A Homeschool Co-Op (Co-Operative) is a method of teaching where families come together and teach each other’s children in an area of education where they are specialized. Sometimes parents feel that they are not adequate teachers in specific curricular areas (such as math or science) so they enroll their children with other homeschool parents where the parent who teaches is passionate and specialized in that subject. Sometimes the trade off is having all parents teach in order to offset the costs, however some parents pay for their kids to be in these classes.

Homeschool co-op classes are a great way to introduce topics to your children that they may not experience well with you. For example, I know that I am not gifted in robotics and engineering, so I have enrolled my son (who loves the Discovery show “BattleBots”) in a small group class where the teacher is an expert in that field. He is a father of 2 and his passion is robotics and engineering.

How do I Teach a Homeschool Co-Op Class?

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Where did it all begin?

Several years into homeschooling, I was asked to teach a homeschool co-op class for a group of about 12 mixed elementary aged kids. I had been a public school teacher in my pre-homeschooling days. In fact, I had led 25+ students day in and day out in elementary curriculum and instruction. But when I was asked to teach for a homeschool co-op, I knew the needs and wants would be completely different.

I knew that I would have unlimited creative freedom when planning for my classes. I won’t lie, the excitement and spark of creativity lit up in me knowing that I could create lessons that were completely different from what I had done in the past (you know the ones you dream about in college before you start your first teaching job:-). The public school I taught at had come to the point of scripted lessons and the whole focus was on test scores. My lessons were therefore lacking in passion and creativity.

Homeschool Co-Ops Are an Amazing Opportunity if You Love to Teach!

It has been about 5 years since I started teaching homeschool co-op classes. I have taught about 15 different co-op classes from pre-K to high school. Here are the lessons that I learned from teaching a successful homeschool co-op class.

5 Tips for Teaching a Homeschool Co-Op Class

1. You need to be passionate about what you are teaching.
2. Get creative and focus on hands-on lessons and learning.
3. Get to know your students and what they enjoy.
4. Plan out your lessons and be prepared.
5. Get feedback and adjust your teaching.

BONUS TIP: HAVE FUN WITH YOUR CLASSES!

How Do I Teach a Homeschool Co-Op Class?

Once you find the Co-Op that matches your purpose and reasons for homeschooling, you will need to decide on a topic. Talking with the leader of the Co-Op and other parents as well as their children will give you some pretty good ideas. Teaching a homeschool Co-Op class will require planning and organization.

What Do You Teach in A Homeschool Co-Op?

Because I still homeschool my children, I try to set aside time to plan out my homeschool Co-op lessons so that it doesn’t take away from my kiddos. Sometimes that means getting up earlier or having dad take them out on a special date. I like to plan the entire course I will be teaching before I start so that I can have all the supplies that I need and be more organized. It also helps me know how much to charge each family so that funds don’t leave our savings account :-).

Some of the classes I have taught have been to fill a need for the families I know. For example, I have taught:

Biology, Anatomy, Marine Biology, Art History, A class on inventors, a class on rare creatures, habitats, a high school writing class, and so many others. Talking with other parents is key to figuring out what to teach.

Homeschool Co-Op Lesson Plans

When I first started teaching homeschool Co-Ops I would sketch ideas and lesson plans on scraps of paper. Organizing and planning out the lessons was not really a strong point for me. I decided to design a Homeschool Co-Op planner that I now use to completely organize and plan for an amazing class. Now everything is in one place and I am losing things less.

Planning A Homeschool Co-Op Class

Start with the big picture and the theme of your class. If you are asked to teach something specific, that will help you to narrow it down. However, if you are asked to come up with a teaching idea, survey the families that you will be working with. What are their needs? Some families really dislike teaching the sciences (that is what I have found in my years of homeschool co-op teaching), and since I absolutely love science it works out for me to teach science classes.

What is your reason for teaching?

My goal is always to try my best to get the kids I teach to be excited enough about the subject to start learning on their own. When a student (no matter the age) comes back to you before or after a class with a book about the subject you have been covering to share that they are learning more independently is what makes teaching worth it.

