10 Benefits of Homeschool Co-ops For High School Students

Posted by Carol | 0 comments

There are many benefits of being a part of a homeschool co-op. I have been a member of a homeschool co-op for five years, and my most valued benefits have been the friends that I have made and their support of my homeschooling efforts. However, a homeschool co-op can be very beneficial for a high school student also.

1. Socialization
The most apparent benefit of a homeschool co-op is socialization. For years the homeschool movement has been criticized for the lack of opportunity to socialize. There are homeschoolers who are concerned about social interaction, and they seek out opportunities for their teenagers to be a part of group activities. Thus we see the growth of homeschool sports leagues, classes, clubs, and, of course, our focus, homeschool co-ops. These group activities balance the time spent learning alone or with the family. Most co-ops meet once or twice a week, therefore giving students a “taste” of group learning without being overwhelming.

2. Friends
My neighbor and fellow homeschooler, Kirsten, was concerned about her oldest daughter making friends. I was so pleased to tell Kirsten about our homeschool co-op and the wonderful group of friendly high school students we had there. They visited the next week and joined immediately. I was thrilled when two weeks later, I saw Kirsten’s daughter being hugged good-bye by other teenage girls. I looked over at my friend and said, “It’s working!” and she wholeheartedly agreed.

3. Learning from Another Adult
The other parents who volunteer as teachers and helpers in our co-op serve as role models, mentors, and teachers. I think it is very healthy for children to have adults they respect outside their own family. Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders serve this role, and so can co-op teachers. I realize that I am not my teenager’s only teacher. Some day soon, my children will learn from college professors, and they will be exposed to trainers in the workplace. I want them to appreciate the different personalities that teachers possess. I also want my children to understand that they can learn from different types of people.

4. Group Interaction
When my daughter approached high school, she wanted to discuss literature with someone other than me. She was right; it is awfully difficult to have group discussions without a decent-sized gathering! Co-ops provide a wonderful opportunity for your student to engage in group discussions and other classes. Our co-op has held several classes that work best in a group setting, including literature discussion, public speaking, gym games, and team building. These types of learning opportunities cannot be done as well in a home setting, but they work beautifully in a homeschool co-op.

5. Special Skills
When I joined our co-op, I found a blessing in the Spanish teacher, Mrs. Tann, who majored in Spanish in college and is a volunteer teacher at our co-op. My daughter, Emily, had been learning Spanish from a computer program. Although she was doing well and making good grades on the quizzes, her Spanish greatly improved after starting Mrs. Tann’s class. I noticed that she started speaking a few phrases and naming objects in Spanish. Mrs. Tann has Spanish skills that neither my husband nor I possess.

6. Encouragement to Continue Homeschooling
One co-op director that I know believes that if a co-op helps even one mother to continue homeschooling, then all the work has been worthwhile. Specifically, she tries to support parents of high school students, many of whom drop out of homeschooling because the subject material grows more difficult at the high school level. Our co-op tries to help these families by offering high school classes in foreign language, upper math, and advanced lab science. Other co-ops in our area offer fun subjects such as photography, yearbook, drama, and art to keep kids interested.

7. Mothers share burdens
Of course, it is not just the students who benefit from a co-op; their mothers need encouragement also. Emulating another homeschool co-op, my co-op offers a room for mothers to “Chew and Chat,” where we can eat and talk. More importantly, we share each other’s burdens there. Although we sometimes offer suggestions and new ideas, we often are just a sounding board. Mothers feel free to share their homeschooling struggles in our Chew and Chat room, because this group understands them without condemnation.

8. Exchange information
While co-op mothers may share burdens, they also exchange information. One of the best things about a co-op is the wonderful exchange of ideas. I loaned my calculus books and videos to another family after my daughter had finished with them. The books were very expensive and I was blessed to be a blessing to a cash-strapped family.

9. Fun
In addition to the educational benefits of group learning, shared experience, and encouragement, co-ops can be a lot of fun! Your students should have creative teachers and see co-op learning as enjoyable! Even though my daughter, Sarah, dislikes snakes and bugs, she admits that her biology dissection teacher makes the class interesting. Sarah is learning that a trouble shared is a troubled halved. She also seems to have exciting stories to tell about class each day.

10. Special Events
Many co-ops offer fun activities such as field trips and special events. I have seen co-ops offer talent shows, plays, and recitals. One co-op is starting a 4-H club, while another has an American Heritage Girls troop and a Boy Scout troop. Going beyond these activities, some co-ops offer days at the beach, pool, park, or ski slopes! The list is endless, and all in the name of fun and learning.

The benefits of belonging to a homeschool co-op include, among others, group learning, experienced teachers, encouragement, and fun. I hope you gain all these advantages and more.

This article is an excerpt from Homeschool Co-ops: How to Start Them, Run Them and Not Burn Out by Carol Topp (Aventine Press, 2008).

Carol L. Topp, CPA (www.HomeschoolCPA.com) is a homeschooling mother of two daughters and is the author of Homeschool Co-ops: How to Start Them, Run Then and Not Burn Out. She enjoys using her accounting skills helping homeschool organizations as well as serving on her homeschool co-op board.