Cursive @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Penmanship gets a bum rap because I hear moans from parents and kids alike, but the secret is to introduce it early and be consistent each day.

It’s not a skill that you do once a week. Penmanship should be one or two well written sentences every day with the focus on neatness and legibility.

Master Cursive Writing @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

When you wait until third grade, the child’s writing habits, good or bad are already formed and so it’s hard to add composition on top of that.

Then when it is time to teach composition, your child is not frustrated because he lacks the basics of penmanship and he can now focus on penning his beautiful thoughts.

Reading is another subject that can be misunderstood. From the beginning there should be an emphasis on the purpose of reading.

No, it’s not just about comprehension.

Homeschool Curriculum Helps

Comprehension is important, but to form a love for reading into adulthood a child has to view it as pleasure. Constant worksheets and record keeping of what he is reading does not inspire a child to want to read into adult hood.

Boy or Girl? Teaching Reading Needs to Be Different

Reading changes after about grade 4 from learning how to read to reading to learn, a big difference.

Some children, especially girls are very early and mature readers and can be reading well by the age of four or so. Boys normally struggle on until about 8 years of age until they master reading.

When I first started teaching my sons to read, I didn’t like the statistics I read about how boys are normally behind girls when learning to read. My focus was to be sure my boys didn’t fall by the side and it was my goal for them to read early and to love it.

With a lot of hard work and not missing any precious days when they were little, I got pretty close to my target. I had two early readers and one that read later, but then again I learned that personality plays a huge part with boys too.

Once each of my sons reached the significant milestone of reading, then I could focus on other areas of learning and their appetite can now be satisfied as to what interests them in their education.

Geography, history and science are important to cover, but you may miss the small window of time needed with the core subjects because you focused so much on subjects that can wait a bit.

Do you see now why content subjects {geography, history and science} can wait later?

There are only so many hours in the days and when your day is prioritized with giving core subjects time first, you are making time for the subjects that will equip him for a lifetime of learning.

Then again, I do have secret teaching tips on how to cover core subjects and learn to read or write, but I will save that for another book post, lest I write a book here.

All of this I put in a nutshell for you, but I am hoping it will help you see where you may need to include another subject or move ahead in one area.

In Part 3, I will talk about some of your concerns like time needed in each subject and how to plan multiple subjects.

Also, Part 3 will put all of this together and like a beautiful orchestra that is harmonious you can see your child’s accomplishment in each subject.

Can you start fine tuning your subjects and prioritizing them by importance to your family?

Homeschooling Multiple Children Secret Planning Sheet @ Tinas Dynamic Homeschool Plus - Copy - Copy (2)

Remember, they can’t have all the same importance. Some homeschool subjects have to go below the line. I have another help for you.

Download Homeschooling Multiple Children Not So Secret Planning Sheet Here.

Grab this form and start planning your subjects. Fill it in and determine if you have over planned or under planned or if you think you have a doable plan that can be accomplished for the day.

Hugs and love ya,

Grab some of these other reads:

Teaching Handwriting When Homeschooling the Early Years Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
Teaching Homeschooled Boys How to Read – When to Panic
How to Use a History Spine to Build Your Own Study of History

What Homeschool Subjects to Teach and When to Teach Them? Part 1 of 3

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

What homeschool subjects to teach and when to teach them is a huge fear factor for any new homeschooler or those struggling with the how tos of homeschooling. Too, sometimes as veteran homeschoolers, we just need the reminders.

What Homeschool Subjects to Teach and When to Teach Them? Part 1 of 3

Without prior teaching experience, it’s easy enough to figure out the 3 R’s.

But beyond that, making sure I covered homeschool subjects well and knowing when to move on was uncharted territory for me.

Homeschool Subjects

Then, the second half to my struggle was wondering just when do I teach homeschool subjects.

At what age should I introduce certain subjects?

Questions like when to teach spelling and what grade to continue it through were equally baffling to me. How about phonics, that is just teaching letter sounds right?

I didn’t even think about dividing my year into semesters when planning.

For example, should my year look the same way from beginning to end? Can I just teach one subject for one semester and a completely different one or two for another semester?

TO BOLDLY GO WHERE OTHERS HAVE BEEN BEFORE (okay, okay)

How do I plan and get all these subjects in? How much is enough of one subject?

I hope over the next three articles to relieve some of your fear and stress as to what homeschool subjects to teach and when.

Also, providing help so you plan your year and for you to think like an educator is another goal I have in this three part series.

As far as the very basic and essential subjects of any rigorous program, math and language arts will be your spine all the way from pre-k to high school.

In the next post, I will tackle language arts for you. Breaking it down to individual pieces as far as explaining what subjects make up language arts, which will give you a more clearer picture of it.

So let me throw out these subjects and give you an idea of when to begin to teach subjects, grade wise.

One last heads up for you and that is I am not wanting to set up compulsory education.

What Homeschool Subjects to Teach and When to Teach Them? Part 1 of 3

We both know, you and I left that kind of thinking to have the flexibility of homeschooling. But what I do want to do is to give you specifics and a place to start.

Many articles tout generalities and that never really helped me much because I was just as confused or more so before I started reading the article.

What is Your Twelve Year Plan for Homeschool?

If I had specifics, a guideline or rule of thumb, then I could make the right choices for my family within some guidelines or a rule of thumb. I hope you do the same for your precious family.

Two Step Homeschool Planning

Look at this list below and try to reason out why certain subjects can wait for certain grades. I won’t leave you hanging long because I will explain the reason behind some of this in the next two articles.