Or to get an email/text message with a cartoon from a high school student that relates to the subject you covered that day is the encouragement you need to keep on teaching. These are great examples of really reaching your students.

Homeschool Co-Op Lesson Planner

Are you looking for an easy way to keep organized as you plan out and teach your Co-Op class? I have created and refined a Co-Op planner that you can use to help you plan and teach your class.

HP Paper Printer | 8.5 x 11 Paper | Premium 32 lb | 1 Ream – 500 Sheets | 100 Bright | Made in USA – FSC Certified | 113100R

Homeschool Co-Op Class Ideas- Elementary

My focus tends to be science related when teaching Co-Op Classes. However, the possiblities are endless!

Homeschool Co-Op Class options for Elementary School are:

The Science of me (anatomy for little kids), Anatomy, art classes, math games, P.E. and sports, literature studies (choose any children’s book or author), Biology, Astronomy, Ocean animals, Marine Biology, sewing, handicrafts, creative writing, and so much more.

Homeschool Co-Op Class Ideas- High School

There is such a huge variety of classes that you can teach for the high school aged student. This is the age where such deep thinking and understanding takes place. There is also an amazing opportunity to form great relationships with them and their families.

Homeschool Co-Op Class Options for High School can be:

Budgeting, cooking, adulting, life skills, finance, biology, chemistry, creative writing, creating an art portfolio, music, theater, history, and so many more.

Have you taught any Co-Op Classes for homeschool students? Do you have any suggestions or tips? Let me know in the comments below.

The post 5 Tips to Help You Teach A Homeschool Co-Op Class appeared first on .

Beginning the habit of organization and time management comes at different times for different kids. When your child is ready to take on the responsibility of time management, getting them a simple and easy to use planner may be an effective strategy.

“This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. Please see my disclosure for more details.”

My daughter, when she hit nine years old, asked me if she could have a planner. She always saw me filling in my planners and I guess that sparked her interest. I love planning and so some of my habits may have rubbed off on my daughter. I have always believed that I am more productive when I write out my tasks and goals. If I neglect to do that, I find that my productivity level goes way down. I don’t know if everyone is like this, but I have met quite a few other women who share my love of to-do lists, check-off boxes, and post-it notes.

I like to use fun pens, stickers, and really get my planners to work for me. While I used to buy my planners, once I discovered how to make my own, I never looked back. I now create and design planners for myself (and now my children) to suit my needs. I decided to use this same strategy to create a planner for my daughter.

Benefits of Your Child Using a Planner

Learning to organize and prioritize activities in life is an important life skill. We are not born with this skill, it has to be taught to us. Many of us learn our organization skills by simply observing our parents. This could be good or bad, depending on the style you followed. Luckily there are so many resources available to help us grow in our organization skills. We should always be learning.

I wanted to make sure that I gave my children the opportunity to learn the skills of organization. I still have a lot of growth to do myself and feel as if I am always learning how to better organize my life. (Many times us creative folk struggle to keep our plentiful ideas in an orderly way).

Teaching Your Child How to Use a Planner and Prioritize Tasks

When your child is ready to take on the task of organization, here are some tips:

Allow them to personalize their planner in any way that they want. Add color, stickers, drawings, etc. Allow the planner to be theirs (not yours You can even use colored paper to print their planner on if you choose one that is a printable.

Fill in the dates for their monthly pages. Add in any important events for the month.

Go over any budget goals they may have (if you are working on budgeting with your child)

Guide them at the beginning of each week. Go over what tasks they need to complete each week. Help them to plan out any goals that they may have or any daily items they may need to accomplish. Ask them guiding questions such as:

“What is the most important thing you want to finish this week?”

“Is there anything that you need from me to help you meet that goal?”

“What is in your schedule for the day?”

“Are there any supplies that you need to help you accomplish what is necessary in your planner for the week?”

You know your child best, if daily help is necessary at first as they learn the habit of organization, then set aside some time each morning to go over the tasks for the day.

I Have Designed This Simple Printable Planner For My Child:

Items Your Child Can Place in Their Planner:

Birthdays

Holidays

Homework

Chores

Money-Earning opportunities (yard sales, entrepreneur fairs, etc.)

