In the United States, homeschooling has been legal across the country since the 1990s, and since then, an increasing number of families in all 50 states have successfully taught their children in this manner. One of the reasons homeschooling is on the rise is the support and resources available to enhance home education. Homeschool associations, support groups, and cooperatives are also wonderful resources and are available in every state. Joining a homeschool support group offers plenty of benefits, especially if you are transitioning to this method of education for the first time.
Allows You to Give and Receive Advice
Joining a homeschool support group is a great idea when you are first starting the home education process. You can address any questions or concerns about homeschool with other parents who have been in a similar position as you at one point. This isn’t only beneficial when you are just starting out but throughout your student’s education as well. You will likely have plenty of questions when your student reaches milestones or if they ever struggle with the structure of homeschooling.
Home education is not something you master one day, but instead, comes with many peaks and valleys and requires constant adaption. Therefore, homeschool support groups will be useful throughout your child’s education. Once you have been homeschooling for a while, you will likely have plenty of advice to share with other parents. You can pay it forward by offering the same help to other families that you once received.
Parents Can Share Resources
Often, parents see homeschooling as unattainable because it will be too expensive as supplies quickly add up. Home support groups allow parents to share resources to help cut down on the cost of homeschool. You can buy and resell gently used supplies, such as books, binders, and art supplies.
Homeschool association memberships can also give you access to conventions that offer discounted homeschool supplies, such as textbooks and curriculum. In addition to homeschool conventions, associations may provide resources like newsletters, magazines, and guides at little or no cost. Most states have a statewide homeschool association that offers numerous resources as well as connects you with other parents, allowing you to continuously build your homeschool community.
Provide Socialization Opportunities
One of the biggest misconceptions regarding homeschool is that students are not properly socialized with peers. Although this may have been true decades ago, there are plenty of opportunities for homeschoolers to socialize, with one of these being homeschool support groups. Plenty of homeschool groups put on special events for both families as well as student-only events. Field trips, birthday parties, and holiday celebrations are all examples of things that homeschool groups do together.
In addition to special events, homeschool groups may organization sports teams or clubs that allow students to participate in extracurriculars alongside other homeschoolers. For high school students, homeschool support groups may plan dances or even proms, as well.
Students Gain Group Learning Experiences
Homeschooling allows students to have personalized, one-on-one learning opportunities. However, there are plenty of skills and lessons that students learn best in a group setting. For this reason, numerous homeschool co-op groups exist to allow these students to learn together. Co-ops are more academic-focused than other types of homeschool support groups. They are typically volunteer-based groups that are taught by parents who alternate providing instruction or join together to hire professional tutors. Some co-ops provide general instruction over various subjects while others focus on particular areas, such as STEM-related subjects.
Joining a homeschool co-op has numerous benefits for students. These groups allow students to develop many skills that would otherwise be difficult to practice in one-on-one settings, including teamwork, cooperation, and communication.
Various Homeschool Support Group Options Available
Families have many options when it comes to homeschool support groups. Not all homeschool support groups are established for the same purpose. For example, some groups may be more informal groups that meet once a month in person, while others are more structured and require a small fee to join. In addition to co-ops, homeschool support group options include:
- Local support groups
- Extracurricular groups
- Virtual groups
- Playgroups
- Field trip groups
- Special needs support groups
- Groups class communities
- Religious groups
Whatever your family is looking for, you will likely be able to find a homeschool support group in your area that fits your family’s needs. Most of these groups have Facebook pages, so you can easily find one for your family with a simple search query.
If you are considering home education for the first time, you may feel isolated at times. However, with the wide variety of homeschool support groups available, you will be able to surround yourself with the support you need to successfully homeschool your children.
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