Local & State Groups
Support groups offer a way for those interested in homeschooling or new to home education to get information and support. They also offer opportunities for social activities, group learning, and networking. Find a support group near you in D.C..
Resources
Not Back to School Camp
Not Back to School Camp is a non-denominational, non-religious homeschool camp. The camp offers workshops, spontaneous events, and special evening gatherings, bringing together campers who are excited about life and willing to be themselves and to reach out and connect with the others.
Local & State Support Groups
Bolling Area Home Educators (BAHE)
BAHE is the largest home schooling support group in Washington DC, located in the backyard of our nation's capital on Bolling Air Force Base. Their purpose is to provide support to military home education families in Washington, D.C., Virginia, and the Maryland area. Membership into BAHE is granted to military families that pay annual dues and comply with the EMP (Every Member Participates) in-kind volunteer requirement. They offer classes, field trips, speakers, fellowship, information, and support.
Culture at Home
Culture at Home is an African American homeschool support group in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area with an emphasis on the older homeschooled student. Culture at Home is a support group for families concerned with the healthy well-being and academic guidance of the African-American child. The purpose of this group is to provide an educational outreach support program and to supplement the curriculum of homeschoolers with children ages 10-18 (grades 5-12), but they also provide some resources for homeschooled children ages 6-10.
Central Maryland Unschoolers
This is list for unschooling families interested in connecting with other unschoolers in DC and central Maryland (Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and surrounding counties). They have casual monthly get-togethers that offer support, conversation, socializing, and playtime for adults, teens and children.
Capital Area Homeschooling Community
The Capital Area Homeschooling Community is a homeschooling support community which connects homeschoolers of color throughout the Washington, D.C. area.
Local & State Online Groups
Baltimore-Washington African American Homeschoolers (BWAAH)
This group was created for African American homeschoolers in and around the Baltimore/Washington DC/Northern VA area to connect with one another. This is a central place where members of various support groups and/or individual homeschoolers in the area can learn from and help each other.
Home-Schooling the Only Child
Homeschooling an only child can be quite challenging at times. This group is open to anyone for support, enrouragement and ideas for those who choose the home-schooling road for you and your child. Although they are based in NC, anyone can join for support. They have a database that you can access to see who is in your state to get together with.
Baltimore-Washington Home Educators (BWHE)
This list is designed for Baltimore-Washington-Northern Virginia homeschoolers as on-line community for open-minded homeschoolers in the region who are interested in participating in a community that represents a diverse range of religious, political and philosophical beliefs.
Culture at Home
Culture at Home is an African American homeschool support group in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area with an emphasis on the older homeschooled student. Culture at Home is a support group for families concerned with the healthy well-being and academic guidance of the African-American child. The purpose of this group is to provide an educational outreach support program and to supplement the curriculum of homeschoolers with children ages 10-18 (grades 5-12), but they also provide some resources for homeschooled children ages 6-10.
Central Maryland Unschoolers
This is list for unschooling families interested in connecting with other unschoolers in DC and central Maryland (Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and surrounding counties). They have casual monthly get-togethers that offer support, conversation, socializing, and playtime for adults, teens and children.
Capital Area Homeschooling Community
The Capital Area Homeschooling Community is a homeschooling support community which connects homeschoolers of color throughout the Washington, D.C. area.
National Forums
Religious Homeschooling Forum at vegsource.com
A vegsource.com message forum for homeschoolers who have religious reasons to homeschool.
Charlotte Mason Forum at vegsource.com
Discuss Charlotte Mason's ideas and find new way to implement those ideas at the forum sponsored by vegsource.com.
Single Christian Homeschool Parent Message Board
Single Christian Homeschool Parent Message Board offers discussion with other parents, widowed, divorced, or legally separated, who are homeschooling solo.
Unschooling.Info Forum
This message board is designed for unschooling parents to connect, ask questions, share information and ideas, and get support.
Homeschooling Humor Forum at vegsource.com
Got a funny story to share? Need a good chuckle? You'll find it here as homeschooling moms and dads share the joys and humor of homeschooling.
Unschooling Forum at vegsource.com
Unschoolers meet to talk and share ideas at this vegsource.com message board.
Homeschool Christian Working Homeschooling Parent Message Board
Whether you work part-time or full-time, this board is to support you! It's not easy being a breadwinner and a homeschooling parent. You can find the encouragement you need right here.
Work at Home Moms (WAHM) Homeschool Forum
The WAHM message boards provide a forum where you can make announcements, promote your home business, find business services, and much more. The WAHM forum is also a great social network for work at home moms. Share your WAHM stories, find help, support and advice, and meet other WAHMs across the USA and around the world.
