Since 2020, distance learning became the new norm for many families. Hence, homeschooling has taken on whole new importance. But what does homeschooling mean? Homeschooling is student instruction given by a parent or another adult with teaching authority. Usually, homeschooling occurs in the student’s home. But it may also take place in another family’s home, homeschool co-ops, instruction by a tutor or certified teacher, or even a college class for the older students. The parents, or private tutors, hold the key to the success of their students as homeschoolers. This may seem like an overwhelming responsibility. It can also cause the family to feel isolated. Therefore, families need to know where to find a suitable homeschool support group.
What Are Homeschool Support Groups?
Homeschool support groups come in a variety of forms. While some groups are families who come together to support student learning, others are formal homeschool support groups for parents to discuss the curriculum. Besides, they talk about ideas, share experiences, or provide camaraderie. This can help homeschool families feel supported and connected to other families in the community who are going through the same experiences. More formal groups may require member dues, group meetings or events, and even more formal occasions, classes, or even formal speakers for the support group.
Homeschoolers can find the perfect valuable resource for their family and homeschool situation by researching and finding the right one.
What to Look for in Homeschool Support Groups
Homeschool groups that offer support become more prevalent. Since homeschooling has become a mainstream option, you will find many options. While some local homeschool support group options are as basic and simple as an online Facebook group, others are more formal. There are also more collaborative homeschool groups for the community that includes homeschool cooperatives or co-ops.
Finding the right homeschool support group can be a daunting and sometimes intimidating experience. By becoming active and involved in a local homeschool group, homeschooling families may find homeschooling more enriching and feel a real sense of connection to other homeschooling families. Being involved in homeschool organizations can bring families together with group activities, group meetings, field trips, and opportunities for continuing education classes. Support groups offer community resources, glean useable information, access and share tips with fellow homeschoolers, and discuss the curriculum. Members of your local homeschool group are wonderful sources for valuable resources.
Different Options for Homeschool Support Groups
Finding the perfect homeschool support group does not need to be an overwhelming task. There are local homeschool groups for everyone. Some homeschool support groups support classic homeschoolers, while others cater unschoolers. Christian homeschool groups and groups focus on grade or age levels, such as elementary homeschoolers, homeschoolers of middle schoolers, and community groups for high school students. Local homeschool groups welcome homeschooling families that use various curricula, have different belief systems, and are from a range of ages and grades. So, where can New York State homeschooling families find the perfect local homeschool groups to support their homeschool life?
Finding the Right Homeschool Support Group-new York State
For homeschool support groups in New York State, the internet and word-of-mouth recommendations are super helpful. Let’s look at some of the local homeschool groups across the state.
New York State Loving Education At Home (Leah)-Christian Homeschoolers
New York State LEAH is a statewide homeschooling community that focuses on Christian homeschooling. They offer support and information about LEAH chapters across the state and provide help for new homeschoolers by explaining all about homeschooling by clicking on the “Want to Learn More About Homeschooling” button. The next step should be locating the best local support group in the area. This homeschool support group offers resources and events for homeschool parents. The group helps find homeschool field trips and activities for children and provides the community connection that most homeschoolers are searching for.
What Makes It Different?
New York State LEAH chapters offer parents support for helping to instruct challenged children. Parents Instructing Challenged Children (PICC) is a support ministry of Homeschool New York-LEAH. It provides its homeschool groups with resources for member families that educate students with special learning needs, whether they are mental or physical needs, or both, no matter the magnitude of the learning difference. They also publish an informational newsletter.
New York State Homeschoolers-online Facebook Group
The New York State Homeschoolers site can be found on Facebook. It is an online homeschool group made up of over six thousand Facebook followers. It is a convenient place to share resources and information with fellow New York homeschooling families. This online group offers opportunities for families involved in homeschool education. Families can share other information and questions about New York homeschooling advocacy, home testing, state homeschooling regulations, and find resources and events recommended by fellow homeschoolers. The group limits membership to New York State residents and families interested in researching homeschooling options.
What Makes It Different?
The Facebook group New York State Homeschoolers is a convenient central location to access and research the many resources members can find to support a homeschool family. Social activities, classes, and events are all discussed on the member page. The group offers help for members in a convenient online way.
A2z Homeschooling-tons of Info All on One Site
This homeschool organization site has a list of numerous regional and county homeschool groups and resources. They offer regional listings for the Capital Region, New York City, Mohawk Valley, Central New York, the Finger Lakes region, Long Island, the North Country, mid-Hudson, Southern Tier, and Western New York areas. The A2Z Homeschooling site offers listings of groups in all 62 counties in the state. This all-encompassing website has many tips for homeschooling families. They talk about social functions and events, available classes, and featured curricula and programs.
The website also offers information on support groups based on location, whether the group is secular, religious, or focused on specific cultural education. It has also supported group listing categorized by methods and styles and on area groups focusing on children with special needs.
What Makes It Different?
A2Z Homeschooling offers a lot of information to support homeschool families. While families find links for seven different partner homeschool resources, the group offers the best search engine that allows users to search for support groups, area events, classes, and activities, including sports activities.
New York City Home Educators Alliance (Nychea)-open to All in Nyc
New York City Home Educators Alliance, or NYCHEA, is a secular homeschool organization that provides resources and information to families who have chosen to school at home in the New York City area. NYCHEA has over 400 member families that participate in the group. The group hosts many field trips, including parks, historical sites, and visits to the many city museums. It offers information to help families find activities and interests for their children. Also, it helps families meet other homeschool families in New York City.
What Makes It Different?
NYCHEA is open to any families that have decided to homeschool and welcomes all types of homeschoolers, including unschoolers. While they offer their monthly meetings, they also publish regular announcements in their discussion forums. Homeschooling interests and activities are also posted on the site. NYCHEA publishes a monthly newsletter featuring articles by fellow homeschooling families.
Membership in NYCHEA does have a yearly membership fee of $42. Although this support group is not for free, families can arrange a suitable payment plan. A membership is available to families who currently started homeschooling and prospective homeschoolers who need more resources to start homeschooling.
Find Out if Homeschooling Is for You
Homeschooling can be a scary leap. Not only for families, who educate their kids at home, but also for those who educate their kids in private school settings. Either way, all families need to find helpful resources and support. We hope that this article could help all New York State families to find support groups in their area.
