Whether you're a veteran homeschooler or starting a new homeschool, belonging to a support group of other homeschoolers in your area can be hugely beneficial.
Support groups can be just casual gatherings of families meeting for play dates or educational field trips. Lots of places where public school classes attend field trips are willing to accomodate homeschoolers if they can get a group together to attend.
Support groups could also take the form of a co-op, where the group meets periodically and parents take turns teaching some particular subject to the kids. This is an advantage because another parent might know more about art or geology, for example, based on their own education or career, and you child will be learning from someone with expertise in the subject.
Whatever you're looking for in a support group, you're probably wondering where to look! Using the internet, you can find plenty of secular homeschool support groups and Christian homeschooling groups as well. You could also ask around and find out from local homeschoolers you know. Fellow homeschoolers in your local area are often the very ones you need to connect with.
I live in such a rural area that when I first started homeschooling, online support was the ONLY support I could find. Even though we've been doing this since 2005, I still love hanging out in online groups and meeting others! :)
ReplyDeleteKatie