Cooperative Learning

The families of St. Dominic Savio Group School explain the basics of starting a homeschool co-op.

However, we live in the real world… There are days when schoolwork doesn’t start ‘till after lunch, or tears drip on the math book. Days when a mom wishes there was someone else to call “Teacher.”

When home schooling friends and I started exchanging stories, we realized each of us had strengths in different areas. One friend is strong in history, another in language arts, and another in music and languages. An idea was born! What if we could pool our strengths to help teach each other’s children? From that simple idea, we have become a group school with six families and twenty-two children, ranging in age from six months to eighth-grade.

Our co-op’s story has constantly been revised as we grow and learn what works best. Some things have remained constant; others have had to evolve to find optimum conditions for the students and teachers. Our rewards have been HUGE! The children are benefiting from various teachers’ strengths and they experience a small dose of healthy pressure to deliver quality work, on time. Both moms and children have developed wonderful friendships as we increase teamwork and cooperation. Also, because we share our resources, we can afford to do things that time or finances would not permit before our co-op. The following are some guidelines that may lead you to gather some like-minded friends and consider a co-op school.

WHO: We believe the people in your group will make or break your efforts. Look for families with similar values and world-views, and families that may be flexible on the same issues as you. Will you be a faith-based school? Even though some of our families are different denominations, we are a decidedly Catholic group. Also, the ages of our children roughly match up. Try to coordinate students of similar grade levels.

WHERE: We first started in a home, but soon outgrew the space. If your co-op consists of two or three families, meeting at a mom’s home, consider chipping in to re-supply her with paper towels, toilet paper, pencils, drinks, cups, etc. We have been extremely fortunate to meet at the church of one of our families. This has been an amazing blessing, and our group supports and thanks the church with acts of service and monthly tithing. If at all possible, try to find a meeting place such as a church or community center.

WHEN: We meet two days each week, Mondays and Thursdays. We generally arrive by 8:45 a.m., and wrap up classes at 2:30 p.m. On Mondays, our students receive instruction and work to take home. Mom works with them on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; then we meet again on Thursday to hand in assignments, review the lessons, take tests, and make presentations. On Mondays, we set aside time for oral recitation of memorized poetry, Holy Scripture, short stories or reports. On Thursdays, we work on special projects such as plays, science fair projects, International Night projects, or holiday programs.

HOW: By the grace of Our Lord! We thank God every day for the blessing of our group school. It is only through His intercession that we continue. Every day that our school meets, we start with prayer. At nine, we gather and one mom each week is responsible for leading us with a short Bible lesson. After about five minutes, we ask the students for prayer intentions. It is amazing and amusing to hear “For my Daddy’s sleep,” or “For our Latin test today,” or “ Thank you for our school!” After we pray, one child leads the Pledge of Allegiance and a “wiggle”, a short energizer that can be anything from an action-song to “Simon Says”. Starting each school day with prayer will keep you focused on your reason for group schooling!

We also thank God for the diversity in our group. We have detail-oriented moms and “big-picture” thinkers. We have teachers that enjoy pre-schoolers and those that love teaching middle schoolers. And, as with any large group, we have families of different economic abilities. This has to be taken into account when deciding on curricula, extra projects, and nursery caregivers, if needed. Because we have different means and abilities, we plan. We plan a lot!

In order for the school year to flow smoothly, we recommend scheduling the year’s classes and activities during the summer. We discuss curriculum changes as the grades increase; we schedule the year’s “Special Projects”; we discuss breaks and vacations before the year starts to eliminate surprises. Both academic and financial concerns are studied. We suggest developing a loose budget for the year and breaking it up into monthly amounts for each family. In short: discuss, plan, schedule, and commit!

Besides scheduling and discussing curricula, we decide which mom will teach which classes. As noted, we all have different abilities and contribute, with some give-and-take, to the school day. In any given day, a mom may teach eighth-grade Spanish, forth-grade spelling and vocabulary, and watch infants in the nursery. The key is flexibility and compassion.

Many families love home schooling around the dining room table. Still others prefer as much interaction with groups as possible. Participating in a group co-op school is the best of both worlds. Opportunities are only limited by your imagination, as co-ops can be large and noisy, or quiet and intimate! The best part of schooling with others is the interaction with other children and moms. In the end, it’s not about the right curricula, or the correct field trips. It’s about teaching our children how to learn, how to serve, and how to love God.

We have put this information, and so much more, into a manual for starting your own group school. You’ll find pointers on organizing and scheduling, and complete grade-by-grade and activity information. We’ve also included our favorite curricula picks. Our manual, along with a CD of appropriate sample budgets, calendars, and schedules is available for a small fee. If you are interested in more information about this manual, please use the form below to contact St. Dominic Savio Group School. God bless you.

Co-ops are different from support groups.Click here to find out about homeschool support groups.

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