Special Needs Homeschooling Forum at vegsource.com
A message board for parents who are homeschooling special needs children.
Single Parent Homeschoolers Forum at vegsource.com
This is a message forum at vegsource.com especially for single parents who are home educating their children.
National Online Groups
Large Family Logistics
The purpose of Large Family Logistics is to help Christian homeschooling mothers with the daily tasks of home management.
Catholic Robinson Curriculum Homeschool
This is a homeschool email group for Catholic families which will revolve around the Robinson Curriculum.
African-American Single Parent Homeschoolers
African-American Single Parent Homeschoolers is a discussion group designed to lend support and resources to parents who are home schooling alone.
Unschooling Families
This list is a friendly place for all to chat about anything you wish to explore. Parenting issues, schooling issues, political issues . . . as unschoolers, we know that nothing is off topic.
Unschooling.com Email List
This discussion list is the companion communications forum for the Unschooling.com website.
Tons of Kids
This mailing list is set up for parents of large families. Large for this list is defined as having five or more kids. They welcome everybody who has at least that many of any religion, or even no religion.
Unschoolers Coffee Talk
A place for unschoolers to come together to discuss our adventures and experiences,share resources and information.
Expatriots Homeschool Email Group (expat-homeschool)
This list is for expatriates who homeschool their child or children.
African American Homeschooler
This is a Yahoo group email list for African American parent(s) who homeschool their children.
Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum Families
This list is for families using the classical approach to education as outlined in Laura Berquist's book Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum (DYOCC).
Homeschool Family Businesses
This group is for the discussion of all things related to
running a business while homeschooling. This list is for you if you homeschool and run a business (from home or elsewhere) or are thinking of starting a business. You'll get ideas on businesses that the whole family can participate in. If you are single and homeschool, and are looking for ways to be the sole wage earner while homeschooling, this list will also be helpful.
1 Parent HS
This group is for support, advice, friendship and educational helps for single parents who are homeschooling.
Child-Led Christian Unschooling
This child-led learning group is for those unschoolers who are also Christians.
Always Learning
Discussion for homeschooling fans of John Holt, whose books Learning All the Time, Never Too Late, and Teach your Own have made unschooling an option for thousands of families.
EclecticHS
This email list is an adjunct of the Eclectic Homeschool Online. Discusses information and resources helpful to eclectic homeschoolers.
Living Book Reviews
Living Book Reviews offers reviews of books considered "living" books for children which are useful for acquiring a love of learning.
Charlotte Mason Group for Fruity Catholics
Fruity Catholics are Catholics who are doing their best to practice the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, especially Charity. This group discusses the Charlotte Mason philosophy of homeschooling from a Catholic perspective.
Single Parent Homeschoolers
This is a list for single parents homeschooling their children. The purpose of this list is to support single parents.
AHSA-USA Email List
This list is an opportunity for homeschoolers to contact homeschooling attorneys and experts about homeschooling legal and litigation issues. It is an informal network of attorneys and legal experts that are concerned with litigation pending and threatened against homeschoolers. Its primary purpose is to exchange legal information within the profession, and to educate and support attorneys and experts involved in homeschool litigation.
Always Unschooled
This is a list dedicated to achieving a deeper understanding of a Radical Unschooling lifestyle with young children. It is geared towards thoughtful discussion and exploration of what Radical Unschooling looks like in the early years, from toddlerhood to around age 8 or so. Experienced and new Unschoolers can discuss how they made the transition from peaceful parenting to Unschooling in daily practice, when that transition occurred and what benefits children gain by Unschooling from the beginning.
Unschooling Discussion
Large traffic email list whose stated purpose is to move out of comfort zones and critically examine beliefs, ideas, and viewpoints about learning, and seek a deeper understanding of unschooling and more respectful relationships with one's children.
Homeschooling Boys
Boys... whether you have one, two, three or more---this is the spot to discuss their special needs. This is a group of mostly homeschool Moms who are devoted to their sons and are on a constant search for resources and wisdom for raising young men with character, integrity, preparing them for life.
African-American Unschool Teens
African-American Teens who unschool/homeschool: Come hear how others live exciting, creative lives outside of traditional schooling. This is a free and comfortable space for teens to call their own.
