Many communities have at least one home school group for home schooling families. These groups meet periodically to encourage home schooling parents and allow home schooling children a chance to interact with children their own age. Being part of a home school group is a great way to encourage your children to socialize, gain valuable educational insights, and break up the school year for your kids. Choosing the right group starts with understanding the different types of home schooling groups that are out there.
Most home school groups are general home school groups. These groups include most if not all of the home schooling families in a community. They include families with many different religious beliefs and reasons for home schooling. There will be families from many ethnic groups as well. Joining this type of home school group is a great way to teach your children about diversity and the benefits of being part of a country made up of many different cultures. You can find these groups in your local community, or you can chose to be a part of a group that is state specific or even national.
Other groups are targeted to specific types of home schooling families. There may be groups for Christian home schooling families, home schoolers with specific educational philosophies, or groups that get together to focus on a particular activity that their children enjoy, such as a sport or hobby. One of the benefits of joining a targeted home school group is that you have the opportunity to interact with parents and children with similar ideas and interests as you and your family. Home schoolers who home school for religious reasons, for example, find this fellowship to be very encouraging!
A home school group may have many different types of structures. Many groups are very highly structured. They might require members to sign a statement of philosophy or belief. They operate under bylaws and even have elections for officials. Highly structured groups will usually publish a newsletter, either electronically or on paper. Most members have to pay dues to help fund the activities of the group.
Less structured groups usually also require a fee for membership. These groups typically meet for activities from time to time. They may also have a newsletter to inform members of the upcoming activities. However, these types of groups have fewer laws and rarely have officers.
Some homeschoolers only participate in an online home school group. Online home schooling groups allow members to meet in online chat rooms or forums to discuss education. Usually, these members do not meet in person. They utilize the internet to discuss ideas and information. These types of home school groups are an excellent source of support, particularly for those who are new to home schooling.
When choosing a home school group for your family, you should think about these different categories, and think about what features you would benefit most from. Do you need the organization of the highly structured groups, or would a simple online community meet your needs? Do your children need the interaction that a physical group would bring? What kinds of activities are you hoping to have your children participate in? Once you have answered these questions, you will be better equipped to choose a group for your family. Find out how much you will be expected to pay in order to be a member, and what the rules of membership are. Make sure that the group has benefits that outweigh the expense of membership. If you cannot find a group you feel comfortable with in your area, you can consider starting one of your own. If you need a new group, chances are there are several other families that need one too!
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