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The Old Schoolhouse
Magazine
Home Where They
Belong
|
August 15, 2007
|
 Please forgive our formatting issues from today's
earlier copy. We really appreciate you all letting us know. It
definitely was NOT an intentional change in formatting. It was
just one of those weird code things that I hope NEVER happens
again. Thanks for bearing with us. Here's today's newsletter.
:O)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After
last week's learning styles newsletter, a few people wrote to
remind us of some wonderful resources that we failed to
mention - The Way They Learn by Cynthia Tobias and our own Christine Field's
Homeschooling the
Challenging Child. Good catch! We're glad to
pass that information along.
And this week, we're going
to talk about homeschool co-ops and I've got another great
resource for you if you're in leadership of your local support
group or co-op - www.HomeschoolCPA.com.
Carol Topp, homeschool mom and CPA, has lots of great
information on organizing your homeschool support group or
co-op. If you've ever wondered if your group should file for
non-profit status or what kind of insurance you all need to
have, Carol's website will be a wonderful
help.
Speaking of help, co-ops are a wonderful blessing
to many homeschool families. However yours is structured, find
a way to pitch in and help. You'll get to know some other
great parents and children and will help keep the co-op
going!
Enjoy every minute!
THM Editor
PS -
Congratulations to Angela A. from Richmond, Ohio
for being our 15,000th customer in the Schoolhouse Store.
Enjoy all your freebies!
Oh, and if you'd like some
freebies for your children or little ones at your church, take
a look at the Battle for the Toy Box
Contest!
| |
 Mercy Every Minute
Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor
Homeschool co-ops can
be a wonderful answer to prayer, or they can be a temptation
to more busyness. It all depends on how God is leading you
each year for each child, how the co-ops are run and what they
are used for, and what your family dynamics are at this season
in your life. I believe it takes prayer and wisdom every day
of every year on how involved your family can or should be
in anything.
Here's my take on the
Benefits and Cautions of Homeschool Co-ops:
Benefits:
- Your
children have the opportunity to learn things that you may
not have the time or ability to teach alone.
- They have
the opportunity to learn from someone other than you.
- You have
the opportunity to use your gifts and talents in teaching a
subject to bless other homeschoolers.
- The
children get to socialize with other like-minded kids.
- They are
great for those with older children who need specialized
classes and great for those with younger children who want
to expose them to a class setting.
- They are
awesome for usually having something tangible to show what
your children have learned.
- It's a
great thing to say to those who question your homeschooling,
"My kids are in a co-op where they are learning this and
this and this."
Cautions:
- You may
find yourself spread too thin (especially if you are running
to co-op on Wednesdays, soccer and ballet practice on
Tuesday and Thursday, Library and errands on Fridays, piano
practice and group meetings on Mondays, let alone park days,
field trips, other extra curricular activities and service
projects.
- If you
have only younger children, teaching them and getting them
ready takes a lot of time, let alone preparing to teach a
whole class yourself.
- You may
have a large brood of children, making it difficult to
participate as you are already pulled in many directions.
- There is a
danger in relying on co-op classes as a replacement for
teaching at home, and not merely as a supplement to your
teaching. You'll know if you find yourself saying, "I didn't
have much time to teach my kids this week, but that's okay,
because they'll get it at co-op."
- Be sure
your Christian worldview is upheld by all the teachers.
- Co-ops can
be a huge time commitment inside and outside the
classroom.
So teach us to number our days, that we may
apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalm
90:12
Pray every day that
God would give you a heart of wisdom as you number your days
whether you decide to participate in homeschool co-ops or
decide to opt out. You don't have to feel guilty either
way if you have applied your heart to wisdom and followed
God's leading.
~Deborah
senioreditor@thehomeschoolmagazine.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Attention Homeschool Graduates and
Alumni! Please contact us and let us know you're
out there - we'd like to hear from you! You can email
Deb Turner or submit your
information online. Let us know a bit about
yourself - when you graduated, how many years you were
homeschooled, and how homeschooling has blessed your
life. We'd like to
know! |
Schoolhouse Spotlight
Dena Wood, Schoolhouse Store Manager
Living in a small town, I
often wish for the opportunity to participate in co-ops. I do
think this is something my children and I would enjoy, though
I must admit I've heard a few "co op horror stories". If
you're thinking of setting up a co op, helping with one, or
just involved with a group and looking for ideas and
suggestions you'll definitely want to check out our
E-Book: The Homeschool
Co-op Planner.
This book is chock full of ideas, information and helpful
forms. An experienced planner herself, Julie Forsythe covers
topics and situations I would never even have considered.
That's where the voice of experience comes in! You
simply can't beat the price as this book is available as part
of our storewide E-Book sale for only
$3.48!!
Another helpful E-Book, though not
specifically geared to co-ops, is E-Book: SchoolMedic's Field Guide to Elementary
Classroom Management. Don't let the title scare you! I was
pleasantly surprised by the warm easy-to-read style and the
multitude of helpful, practical tips regarding organization,
motivation, discipline, work habits and more. This book is
also part of our E-Book sale and available for only
$4.97. ~Dena
|
It's Just Common
Sense
Ruth Beechick, Curriculum
Specialist
I
once saw an immensely successful co-op on writing. The parent
support
group simply set a date when the children would meet and each
read to the
group
something they wrote. No restrictions on making it an essay,
a
story, a poem, or anything particular. That was up to each
family, and it
motivated writing for a month or so as families prepared for
the date.
