Here’s a great article about how a homeschool co-op helped one family with their concerns about socialization.

Breaking the homeschool barrier

Cheryl Littlejohn and her husband Tom have been homeschooling for five years. Before that, Derek and Carrie were attending a local private Christian school affiliated with their former church. When changes in the church and school made them uncomfortable with the children’s educational situation, they began looking into homeschool programs.

The parents had two major questions: Would homeschooling be an effective choice in their education, and would they miss out socially? In the end, they decided to give it a try. “When considering our educational choices, in light of the changes in our lives, we felt that homeschooling was best for our family,” Cheryl said.

The socialization her kids get at the co-op is the other key to the Littlejohns’ homeschool success.

Five years later, all worries Tom and Cheryl had about their children’s socialization and academic progress have been dismissed. Their resources are plentiful, their schedule is flexible, and they can customize the curriculum. They plan field trips with other homeschooled families — an IMAX movie about the Lewis and Clark Expedition and a trip to a feline rescue center in Clay County are examples — and vacations rely only on Tom’s work schedule, which allows them to do things like take an extended off-peak trip to Europe.

And she’s not worried about her kids’ future any more than any other concerned parent. The education they’re getting is sound — Derek is the president of the local branch of the National Honors Society for Homeschoolers — they’re well-developed socially, and they’re tuned into college preparation. Five years ago, she was afraid of the stigma, but the accessibility of the SAT and ACT levels the playing field. Even if parents did inflate their kids’ grades, the proof would be in the pudding when it came to standardized testing.

“Our decision to homeschool is in no way a statement on other people choosing a different course for their kids,” Cheryl said. “We have friends whose kids have done quite well in the public school system, and others who have been successful in the private Christian realm. At this time, we feel that homeschooling is best for our family.”

Read the entire article here

Carol Topp, CPA