A support group is always good to have when you are a homeschool family, yet not all support groups can be beneficial. A Homeschool Co-op can prove helpful to a homeschool teacher, but is it worthwhile for a homeschool students? Let’s consider some of the advantages and disadvantages of being a part of a homeschool co-op.
How does a Homeschool Family benefit from a Homeschool Co-op?
For the homeschool family the shared expenses for the material and equipment can be a huge blessing. Since these classes are held together for a group of children, they can pool in for the equipment such as a microscope, test tube beakers, Bunsen burner and other things.
Also most of the material can be reused for the next academic session, making it easier on the pocket for new member who join the co-op. A certain membership fee may be charged monthly or annually for new members who were not present for the original purchases, as well as to keep updating and adding to the material being used.
In addition there are some homeschool teachers who may find certain subjects challenging to teach in higher grades. By spiting up the classes they can all take advantage of the skill set present in the homeschool co-op. Certain activities work better in a group than alone at home. This is where the co-op can come in handy.
Some things that can go wrong in a Homeschool Co-op
The level of children in the study class may be different and the intelligent ones may feel bored, while those who take longer to pick up the material may experience a drop in their confidence level. This may give rise to high emotions, and also in some cases bullying. The homeschool parents who are a part of the co-op need to stay alert to such situations.
Punctuality may be another factor that leads to problems. Everyone needs to be committed to make the co-op classes a success. Even one family that shows up late consistently, can be causing frustration to everyone else. Meeting deadlines can become difficult if everyone doesn’t cooperate.