Sometimes it is difficult to find that perfect home school co-op. Sometimes they are too far away, they can be too restrictive, or they can have too many stipulations to consider before joining. When these obstacles stand in your way, remember that yes, it IS possible to make your own group. All that is needed is some like-minded neighbors or friends who can get together on a regular basis.
The best part? You can create a schedule that works for your family! Due to the pandemic, a common physical space is not even necessary. Online conference calls also work to get groups of children together to learn.
The benefits of learning in a group are diverse in nature. Home schooled children are generally good at independent learning, but need a little extra practice when it comes to group learning. Getting them together with other children helps work on several “soft” social skills such as: learning how to speak in front of a group, how to listen to another person’s opinions, and how to collaborate on a project. All of these life skills are also important to learn and can be practiced in a co-op setting.
If you are unsure about what to teach in a co-op group of your own, Home School Navigator has different options to help instruct groups of children in the realm of language arts. Here are a few of our offerings:
Book studies: Bring literature to life with the help of interactive book studies. Children cut out shapes to create flaps under which they answer thought provoking questions and define pivotal vocabulary. The bonus of these book studies is that it prompts children to think deeply about the story, without going overboard with too many boring questions or exceedingly long lists of vocabulary terms.
Literature circle booklets: These booklets are designed to allow you to choose the book that you want to study. Have a particular story in mind? (If not, we can also gladly recommend some great ones!) Using any chapter book, this booklet is designed to give each child in the group a “job” for the reading group that needs to be completed before the next time the group convenes. These jobs include question creation, locating unknown vocabulary and defining those terms, and sketching the main events in a section of the story. Children take ownership of their learning in these groups and the discussions that are sparked are always in- depth. The best part? You, the instructor, are only the facilitator. The real work is done by the kids!
Unjournaling Journal: Want to have the kids practice writing but don’t feel confident in your ability to teach writing skills? The Unjournaling Journal has several fun and zany activities and games that support children and encourages them to write. Story writing, poetry, and game creation are included in this fun and easy to implement packet.
We know that finding that perfect co-op can be challenging. We also know that with the help of some friends or neighbors, you can feel confident in creating your own. You choose the schedule and times that work for you.
So, get the group together, (don’t forget about going online!) and practice collaborating and sharing ideas with others!
https://vimeo.com/user124473737/review/468039107/d602ebfba3
Know more about S.T.E.A.M and how it can help you create a perfect home school co-op: https://bit.ly/34OCVrm