Church Events

Supplies You Can Purchase to Make Keeping a Planner More Engaging

Stickers

Highlighters

Fun and colorful pens

Erin Condren Kids Planner (if you are looking for a very thorough and comprehesive all in one planner)

See my picks below:

“When we teach our children how to be organized and prioritize their daily activities, we set our children up for success in life.”

ACreativeLearner.com

Other Websites that have great information on Planning and Goal Setting for Children:

BigLifeJournal.com

TeachsKidsHow.com

Connect With Me!

How do you help your child with their organizational skills? Do you have any advice to help with this skill?

Other posts you may like:

Free Minimalist Homeschool Planner

New to Homeschooling? Click Here.

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With so much going on as a homeschool mom, I need a little extra help keeping every area someone organized. Let me be honest, I do not always feel organized in the kitchen. It is not my strength. I find that when I am not prepared for meals, I end up at the store more times than I should be and I go over budget. Now that I have these meal planning tools, I have found that we are not only feeling prepared for our meals each day, but I have actually been able to save money at the store. Less food is getting wasted and I am making way less trips to the store.

This organization tools lets me spend more time with my kids and less time stressing over what I am preparing for each meal.

While I know that not everyone has this problem, I know that some of you may struggle with keeping organized as I do. I hope that you find this FREE resource helpful.

Teaching Our Kids to be Organized Planners

As a homeschool family, we like to use each opportunity to teach our children important life skills. Organization is one of those life skills that is essential for success in today’s busy world.

I have created a series of planners for each age level. You can print up these forms and use them with your children as well, especially the older ones.

I have created special PDF printable planners for students from elementary through high school available for purchase by clicking on each link below. Each is formatted for 8.5 x 11 inch paper.

I hope that you find it helpful as you plan out your days, weeks, meals, and goals.

I hope to add on cleaning schedules and other household matters in future printables. I will let you know when those are ready!

Thanks for visiting ACreativeLearner.com

Let me know what types of printables you are looking for to help make teaching your children at home a bit easier

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Do you enjoy planning homeschool lessons around your children’s interests? I know that I do. However, sometimes it can feel overwhelming. Where do I begin with planning? What should I include in my unit study? How can I keep track of supplies, books, crafts, and websites?

I developed The Perfect Unit Study Planner to help organize and answer all of these questions.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. Please see my disclosure for more details.

The Perfect Unit Study Planning Packet Printable!

Specific directions for this planning packet can be found at the end of this post. Don’t forget to subscribe for more homeschooling tips tools.

What is a Homeschool Unit Study?

Unit studies (also known as thematic unit studies) are a popular tool for teaching around a particular subject of interest. They allow students to see what they are learning as a whole and they provide an excellent alternative to textbooks.

Why Should I add Unit Studies to my homeschooling day?

Are you looking for a way to teach multiple children at different grade levels? Do you want to encourage a love of learning and engage your child’s interests? Homeschool Unit Studies are the answer!

What Are the Benefits of a Homeschool Unit Study?

My kids and I love Unit studies! It allows us to dig deeply into subjects that we are interested in. We are able to integrate so many of our subjects into our unit study. It not only encourages a love for learning, (sometimes my kids just can’t get enough) and it actually saves time in our schedule. For example, when we centered our learning around deep sea adventure, writing, spelling, reading, science, history, and even math were integrated all together, saving us time when compared to our normal homeschooling schedule. My children are able to learn together as well.

Why I Love Homeschool Unit Studies:

Perhaps my favorite part of Homeschool Unit Studies is that it allows my children to be creative and be hands-on. I make sure that I include free time in my unit study plans so that my children can play or create around the subject we are learning about. For example, for the deep sea unit, I may give them a large cardboard box to create a deep sea submarine or provide crafting material so that my children can make the animals or deep sea exploration tools for survival. This is really a child-focused free time, let them decide what they want to create and how they want to create it.

