Co-Ops
A co-op offers a way to share teaching duties with others who are excited and knowledgeable about a subject. It also offers an opportunity for your children to learn in a group and to make friends. Browse through this list of co-ops in Illinois.
Illinois Co-Ops
Illiana Homeschool Cooperative
This is a group of homeschooling families in northwest Indiana and northeast Illinois who are providing socialization and educational opportunities for their children.
Chicago Homeschool Co-Op
Chicago Homeschool Co-Op is a network of homeschooling families in Chicago with at least one child under 6 years of age. Currently, they meet twice a week, once for a "field trip," and once at a member's studio space in the Logan Square neighborhood. In addition, members are encouraged to seek one another out outside of group get togethers.
Starting & Running a Homeschool Co-Op
Starting a Homeschool Cooperative
Many homeschoolers have found that involvement with a homeschool cooperative enhances their homeschooling experience. Some children thrive with the small group experience, so enrolling them in some group activities and classes will nurture that need. Keeping classes and activities small enables families to reap the benefits of the classroom setting with none of the drawbacks. Volunteers can serve as helpers and aides, keeping the ratio of student to adult low, as recommended by educational research. This article discusses some tips for starting a homeschool cooperative.
American Montessori Homeschoolers Co-op
A forum for communication for organized or established co-op's and individuals interested in organizing a Montessori Homeschool Co-op. Established Co-op's can share ideas and those interested in creating a co-op can get valuable advice and information.
Starting a Homeschool Co-Operative Overseas
Includes tips and ideas for starting a formal co-operative learning environment for the special situation of overseas living.
Homeschool Co-operatives and Support Groups
A discussion of the advantages and potential problems of participating and running a co-op. Written from the perspective of a UK homeschooling parent.
The Story of Two Desperate, Burned Out, Homeschool Moms
Robin Bray shares the story of innovation and creativity in approaching homeschooling burn out, and how these creative ideas led to the creation of a co-op.
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Featured Resources
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A Child's Story of America
This text reads like a story book more than a history textbook. This book has a decidedly Christian bent. Students are given a comprehensive overview of U.S. history from Columbus to the present. Review questions are included throughout, as well as helpful maps. The text contains numerous pictures and large print. An optional test packet and answer key is available.
The Letter Factory Game
Teaches Phonics! The race is on! With two games in one, children play together and learn letter names and sounds with actions and music. Wacky Professor Quigley guides players every step of the way so no reading is required! Games automatically adjust to skill level, to keep children learning at just the right pace! 2 Games in 1: Counting Colors & Letters: Learn letter names and sounds by matching color cards to move around the board. Leaping Letters: Listen to the name or sound and then find th...
Kids' Poems (Grades 1)
Regie Routman shares her delightful selection of free verse poems written by first graders that will inspire your second graders to think, I can write poems like this too! Regie provides strategies for using kids' poems as models to guide children to write poems about things they know and care about: learning to skate, disliking asparagus, playing with a best friend, and more. She describes the way she invites children to study the model poem, beginning by asking kids, What do you notice? She sh...
The Organizing Sourcebook : Nine Strategies for Simplifying Your Life
The nine habits of highly organized people Organizing consultant Kathy Waddill demonstrates how the simple act of being organized can improve your quality of life. In The Organizing Sourcebook, she presents nine organizing principles that can easily be applied to any situation, activity, or environment. The book gives you the tools for managing time; decreasing stress; and dealing with cultural, personal, and emotional change. Case histories illustrate how each strategy solved a specific proble...
So You're Thinking About Homeschooling: Fifteen Families Show How You Can Do It
Confused and intimidated by the complexities of homeschooling, many sincere parents never get past the "thinking about it" stage. Now Lisa Whelchel - herself a homeschooling mother of three - introduces fifteen real families and shows how they overcome the challenges of their unique homeschooling situations. This nuts-and-bolts approach deals with common questions of time management, teaching weaknesses, and outside responsibilities, as well as children's age variations, social and sports invol...