The foundational idea of a homeschool co-op is to “cooperate” with one or more families to share any part of the home education process. Co-ops can be as simple as two families meeting regularly to cover one subject or as complex as a large, organized, fee-based program covering a myriad…
Today we wrapped up a semester of Botany with our informal homeschool co-op by taking a scavenger hunt hike with three families who have children close in age to ours. This concept of sharing educational experiences with a few friends is the essential definition of an educational “co-op” — or at least it should be. However, as homeschooling…
Today, while my eldest daughter was at the park with me, she noticed a picnic table in a secluded area with trees around it and said, “Look, Mom — that would be a nice place for us to do school one day.” This was a simple reminder that one of…
I love the idea of traditions just as much as the next person, and the warm and fuzzy feelings that word evokes in my heart. However, I’ll admit that, try as I might to establish and keep traditions, I’ve really struggled over the years with consistency. Which is a problem…
Last Friday we took the kids to the Medieval Fair in Norman, Oklahoma. We had been studying The Middle Ages earlier this year, so the kids were excited to go. When I was researching which fair we wanted to attend, I quickly discovered the difference between a Medieval Fair and…
Today we’re finally celebrating my eldest daughter’s thirteenth birthday with her friends (two weeks late!), and as we prepare to welcome her guests, I’m reminded about how blessed we are to have made such wonderful friendships with other families of “tweens” in our local homeschool support group. This year we…
Welcome to NextGen Homeschool’s Top Homeschooling Posts of 2013 Series! This week we’ll be sharing the top homeschooling topics — and most viewed posts — of last year based on the number of reader views and pins at NextGen Homeschool. Pin this page so you can refer back to each…
NextGen Homeschool is proud to join 26 fabulous homeschool bloggers for a special Christmas series at UpsideDown Homeschooling called, “The ABCs of Homeschooling Through the Holidays.” Homeschooling during the busy holiday season can be challenging, but it also presents a lot of unique opportunities for the whole family. Every Monday…
I love fall! After the summer heat and humidity in Oklahoma, the crisp cool air is a welcome change. This makes fall an ideal time for field trips. We go to the zoo quite a bit during the cool autumn days. Our little homeschool also has several traditional field trips during…
Last month I shared five reasons to consider starting or joining a homeschool co-op. This month, I’m sharing five steps to start a homeschool co-op based on my experience this past school year launching and managing a girls’ book club with a handful of moms and daughters from our local…
In our homeschool this week… we never took an official spring break, so we planned to take Monday-Wednesday off this week to head up to the mountains before most of the ski resorts closed for the season. After having such beautiful weather at the end of last week, it was…
In my life this week… It was time for another round of the “solo parent juggling act” — when hubby’s out of town for work and some of his contributions to our daily routine are thrown into the mix of what I am already juggling as a work-at-home, homeschooling mama.…