Reading aloud was voluntary, not required, but as brave
children began
and were applauded, shy ones joined too-all of them. During
refreshments
the parents could go around and write encouraging comments on
each
child's paper. The group did not repeat that throughout the
year, but the
one meeting provided a great experience in writing as
communication,
writing with an audience in mind.
My
friend Debbie Strayer, who works with homeschoolers, has a
brilliant
observation about co-ops. The bad ones are where parents
abdicate
responsibility; they are "schoolish" in including fees,
credit, testing,
and too much homework. The good ones focus on interaction and
leaving
homeschool decisions and freedoms with each family. Electives
and
enrichment areas like drama, music and art work best.
Occasionally an
academic course can work, too, if it is structured to leave
freedom-even
the grading-with parents.
In
some areas of the country co-ops are extremely popular, and
public and
private schools take advantage of that to lure homeschoolers
into their
systems. I see where an occultic organization hides that
occult aspect,
gets themselves accepted as "charter schools" under public tax
money, and
then advertise that they are co-ops for homeschoolers. When I
alerted
local churches about one of those here, the school got wind of
it and
changed their name so they cannot be identified with the
occult
organization, and they still advertise that they are an
arts-based school
open to homeschool co-ops. They are clever, and we must
practice strong
biblical discrimination and responsibility to our
families.
-Ruth |
The Familyman
Todd Wilson, Familyman Ministries
What is it with women
and shoes? A man needs just a few pairs - black, brown and
athletic. My wife, on the other hand, has more brown pairs of
shoes than the whole men's department at the local Pilcher's
shoe store. The weird thing about it though is that she rarely
wears several of them because they don't fit that
comfortably.
"Why do you keep these
shoes?" I ask.
She looks at me as if
I'm from another planet and answers, "Because they go with my
brown swooshy skirt."
"But I thought you
said they hurt your feet."
"So."
You're probably
wondering what on earth this has to do with homeschool co-ops,
so here's my point: Homeschool co-ops are like women's shoes.
There are all types of them to choose from but often the ones
that appear the best . . don't really fit. Instead of offering
comfort, encouragement, and support, they leave you tired,
worn out, or feeling like a failure.
So here's what to look
for when picking a co-op. First, pick one that is made up of
members who homeschool for the same primary reason you do.
Second, if the group sounds like it might require too much
work from you . . . it will. Pass it by. Thirdly, and most
importantly, pick one in which the members aren't afraid to be
honest. You want and need to belong to a group that is real
and will allow you to be real as well . . . because everyone
knows that the best shoes are the ones that may look a little
worn and smell a bit, but they feel so good.
Be real . . . and on
behalf of your husband; get rid of some of those
shoes,
Todd |
 Homeschool Freebies
Julie Nott, TOS Marketing Manager
I've had good and bad
experiences with co-ops. One was with friends where us Moms
did all the work and had common goals. We planned the year
around a particular topic and taught around our strengths. It
was a lot of work, but well worth the effort.
My other
co-op experience was this past year where teachers or other
homeschooling parents were hired. I call this a "school for
homeschoolers" where you can pick and choose which subjects
you want your kids to take. I was not prepared for the
homework expectations, and the co-op started to rule our
homeschool. I really didn't get much of my own homeschooling
plans accomplished last year. The good thing? My kids received
some instruction that I lacked at home...like consistent
physical education. [grin]
My free advice for
you:
1. Make sure you are prepared for the extra
pressure of planning your year with other parents. You are no
longer in charge of your own schedule.
2. When co-oping
with friends/other parents, be honest with each other about
what is working and what is not working.
3. When you
are in a co-op where teachers are hired, good communication is
key.
4. Be ready for conflict between kids and parents
alike. It WILL happen. I recommend agreeing on the steps you
will take when disciplining each other's children. This will
alleviate a lot of problems. Here's an example of a standard code of conduct
for a co-op.
|
Meet Some of Our Friends
Teach
with Timelines! Visual timelines make the abstract concept
of time concrete and understandable, igniting a passion to
know more! Check out our variety of History Through the Ages
timeline
products at Home School in the Woods! From
classically drawn figures to our keepsake "Record of
Time" notebook, your child will add to their
expanding knowledge of historical people and events throughout
their school life - and beyond!
Mention "TOS
Special" in the "tell us where you heard about us" comment box
on our order form and receive a complimentary 12 pack of
Prismacolor pencils! ($10.80 value! Expires
midnight, August 31st) www.homeschoolinthewoods.com
Subscribe to Sports Spectrum Magazine
today and receive a special home schooling rate. Receive
7 issues for the price of 6 - subscribe today for $27.52,
$36.00 Canada (USD) and
receive seven full bi-monthly issues for the price of
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and mention this special code SCHOOL. Sports Spectrum is
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www.etap.org provides a single homeschool resource for your
entire family. Our memberships include Math, English, Science,
and History, as well as GED/HSEE/SAT/ASVAB test preparation,
all on a single easy-to-use web site. The curriculum includes
instruction, practice exercises, and assessments, as well as
audio/video tutorials and links to interactive activities to
make learning motivating and engaging. Students can access
eTAP wherever there is an internet connection: at home, at the
library, or even when traveling. All subjects include grades
K-12, so a single membership is good for the entire family.
You will receive a 25% discount by using the coupon
"thehomeschool".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Explore the next level of home education by
learning to create
streams of income from home at this
family business conference
created by homeschoolers for
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Learn from experts in 8 different
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and Ebooks and more at Rhea's
Entrepreneur Days featuring Charlie
"Tremendous" Jones!
Atlanta,
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www.EntrepreneurDays.com, but don't register
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Register
Here:www.tos.EntrepreneurDays.com. | |
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