For now, just wrap your mind around your 12 year homeschool plan.

  • Math – Prek to 12th
  • Penmanship – Prek to 4th
  • Phonics – Prek to 3rd
  • Composition – 3rd to 4th
  • Grammar – 3rd to 12th
  • Spelling – 3rd to 8th
  • Teaching Reading – Prek to 4th
  • Literature – 5th to 12th
  • Vocabulary 4th to 12th
  • Bible – Infancy to adult
  • History- 3rd to 12th
  • Geography – 3rd to 12th
  • Science – 3rd to 12th

The very basic first step in your planning along with looking over the homeschool subjects is to know what is required by law in the state or country you live in.

The second step is to B R O A D E N your view of what is homeschool curriculum and that is where I help you out in the form below.

Have you grabbed my curriculum planning sheet where I make it easy for you by providing a map? Grab it below and simmer on my broadened definition of what is curriculum.

Fill out the top part about what is the required curriculum and look below at the visual where I explain the differences in subjects.

Above the pink line are essential subjects and though subjects below the line are important, if you are overwhelmed, have a limited budget or are new to homeschooling, those subjects can simmer for a bit.

Curriculum Planning Sheet - Add requirements @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus and New Bee Homeschooler

Curriculum Planning Sheet – Add requirements @ Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Does this list help you?

Any guesses why some of these subjects can wait and some you want to start right away?

Be in the know, read my other two posts here:

You’ll also love these other tips:

Hugs and love ya,

What Homeschool Subjects to Teach And Does It Matter When I Teach Them @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
What Homeschool Subjects to Teach and When to Teach Them? Part 1 of 3
What Homeschool Subjects to Teach and When to Teach Them? Part 1 of 3

When the Homeschooling Honeymoon is Over

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

My wedding ring was frozen in an ice cube and the ice cube was floating in a glass of champagne when the Mr. proposed to me.  And then there were the soft petals of my favorite rose strewn all over the walk way and into our room.

I have so many fond memories of my honeymoon, but quickly realized after marriage that a successful marriage requires a lot of hard work.

A Fresh Start in Homeschool?

It could not be one prolonged honeymoon.

Doing laundry, making a living, cooking meals, setting up a budget, questions like how to raise children that would come along and where we would live were decisions that as partners we had to make.

The scope of the work that was now involved was not easy, no matter how much I prepared my mind and heart.

Truly, the honeymoon was over.

When the Homeschooling Honeymoon Is Over @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Homeschooling is similar in a lot of ways.

We may have had some romantic notions that everything would work out and nothing would go wrong.

Too, we may not have realized the amount of work that is involved in homeschooling.

Perhaps we thought we would pick up where public school left off, but realize now we have to go over information that should have been previously mastered.

When a new bee begins to homeschool, I often think about the period of a couple’s honeymoon.

Before marriage, we can so conveniently overlook the faults of our mates. Whatever bad traits our mates have though can’t be hidden during the honeymoon period.

Though I do feel homeschooling is a perfect solution for the majority of families and there are no hidden faults, there are ones we create or foster because of our lack of experience.

For example, about three months or so into homeschooling, a new homeschooler may now start to question the choice to homeschool or the curriculum that she is using.

How to Go From Thinking to Doing

We may not be as in love with the idea of homeschooling because the day to day grind of reality sets in.

What can be done?

Like a marriage, homeschooling should not be based on idealistic infatuations but on genuine love, caring, devotion and facts.

Loyalty too is a virtue that is missing in so many marriages.

It mean sticking to something even in the face of tough times. Instead of looking at the negative attitudes your children may have developed while away from you, focus on what you want from your children.

Are you loyal to your children and the decision to homeschool?

Do not allow whatever disappointments you may have now in your family or children to keep you from going forward in what you desire your family to be. Work at it. Who is afraid of hard work anyway?

If you need to go back over some material not previously understood by your child, then that is where you are. Begin there and go forward.

Realize too that not every decision you made in the beginning when you started was a bad one also helps to maintain balance.

For example, if you feel like it’s your curricula that is not working out, give it another month instead of pitching that curricula and starting another. Check out Stop Switching Your Curriculum, Switch Your Course of Study.

Don’t start your journey off curriculum hopping. It’s hard to get off that path once you start down it.

It takes at least 3 months to know whether or not a curriculum is working. Remember, it could be something else that is not working right like a schedule or lack of teacher experience.

Give it time and reflect on what brought you to homeschooling.

The same blessings you want to receive are still there. They have to be accomplished with hard work now and not a drawn out honeymoon period.

Time is a precious commodity no matter the age of our child.

It requires time to have a friendship with our children if they are teenagers.

If they are younger, our time is needed to teach them to read, how to hold a pencil and how to pick up after themselves. How your child best learns and processes information may now be more clear to you.

Comparing and contrasting homeschooling approaches like Classical, Unit Studies, Charlotte Mason and Unschooling is enough to make the head spin of any new homeschooling parent. Check out my articles on understanding the different homeschool approaches.

It all requires tedious work and time but successfully homeschooling IS a reachable goal.

Homeschooling, like a well established and loving marriage is built upon every tiny act of love and kindness.

I am glad that my honeymoon has been over for many, many years. Then, I could see the precious beauty of my husband’s inner person and the one very vital element to both a good marriage and successfully homeschooling – commitment!

You can do it!

Hugs and you know I love ya,

Tina Signature 2015c

Check Out My Top Reads for New Homeschoolers