Over the summer I have been reading from Homeschooling in Oregon by Ann Lahrson Fisher. Here's some points I wanted to remember with regards to Kid's Clubs and Online Learning Communities.
Advantages of Learning Clubs 1. Children who learn well in groups have an opportunity to shine. 2. Some activities are more enjoyable in a group setting; other activities require a group. 3. Clubs make a wider selection of expert knowledge available to more learners. 4. Parents share educational responsibility with others. 5. Learning clubs are affordable. Despite income disparity of group members, all members can participate on an equal footing. 6. Parents who work outside the home or who are single parents can participate without being overwhelmed. 7. Kids get to know a variety of interesting adults. 8. Clubs create equal access to learning resources. 9. Learning clubs provide opportunities for social learning. 10. Clubs increase social opportunities for parents and students alike. 11. Clubs create an opportunity for culminating learning activities, public speaking, projects, demonstration, performance, or simply celebration. Launching A Successful Learning Club 1. In the beginning, limit sessions to once a week. Student interest will remain high and parents avoid burnout. Stand firm on this point! If some members want more frequent activities for their child, let someone else start a different club on another day. 2. First clubs should be of short duration - perhaps just a month or so - while you work out the logistics of planning and work. Figure the costs out ahead of time. 3. Keep your theme or subject based learning club family-sized. Six to eight students is optimal. Twelve might work for very compatible groups. Larger clubs can easily become classes and prone to developing behavior management problems. Social clubs can be any size. 4. Expect to spend about half a day or more each time you meet. The time you spend together need not be all planned activities. Include some social time. Bring lunches to share, or potluck, or take turns providing snacks, or meet afterwards at a nearby park. Younger children need time to run off steam, older students need to huddle, and parents need to yak. 5. Remember that homeschool students aren’t pre-programmed to change subjects every 45 minutes. They will focus on topics they enjoy for longer than you might think. Divide the time and schedule several activities that explore the subject in different ways. If you finish early, they can always play! If you complete just one activity, your plans are ready for next time. In the best clubs, the children rarely want to stop or go home. The line between joyous learning and pure play is wonderfully hazy. 6. Avoid the temptation to try to "do school." Clubs that are too school-ish fizzle out fast. One exception to this rule (there is always an exception!) is a group of older students who want to learn a subject together. Some students might even hate the subject, yet recognize that they need to learn it as a prerequisite to future studies. Studying with a group of peers may be preferable to struggling alone. 7. Remember that successful clubs are always voluntary. Be prepared to change the focus of the group to meet the changing needs of students, or to close the club and start a new one. Expect some students and families to move on to other activities as their interests change. 8. Be clear about the ground rules for the group. Answer these questions before you begin: a. What is the maximum number of students that your group can handle? b. Will parents drop students off or are they required to stay and participate? c. What is the age range allowed? d. Will younger siblings be allowed to attend, or will parents need to make other arrangements for them? e. Where will you meet - your home only, rotate among members’ homes, rent a facility? f. Do you have a plan in place to help screen for compatible students and for helping mismatched members move on? g. Do all parents fully understand that voluntary means voluntary, and that students really have the choice not to attend? h. Finally, keep in mind the fact that not all students learn well in groups. If a student doesn’t enjoy attending a learning club, don’t despair. Try another group, let her start her own club, or try general community activities. Students give many clues about how to help them learn. Learn to follow those clues. Conclusion Learning clubs can be thought of as cooperative private learning centers, and are a sound model for developing cooperative community learning centers. Creating and participating in learning clubs is a natural step that parents take as part of their commitment to homeschooling. Greater access to clubs could make homeschooling a more viable option for many more families. Clubs are practical, efficient, and affordable. Real Life Clubs Use these successful club ideas as grist for your own idea mill: Roller Skating Parties, Homeschool Swim Days, Park Days are classic examples of homeschooling social clubs. Many learning clubs get launched at these events. Bi-monthly roller skating parties have been scheduled in every skating rink in my city for more than six years, and homeschool swim days are becoming popular. This type of party is generally open to all