Here is a List of Some of the Benefits of a Homeschool Unit Study:

• less expensive than traditional curriculum and more tailored to your child’s interests
• freedom for children to take their time and learn at their own pace
• learn as a family- all ages can learn through unit studies
• hands-on learning is primary- this is proven to be the best way for children to learn
• in-depth learning
• Creating lasting memories
• Opportunities to learn in a less traditional way

How Long Should a Unit Study Last?

A Homeschool Unit Study can last as long as you and your kiddos want it to last. When we covered a unit study on birds, it seemed to last for months because my kids fell in love with birds. In fact a year later and my daughter still asks for bird learning. Some unit studies can be quicker: a couple of days or a week. Plan according to your children’s abilities and interests. Also, know when you stop your unit study and don’t drag it on longer than you need to.

How often should I plan out unit studies?

This is just my opinion, however, I suggest only planning out 4-5 unit studies a year. Sometimes they will last several weeks, depending on how much depth you and your children want to go into. They can work around you and your children’s schedules. Depending on the type of educator that you are, planning a unit study that you are happy with can take a good amount of time, so start planning ahead. Complete the planning of your unit studies during a time where you are less busy.

Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

Topic Based

• Space
• Exploration
• Civil War
• Mammals
• The Ocean
• Pets
• The Civil Rights Movement
• Government
• Habitats
• Insects
• Dinosaurs
• Dragons in History
• Honeybees
• Australia
• Shark Week
• Weather
• Missionaries in China
• Microbes
• The Constitution
• Money
• Finance

Literature Based

• Anne of Green Gables
• Pedro’s Journey
• Shakespeare
• Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
• Charlotte’s Web
• Little House on the Prairie
• Any C.S. Lewis Book
• The Hobbit
• The Green Ember Series

Directions: How do I use the Homeschool Unit Study Planning Packet?

Thank you for downloading the planning packet. Here are the directions for using this tool:

Step 1. Look at the topics you will be covering this year with your children. Talk with your kids about their interests and what they would love to learn about. Feel free to give them ideas and ask guiding questions.

Step 2. Decide on your topic/theme. We chose the “Deep Sea” for ours. You can go many different routes. For example, you can base your unit study on a piece of literature and then learn around that or you can choose a specific topic and check out a variety of books on that topic. For the Deep Sea, I did not use a piece of literature to guide our unit study, instead I chose a variety of books that were interesting to my kids and we learned that way. Both ways are great, so choose what you think will work better for your family.

Step 3. Go over the KWL chart with your children. Fill in the first two columns: What you know already and what you want to learn. You will fill out the final column, “What I learned” at the completion of your unit study.

Step 4. Take some preliminary notes as you prepare your research (this you will do without your children). What should you know as background knowledge as you guide your children through this study. What do you need to research further? Take learning notes on your planning page. You can also record ways to integrate all subject areas into your unit study. How can you intertwine writing, reading, spelling, phonics, history, and science? Unit studies can be a very efficient way to integrate cross-curricular study.

Step 5. Start filling in what you need to accomplish for your unit study. Do you need to purchase books or check some out at the library? Do you need to shop at the Dollar Tree or Amazon.com? Do you need to research field trips or talk with another homeschool family who is learning the same thing?

Step 6. Research good quality books that you can use. Take an inventory of those books that you will use in your unit study. Write them on the planning sheet. I suggest keeping these books in a specific place, such as a basket or space on the shelf. This allows you to find them quickly when you need them.

Step 7. Research Youtube and Pinterest for ideas. You can create a playlist on Youtube and a board on Pinterest to keep track of what you want to use. Fill out the planning form as a reminder.

Step 8. Brainstorm board games and card games that correlate with you unit of study. Record them you your planning sheet. You can even create your own. For instructions on making your own educational card game, click here.

Step 9. Research and jot down any websites that might be helpful as you study your unit. For example, we visited Nationalgeographic.com often when we studied the deep sea.

Step 10. Keep track of movies, audiobooks, dvds or online movies that are useful for your study. Are you kids going to watch “Wild Kratts” on Netflix as they study? Write that down on your planning sheet.

