Introduction Why Learning Clubs? Commonalities of Typical Learning Clubs Types of Learning Clubs Real Life Clubs Advantages of Learning Clubs Launching a Successful Learning Club Conclusion

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Homeschool Learning Clubs:

Model Grassroots Learning Organizations

by Ann Lahrson Fisher

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Abstract: Four or five families get together to have Spanish, a Literature Club, "Chow and Chekhov", math, science, or other focus topics. Membership often closes as soon as "critical mass" (a living room full of people) is reached. When the group no longer meets its own needs, it either evolves or dissolves. The group might last a month or two, or a year or two. The groups are rarely publicized beyond word of mouth or through homeschooling support groups.

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Introduction

Learning clubs are perhaps the best kept secret of the homeschooling world! The prevailing homeschooling myth -- smiling families poring over workbooks at the kitchen table -- belies the complexity of homeschooling success. The kitchen table image represents but one slice of the homeschooling pie; learning clubs represent another.

Understanding how these pioneering learning clubs function may help others develop models for successful cooperative community learning centers. Alternative and conventional educators may be able to apply the common elements of these richly varied clubs in other learning venues. This chapter explores the workings of learning clubs. Practical tips and suggestions for launching clubs, as well as descriptions of real clubs, are included.

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Why Learning Clubs?

Consider: most newcomers to homeschooling seek out a compatible support group. Families naturally get together to explore common interests, socialize, discuss, debate, celebrate. These casual associations can be described as homeschool learning clubs. Because families begin to connect with each other so naturally and spontaneously and without fanfare, the importance of those connections is rarely appreciated or understood. Families often do not think of themselves as belonging to a club, nor do they consider that they are doing anything special. Like good food, plenty of sleep, fresh air and exercise, learning clubs are one more thing that good parents make available to their families.

The public invisibility of learning clubs is a sign of their enormous success. Clubs are often full to capacity with little or no advertising! It should be noted, however, that invisibility is not a requirement. More visible clubs, such as the ones offered through community centers, Boys and Girls Clubs, Park and Recreation Districts, or libraries, enjoy the same successes as private family based clubs.

It is true that not all homeschooling families participate in learning clubs. For some families, the family and general community are a sufficient resource. Each family must find a balance of family, club, community, and individual learning that works for them. For many families, though, learning clubs are a natural part of the homeschooling lifestyle.

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Commonalities of Typical Learning Clubs

1. Clubs are usually sponsored by one or more families who design the club to meets the unique needs of their families.

2. The desire to create clubs often arises from the children.

3. Parent formed clubs are common; many young people have formed successful clubs as well.

4. Leadership is voluntary and unpaid.

5. Clubs tend to develop around interactive and participatory activities.

6. Clubs usually have no dues or cost requirements beyond actual expenses.

7. Attendance is optional. Clubs that are poorly managed or that do not meet the learning needs of the members either change or die from lack of interest.

8. Clubs may form among families who are already linked together in some way - a support group, an e-mail loop, a neighborhood, a church group, or a common interest. A newly formed club is usually announced through state or local support groups, newsletters, church, library, and community center bulletin boards, or e-mail loops.

9. Clubs may limit membership. Sometimes a maximum number of students is set, or final enrollment date may be established. A Spanish Club may want a larger group to defray the cost of paying a native speaking teacher. A group planning to study microscopic pond life may be limited by the number of microscopes. Limits are sometimes set according to the size of people’s living rooms. Theme type clubs seem to work best with about eight members. Clubs such as Park Days, Swim Days, Skating Days are typically open to all.

10. Successful clubs usually admit participants based on interests, not age. Membership guidelines, when given, are broad categories: all, preschool, 6-10, teens, moms, boys, girls, etc.

11. Clubs may be very casual (occasionally visit a science center or do a craft project together) or quite formal (study traditional school subjects from a traditional curriculum on a regular schedule).

12. Even the best clubs have a limited life. Less commonly, a group may continue to function despite the coming and going of students and even the organizers.

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Types of Learning Clubs

There are surely as many types of clubs as there are imaginative club leaders. Many fall in one or more of the following categories.

Theme or subject clubs are a popular type of learning club. Math, books, writing, cooking, sewing, horses, computers, space, dogs, collections, foreign language, magazine subscriptions, science, history, geography, sports, board and card games, community service. Just name a topic and there is probably a club.

Community service clubs. These may be local or associated with national groups such as 4-H, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Campfire and Youth Volunteer Corps.

Social clubs. Sometimes it is fun to get together and hang out, or have a dance, go skating, or celebrate the events of our lives. Roller skating parties, swim parties, age group clubs, girls clubs, Moms’ (or Dads’) Night Out, birthday clubs, dance clubs, and Advent groups are a few examples. Social clubs often spawn theme and service clubs.

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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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hire a Teacher. A group of parents hired a Spanish teacher. The group met weekly over a period of several years. This model is more effective when everyone, parents and students alike, is at the same level of learning and very interested in learning the subject, and when the age range is not too wide.

Homeschool Gymnastics Class offered by the City Park and Recreation District. While these classes are not really learning clubs, important elements of learning clubs are present: they are voluntary, interest based, and participatory; they involve small groups and have a limited life span. Spontaneous social time frequently follows each session.

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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.

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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:
   1. What is the maximum number of students that your group can handle?
      
   2. Will parents drop students off or are they required to stay and participate?
      
   3. What is the age range allowed?
      
   4. Will younger siblings be allowed to attend, or will parents need to make other arrangements for them?
      
   5. Where will you meet - your home only, rotate among members’ homes, rent a facility?
   6. Do you have a plan in place to help screen for compatible students and for helping mismatched members move on?
      
   7. Do all parents fully understand that voluntary means voluntary, and that students really have the choice not to attend?
      
   8. 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.

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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. The bottom line? Learning clubs work.

Ann Lahrson Fisher is a homeschooling parent, longtime educator, the author of Homeschooling in Oregon: the Handbook, and numerous homeschooling articles. She is a founder of several state and local homeschooling organizations. Some of her favorite learning experiences have been participating in learning clubs and Tuesday Schools with children. Homeschooling in Oregon can be purchased ($18.95 plus $2.00 shipping and handling) from

Nettlepatch Press,
PO Box 80214, Portland,
OR 97280.

Other writings by Lahrson Fisher can be found at

http://nettlepatch.net/homeschool.

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