subject: Finding Others In My Area Who Homeschool [print this page] When you first start thinking about homeschooling, you probably wonder if you'll be the only one in your area. However, with the ever increasing number of homeschooling families, that is not likely. Finding other homeschoolers, however, may not always be easy. You just need to know where to look.
One place you will likely find other homeschoolers is at local churches. Although all homeschoolers aren't Christians, and it certainly isn't a requirement, many homeschoolers are. If you don't currently attend services, you might consider attending a couple of services to see if there are homeschoolers at the local church.
Besides churches, a homeschooling family can be found at the public library. Visiting the library during school hours will help in the search of homeschoolers. If you find children during that time, most likely they are home schooled and a parent is sure to be nearby. The librarian would also be a good person to ask if she knows of any homeschoolers. Most likely she will since they are some of her best patrons.
If you take your kids to the park during school hours, you'll probably run into at least one homeschooling family there enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. Or they might be picking up leaves for a nature book, or finding other items to use in a school project. In any case, local parks are a great place to find homeschoolers.
You might find a homeschooling family at the grocery store while you're doing your own shopping. Many homeschoolers use real life circumstances to teach rather than just depending on books. So, if you see children standing around the meat freezer with calculators, it's likely they're doing comparison shopping for their math lesson.
Another place to find homeschoolers in your area is the Internet. Using one of the common search engines, try doing a search on "homeschool groups (your city)." Expand your search to include your county and then your state if that doesn't work. Surely you'll find someone close by, since there are homeschoolers in every state of the union. Don't give up on the outside chance that you don't find anyone locally. Through any number of Yahoo homeschooling groups, you can still find support online.
During school hours, don't be afraid to approach a family when searching for homeschooling families locally. They probably won't be offended since most homeschoolers are used to being asked why their children aren't in school. Asking questions is a great way to meet new acquaintances. Keep an eye out for them; you may find there are more homeschoolers in your area than you first thought.