homeschoolers. Exercise, meeting new friends, sharing information, forming new groups are all part of the ambiance. Sessions are held mid-week, perhaps on Monday morning or Friday afternoon, and are popular with pool and rink managers whose facilities are idle during the school day. Unit Study Co-op. A group of families selected science/health topics, such as the Eye, Ear, and parents took turns teaching each unit, bringing snacks, and babysitting younger siblings in a separate room. This more traditional school model works best with smaller groups of students of similar ages and interests. Learning Parties. Five families plan a year’s calendar of events. Each family picks a country and sponsors a monthly gathering with that country as a theme. They prepare food, games, activities, crafts from the country. Guest speakers and fields may be scheduled. During the subsequent year, families may choose other topics, such as space or science. Historical Costume Design / Writing Club Exchange. Two moms sponsor these clubs in order to share the sewing and design skills of one parent and the writing skills of the other. The group was formed by invitation. No fees were charged, and non-sponsoring parents had no obligations other than driving. The clubs include four or five teenagers in each of the two groups and meet one morning a week in the kitchen and family room of one of the families. The writing group designed its own format. It began as a combination peer writing group and teacher directed instruction. As soon as students developed their own projects, teacher directed instruction was dropped in favor of individual editing and coaching. The costume design group spends a good deal of time researching costumes of various eras and then sketching the designs they wish to create. They then design patterns for the costumes, shop together for inexpensive fabrics and then sew their costumes under the skilled guidance of a knowledgeable parent. Teen Activity Loop. More than twenty families participate in an e-mail loop that is used to announce various social activities for teens. Activities are scheduled at least monthly with each family taking a turn. Typical activities include visiting a corn maze, game days, bowling, playing pool, going to the beach, going to plays. Parents who drive often stay to visit among themselves and for support. "Chow and Chekhov." For more than six years, families have gathered one Friday evening a month in one another’s homes for a potluck meal. A theme for the food is picked each month by the hosting family - green food, dessert night, pizza toppings, foreign food, etc. After the meal, starting with the youngest child and moving by age to the oldest, everyone takes a turn to talk about their favorite book. Imagine a tiny child telling everyone -- tots, teens, and adults -- their two special sentences about Hop on Pop! as everyone in the room listens respectfully! When younger children are finished, they drift off to play elsewhere while the rest of the group moves on to more complex literature. The founders of this popular event no longer attend, and the club has taken on a life of its own! Little House on the Prairie. This early group developed around the shared love of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. The families read the books at home and meet for dramatic play, field trips, and activities with pioneer themes. Soap and candle making, watching a farrier shoe a pony, historical field trips, dramatic play, and socializing are typical activities. Other literature themes that lend themselves to similar clubs include the King Arthur legends, the Chronicles of Narnia, Anne of Green Gables, Jane Austen’s books, the Boxcar Children. Book Clubs. A straightforward type of club, book clubs abound in the homeschooling community. They are often patterned after adult book clubs. Groups may meet monthly to talk about books they have read. One group selects a genre (i.e., animal stories, mysteries) each month, then books from the genre are shared and discussed at the meeting. Afterwards, a related project or craft activity is offered to round out the meeting. Latin Club. This club includes six families with students aged 9-17. They meet twice a month. Each family purchases the same Latin textbook, as all group members were beginning students. One chapter is covered each meeting. Many fun and enriching activities are organized, such as a toga party, crossword puzzles, movies, preparing Roman food, reading myths, and so on. Parents and children learn together. Odyssey of the Mind. This international organization offers an annual creative problem solving competition. Teams of five to seven children select a problem in the fall and develop their solution for a presentation in March. Homeschooling groups have participated very successfully in OM competitions. Youth Volunteer Corps. Youth Volunteer Corps is a national program that is sponsored by Campfire. In our community, a YVC staff person first attended Homeschool Skating Parties and recruited homeschooled teens who wanted to do volunteer work. Students ages 12 and up met once or twice a week. Projects, both staff and student generated, include working at a soup kitchen, cutting ivy in parks, building a worm bin, visiting elderly.
