What classes should be offered in an elementary level co-op?

Question

The homeschool group I am in already offers classes for teens. Next year we would like to offer classes for the younger group. What classes would you suggest we start with. This fist year we would like to start out easy and build/add the following years.

Answer 1

I'm on the committee of a 125-student co-op.  We have classes from PreK (well, we actually have a nursery, too) to 12th grade.

Our most popular classes (that fill up quickly and have wait lists) are: art, music, drama, cooking, sewing, science fun, & PE.  If you have a local Yahoo group, or a group for your exisiting co-op, use the polls feature to see what people are interested in.  BUT you're going to want to make sure you have instructors lined up.

The classes in our co-op that fill up quickly are typically those that are hard to teach at home - or that many parents don't have a skill in.  So I would start with those.

If you want more info about our co-op, LMK.

Answer 2

I suggest finding topics in which the kids are interested.  Find out hobbies they have and go with it.

Good luck :D

Answer 3

Science and Art are usually popular.   Of course it depends on what skills and talents the parents in the co-op have also.  In the co-op I run, we are blessed to have a former Disney artist, so naturally she teaches art! :o)

That would be the first step is to kind of take stock of who among the parents is willing and able to take on certain subjects.  Does anyone play an instrument?  Does anyone have a knack for art or photography?  Any History buffs?  Science geeks?

Answer 4

Science and history are often the easiest to do in groups, and those are often the classes that moms find difficult to do at home.  They've been really popular and successful at many of the co ops in our area.

A foreign language is good too - there are several curricula for Spanish, Latin and French that are user and co op friendly :)