6 Pros and Cons of Joining a Homeschool Co-op

Pros

Co-ops can assist with teaching your child, which is particularly helpful when it comes to those subjects you don’t like or don’t feel confident in!

If you aren’t artsy, teaching art can be a challenge. If you struggle in math, trying to teach Algebra can be frightening.

Today there is a wealth of resources and assistance available for homeschooling parents to help them tackle challenging subjects with greater confidence.

But a homeschool co-op can step in and be a big help, too! No co-op in the world can magically fill every learning gap in your homeschool, or help you avoid every subject you dread teaching, but it may help with some of them!

Co-ops give your child a chance to learn from someone besides you.

I will always believe mom and dad are a child’s best teachers, but it doesn’t hurt for children to learn from someone else every once in a while, especially as they get older. Sometimes the “break” can be helpful to both student and teacher, and kids can benefit from sitting under a teaching style that may be different from what they’re used to in their home.

And of course they can learn new things you may not be able to teach them because you lack the knowledge or the interest of their new teacher!

It can be fun to share the learning with other kids.

Listen, I really buck the mindset that segregates children by age and calls that “proper socialization”. Beyond school, when is an arrangement like that ever a regular part of their lives again? And yet people act like age-segregated socialization is somehow crucial to a child’s health and learning.

Don’t fall for it, mamas.

But just because the conventional idea of socialization is silly doesn’t mean kids don’t have a lot of fun being with other kids! There’s no question that sharing the learning often adds to the fun of it!

And while I can’t speak to all homeschool co-ops, in our own, many of the classes include a fairly wide mix of ages, which to me is reminiscent of the old one-room schoolhouse. It’s fun to watch kids of varied ages all learning together and doing it in their own way, at their own pace. And when co-op is over in the afternoon, it’s a beautiful thing to see high schoolers playing ball or jumping rope with first graders, and no one seems to notice the age difference!

A co-op can be a great part of your homeschool experience, but let’s be truthful about the potential downside…

Cons

Co-op participation can consume a great deal of time.

Our own co-op meets for about two hours just one afternoon a week from August through April. For our busy family at this stage, that is very doable.

But some co-ops meet multiple days every week, often for hours each day. That can be tough, especially when you have smaller children, so it’s important to consider the necessary time investment very carefully before joining a co-op, no matter the time it demands.

You want a co-op to be an asset to your homeschool, not an added source of stress. If it will consume so much of your time and energy you are never home to homeschool, then it may not be worth it.

Co-ops can be costly.

There are expenses involved in the operation of any co-op or co-op class, so charging fees is necessary and reasonable, and I’m thankful to be part of a co-op that keeps costs to a minimum so all can participate.

But depending on the meeting place, teachers, materials, class expenses, and co-op/homeschool group administrative expenses, the cost of joining a co-op can be high for some. Family registration/tuition fees, per student fees, individual class fees, and cleaning fees can add up to a hefty amount of money that puts joining a co-op out of the reach of many. Before you join any co-op, make sure you do the math and find out exactly what it will cost you.

Co-ops generally require some form of parental participation.

Maybe I shouldn’t label this as a con. We are homeschoolers, after all, so we are generally more invested in our kids’ education than most.

But sometimes I think people can view a homeschool co-op as “traditional school for homeschoolers” where they can drop off their kid and go on their way for a few hours, when that is not generally the case. While I have heard of drop-off co-ops, they aren’t the norm and are more expensive where they do exist. Most co-ops require parents to participate either as teachers or teacher’s assistants, which often means a commitment of time, energy, and other resources far beyond the hours blocked for co-op meetings.

If you aren’t able to offer your services in the classroom, or to help with organization, parties, clean up, etc., then you may need to stay away from a co-op. Co-ops are shared efforts, not schools to join for your convenience.

So the final word…

When considering joining a co-op, you have to weigh the pros and cons and decide what help your homeschool needs and how much time, money, and energy you have to invest. Sometimes there isn’t time or money enough to join a co-op, or sometimes scheduling is just too much of a problem.

But sometimes a co-op can be fun and help meet needs within your homeschool. If some determination and a little tweaking of your schedule can make it work, then give that co-op a try! If it doesn’t work well for your family, or it brings more stress than enjoyment, you don’t have to do it next year.

Then again, it could be exactly what you need to excite and enrich your homeschool year…