Homeschool co-ops

[staceyshoe]

I'm planning to homeschool full-time next year and would like some involvement in a homeschool co-op. Ds is still in the elementary years. Any advice? If you use a co-op, what's the greatest benefit you see? Do you use it for one class or all day? Electives or core curriculum? Just trying to find my way, and it always helps me to hear what's working for others.

[Geerbabe]

My daughter is in grade 2. We are put of a very low-key science co-op with a couple of other families that has worked well for us. We meet about every two weeks for the kids to get together for about 2 hours to work on one big project or several smaller ones. Usually one mom will volunteer to host and plan for 3 sessions and then someone else will take over. Sometimes we will stick to a single theme for the 3 sessions, or sometimes the topics will vary.

I like it because science seems to require a little more planning and preparation than a lot of other subjects, so this way you get more bang for your buck. Also, the fun of exploring in the company of friends helps to keep the kids more motivated.

[ikesmom]

We do a science one and a social studies one every year. My kids love the social studies as we have a continent party every month. Kids can choose a country and then do a report, collage, craft, or something they find interesting for presentation. They help prepare a dish from that culture for the potluck. They learn a lot in a short amount of time and seem pretty comfortable with speaking in front of a group.