Step 11. CRAFTS and HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES!!! This is my favorite part. I spend a lot of time correlating what we learn to hands-on activities. I have books that

Step 12. Field trip ideas and notes. Where can you go to support the learning that has taken place? Take lots of pictures when you go

Step 13. How can you integrate yummy food and recipes? Are you learning about the Goldrush? Could you learn how to make coffee or the bread that they used to eat? You can center a meal or a tea party around your unit/theme. Don’t forget to take pictures!

Step 14. Having an idea of how many days you want your unit study to be is a good idea. But make sure that you are flexible and know when to either end it or extend it. Use the Unit study daily overview planning sheet to start taking all of the ideas you have found and record what you want to accomplish or cover each day.

Step 15. Keep track of the supplies you will need for each day and keep them in a tub or basket.

Step 16. Create Daily lesson plans. While I do not use these for each lesson I teach with my children, sometimes I like to organize my thoughts and how I want to teach, so I use the daily lesson plan template. You can use this template for any subject and for any grade. You can also use it as a guide if you teach co-ops or in a classroom setting.

Step 17. Have fun, be creative, and enjoy learning with your kids!

Other Amazing Homeschool Websites for your reference when learning about unit studies

OurJourneyWestward.com has good introductory information on Unit Studies.

Homeschool-your-boys.com has a great article on the benefits of Unit Studies as well.

Links to Free Unit Studies

Faith and Good Works is a great website that features a “Giant List Of Free Unit Studies”

It’s a Mother Thing is a website that has a “100 Free Unit Study for all ages.“

Some Paid Unit Studies

CareitPatch.com has an Apple Unit Study available for purchase on Etsy.com

Do you and your family use unit studies in your homeschooling? Do you have any suggestions for planning a homeschool unit study? I look forward to hearing from you.

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Do you ever feel unprepared for your homeschool day when you wake up? Are you flustered in the morning as you start teaching your children? Do you find yourself rushing out the door, irritated, and short with your kids? Here are 6 simple ways to help you have a successful homeschool day by prepping the night before.

Check Your Planner and Schedule

• Look over your planner and check out what you have going on for the next day. Doctors appointments? Co-ops? Stay-at-home day? Prep lunches and snacks if you are going out the next day.

Prepare Your Outfit

• Get your outfit ready. Are you going to workout or are you going somewhere special? Plan accordingly and set your outfit up the night before. This is also great habit to teach your children. Help them to prepare for their day as well by guiding them to pick out their outfit the night before.

Set Up Your Coffee Pot

• Prep your coffee pot!! This one is super important for the coffee fanatic (that’s me). When your coffee is ready for you when you get up in the morning, it is a nice treat for a tired mom.

Get your Homeschool Lessons Ready and Prepped

• Plan out your lessons for the next day and have all of your materials ready to go, that way you aren’t looking around for what you need while your kids are waiting for you to start school.

Tidy Your House Before You Go To Bed

• Leave your house tidied up when you go to bed. About 15 minutes before your kiddos go to bed, have a race to tidy up the house. Kids can put their toys away, load the dishwasher, put odds and ends back in their places all before they lay their sweet heads down for the night. It is so nice to wake up in the morning with a house that hasn’t fallen apart.

Get to Bed Early

• Go to bed at a reasonable time. Although sometimes as moms we like to have our quiet/alone time at night, it is important not to stay up too late. Being cranky and groggy in the morning because we stayed up too late doesn’t set us up for the best day with our children. It is even helpful to get up a bit earlier than your kids in the morning. I enjoy getting up two hours before my children. It is quiet and I am able to gather my thoughts before they get up.
• I spend time reading God’s word, praying for our day, praying for my kids and husband, and working on my small business.

Prepping the Night Before is a great step to Feeling Prepared and Organized for your Homeschooling Day

While we still need to be flexible with our homeschool plans, we can at least be prepared for our exciting day if we take the steps necessary the night before. Before I started following these steps, I found that I struggled with how to go about my day, I was disorganized and often flustered looking for what came next in my homeschooling plans. Now I feel ready when I wake up to take on the day with joy and confidence.

Do you have any tips for prepping for your homeschool day? How do you ensure that your ready for homeschooling your wonderful children?

Check out my Charlotte Mason inspired Planner and other helpful planning printables (lots are free in my store.

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