The number of parents and children involved in the adventures of homeschooling is rising, according to parent–teachers. Support for them is also growing, both in their communities and in their homes.
The Carolina Center for Educational Excellence at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, now in its fourth year, has a webpage full of class offerings for homeschooled students. “There is quite some demand—otherwise I wouldn’t do it,” said Björn Hennings, director at the center, referring to the programs offered on the website.
Through the center, homeschooled students as young as 5 years old can take a class in elementary science, a 7-year-old can take a chess class, and an older student can take a class in physics or an environmental science class that revolves around a nearby creek study.
Hennings said that it was the biology department’s grad students who first took up offering classes to homeschooled students, first starting up classes in 2009. As Hennings points out, it may be difficult to conduct chemistry experiments on the kitchen table, and that creates a need for homeschool support.
“It was just the idea to do outreach and serve the students in North Carolina that started the program,” said Hennings.
As a result of research into homeschooling, support groups have formed that connect homeschooling families using social media and co-ops, creating places where homeschooling families can learn together.
Wendy Hilton, co-owner and social media director of hiphomeschoolmoms.com, has been homeschooling her 3 children for 15 years.
Hilton was first led to homeschooling when the best school she could find for her non-verbal autistic daughter was one-and-a-half hours away. Unable to drive over three hours a day to and from the school, Hilton began teaching her daughter herself. Homeschooling her other two children just fit in naturally.
With over 17,000 “likes” on their Facebook page, and a website forum, Hilton said that Hip Homeschool Moms is a place where moms post questions, get answers, and have some fun. There is friendship, encouragement, giveaways, and craft and snack ideas.
According to Hilton, the forum is a great place for parent–teachers to give and find advice. Topics include how to find a balance between housework and homeschooling, and how to work from home while homeschooling.
Hilton said that one of the aspects of homeschooling that is so popular is the homeschooling co-op. “Some people love co-ops and some don’t. It’s up to the family,” said Hilton, who prefers to go with what interests her children, following her family’s own beat.
“It depends on the family … which route they want to go: the more independent, flexible route or the one that is a little more regimented,” Hilton said, adding that for the latter, a co-op or homeschool learning group can provide the right environment.
