With quality homeschooling resources and a strong network of home educators to access, home education can be a deeply gratifying experience for students and their families.  

While the do-it-yourself nature of homeschooling can sometimes seem daunting, most families quickly discover how vast and welcoming the homeschool community is and begin to find ways to connect and share experiences. 

Whether through local homeschool groups, online forums, conventions, or extracurricular activities, engaging with these communities offers ample opportunities for growth and support. 

The Importance of Community Support for Homeschooling

For new homeschool educators, sharing their experiences with those who’ve been doing it for a while can provide enormous emotional support. 

These more seasoned homeschoolers often provide valuable insight and advice, as well as practical homeschooling resources such as lesson plans, educational material, and online websites and tools.

In some cases, other homeschooling families can even offer shared instruction. Parent educators help teach in your homeschool classroom, and you help teach in theirs. This is especially valuable if each educator has expertise in different subjects.

Perhaps the best part of a local homeschooling community is becoming part of one. These communities give students a sense of belonging and purpose and offer homeschool educators vital adult interaction and the validation they need to teach with confidence. 

Tips for Finding and Building a Support Network

Most families that choose to homeschool tend to do so because they know another person or family that also homeschools. When it comes to building a homeschool support network and finding resources, this is a great place to start.

From there, investigate local homeschool groups in your city, town, or county. Many of these can be found online via social media or web searches, and they, too, are looking to find new homeschool families to meet and exchange homeschooling resources. 

State, regional, national, and even international homeschool communities also exist and can often help you locate nearby families or groups offering meetups or other in-person activities and events.

If, for example, you’re homeschooling a student with a disability or special needs, there may be specific social groups for homeschoolers dedicated to providing resources for children and students with specific challenges.  

Also, don’t rule out the idea of engaging with non-homeschooling groups that are still education-related. Traditional teachers have access to many resources and support networks, and these communities can often provide insights and guidance that might be tough to find elsewhere.   

Regardless of your success in finding nearby resources, don’t be afraid to start your own group of like-minded homeschool families with similar experiences, values, and teaching approaches. Even if you only know two or three other homeschooling families in your area, that’s a network! 

Overcoming Challenges within Homeschooling Communities

Like every educational program or system, homeschooling has its challenges. One of the biggest of these is other people. Even when you do know other homeschooling families or are part of a homeschool group, connecting can be difficult. 

These obstacles are not insurmountable, however. Here are a few common problems and how to overcome them: 

• Geographical barriers. Many homeschool communities in the US are scattered across wide areas, and it’s not uncommon for homeschoolers to travel long distances for in-person get-togethers. Virtual events and meetups help to mitigate this issue, and while they may lack the personal aspect of face-to-face gatherings, they’re still better than sending texts.  

• Time constraints. Many homeschooling families choose to educate at home precisely because of their chaotic schedules. Factor in another family’s tight schedules, and finding time to participate in networking events or activities can be difficult. Once again, virtual and online solutions exist, but in-person alternatives also exist. Check out some asynchronous extracurricular programs that fit everyone’s schedule, look into local library programs, and reach out to other families to schedule a time in the future. Even if it’s a few weeks before you can get together in real life, the anticipation and excitement will make the experience all the more enjoyable. 

• Disagreements and conflicts. Put two people together and they’re bound to find differences of opinions and values. This is true in any community, homeschool or otherwise. Disagreements can occur for various reasons, including different teaching philosophies, parenting techniques, or personalities. The best way to overcome issues like these is to establish a clear set of boundaries and guidelines everyone can agree to and encourage open and respectful dialogue.

Where to Start: 7 Online Homeschooling Resources to Build Your Network

The best place to start looking for like-minded support networks and homeschooling resources is social media. Facebook is perhaps the best platform for this since its format allows for easy search and connection. Outside of social media, plenty of specific websites are dedicated to the homeschool journey. 

Here are seven to get you started: 

1. Homeschool World is a database of organizations and support groups. You can search by state to find a list of options and contact information.

2. The National Home School Association is an extensive network of homeschooling families. They offer many homeschooling resources, including a membership program and a training course on how to become a homeschool parent.

3. National Black Home Educators is a nationwide homeschooling organization geared towards black Americans.

4. The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a homeschool advocacy group. This organization ensures homeschooled children receive the education and support they need in safe and secure environments. 

5. The U.S. State Department provides homeschooling resources for students abroad. Many people in the foreign service choose to homeschool due to the limited alternatives in their current country of residence. 

6. The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is the largest homeschool advocacy organization in the United States. They help provide legal protection and resources for home educators navigating state homeschool laws, compliance issues, and proposed legislation. 

7. And, of course, Demme Learning is a leading provider of innovative learning solutions for homeschoolers, parents, and others teaching in small-group environments. We also hold regular webinars and post informational content about homeschooling.

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