We weren’t always part of a homeschool co-op. Those things didn’t even exist when I started homeschooling decades ago. But I have been part of one for the past four years and this is my third year teaching classes at them.
I have a few philosophical differences with some of the other ladies in our leadership team, but overall right now the benefits of being active in our co-op outweigh those differences.
Here’s why my family, including my granddaughter, take part in our local homeschool co-op.
1. The main benefit to our co-op, in my opinion, is that it teaches science including the high school sciences. That was one of my weak points but now I am assured that we get that covered. Having my kids take part in the science and language classes at the co-op forces them and me to keep progressing in the curriculum and finish the courses in a timely manner.
2. Once a week, I have a chance to spend some time with other homeschool moms in between classes and at lunch during co-op time. Friendships are made and I look forward to seeing everyone every week.
3. Being in a co-op class gives my students a chance to see what it is like to be in a regular classroom setting. They are also responsible to someone else to get their work done for that class.
4. Getting together every week builds relationships between the kids and between the moms. We have become a nice little community and it’s nice to have that kind of support.
5. I mentioned in #1 that I am grateful that our co-op teaches science, because that is one of the areas where I was a little weak in our homeschool. God, having a sense of humor, has then made sure I had the opportunity to teach middle school science two years in a row! I think I’m much stronger in this area now and I even enjoy teaching my science classes.
A few years ago I also got to solidify my knowledge of informal logic. That has been an interest of mine for some years, but actually teaching the course solidified it for me. I look forward to teaching it again.
6. Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home. Still, it’s nice to get to co-op once a week to add a little variety to our school week.
7. Our co-op helps a wide variety of families. Many of the moms with younger kids are relieved to have the offerings we have for the older children. When you are pregnant, nursing, or just taking care of little kids, it’s harder to get the older academics done. I think our co-op is very helpful with that.
8. Perhaps the best thing about our co-op is the enrichment courses we offer. From choir to band to drama, these are things that students might not have necessarily had a chance to do otherwise. My children also benefited from the courses in speech and economics. We could have done those at home but I might not have even considered them for our homeschool, at least as a formal class. These couress enriched our curriculum. and working with their peers was a good experience for them as well.
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