Afrocentric Homeschoolers Association Email Group
Afrocentric Homeschoolers Association Email Group is a discussion group for pro-Black African and/or African Diasporan, Black homeschoolers, unschoolers, deschoolers, and home-based educators everywhere. It is also open to non-homeschoolers and non-Blacks who are trying to teach their children about Blacks. It was founded as a resource for Black homeschoolers, Blacks in Canada, the U.S., Caribbean, and elsewhere, including the African Canadian, African American, African Caribbean, Black European, African, and Black Canadian.
Families of Color Utilizing Home Schooling (FOCUHS)
This list is for Christian families of color who've opted to home educate their children. They exist to offer support, fellowship and to share resources with other African American and bi-racial Christian homeschooling families.
Mater Amabilis Teacher Training Forum
Mater Amabilis is a free online homeschool curriculum, which takes the methods of Charlotte Mason and applies them for the 21st century Catholic family. Offering a detailed and flexible syllabus for each age level, Mater Amabilis can be used as a complete curriculum or simply as a springboard for learning. This online teacher training forum provides support in implementing the methods of Charlotte Mason and tips for adapting these methods to today's family.
Blind Homeschoolers
This email group is for families who are homeschooling/parenting a blind child. Teachers of the Visually Impaired who would like to share tips and suggestions are also welcome.
Classical Ed Books
This is a free email loop for those educating their children with classical materials. Anyone may post want to buy (WTB) or for sale (FS) ads on this list.
Secret Society of Unschooling Dads (SSUD)
This group is for Unschooling Dads, Granddads, and Dads-to-be who have attended one of the past 3 Live and Learn Conferences OR who have spouses who attended one of these conferences. Other unschooling fathers (et al.) can also join the group through invitation. Our intention is to keep a running dialog and passion for unschooling our children between conferences.
cmason
This list is for persons who are using or are interested in using the Charlotte Mason Philosophy for education (including homeschooling), or to enrich their own lives. Thislist espouses a Christian philosophy and is also a prayer list. It is also a very active discussion list, often 100 posts per day.
Homeschooling on a Budget Email Group
Raising a family on a single income is tough. When you're a homeschooling family, it may seem like another added cost. But that doesn't have to be the case. This list is for homeschoolers to get together and discuss ways to cut the cost of homeschooling without cutting on the educational and learning experience for our children. This is the place to share all kinds of ideas and tips on budgeting homeschooling costs.
Onlies-HS
This list is dedicated to families homeschooling only-children. These families have unique socialization issues and must often be super-creative in their solutions. Join this list if you are homeschooling a wonderful Only.
Support4HomeSchool
This is an email group of Christian homeschoolers who teach their children using living literature.
New Rising Homeschool Network
Are you working fulltime and feeling as though you and your children have been left out of the homeschool loop? Are you a single parent concerned you might not be able to meet the demands of homeschooling? Does your child have special needs? Dell's Place has established a network for working moms, single parents, and the rest of us who struggle to pull it all together. The purpose of this network is for support and encouragement, but it's also to offer real solutions from other parents who struggle with the same issues.
Large Families Home School
This list is to encourage and support those who homeschool many children. How many? To some 3 is a lot! If you have a large family (whether natural, adopted, foster or blended) and homeschool, you know that there are a lot of unique challenges ranging from orchestrating family harmony, dealing with multiple ages, trying to homeschool in a sometimes chaotic environment, keeping up with the never-ending laundry, transportation, cooking, chores, and more. This is a Christian list.
Literature Alive
Literature Alive! is an email group list for the literary website of the same name. This list seeks to encourage and support parents who have a love for literature and a desire to share good wholesome books with their children. Its purpose is to develop the art and excitment of using great living literature in a learning lifestyle. This group will share information on how to turn a living book into a cherished book within the home. Different literature study methods enhanced by Charlotte Mason's writing will be discussed: lapbooks, notebooks, journals, book clubs, reading settings, etc.
Magnum Opus
Raising a large, Catholic, homeschooling family is a great work (Magnum Opus) and a great deal of work!
Hopefully this email discussion group will be a place for parents of four or more to help each other with the nitty-gritty details of raising and educating a large, Catholic family.
Only One Child Homeschooling
Are you homeschooling an only child? Or perhaps your other children are grown (or infants) and there's just one whom you homeschool? Or are your other children in public or private school and there's just one at home during the day? Is there such a large age gap between your children that each child feels like an only? Then this group is for you. All homeschoolers are welcome: new, old, school-at-homers, and unschoolers.
Homeschoolers Teaching Kindergarten
This discussion list is for homeschoolers teaching preschool and kindergarten. Topics include curriculum selection (whether necessary or not), teaching tips, creative learning ideas, time management, unit studies, homeschooling books, neat craft ideas, cooking tips for all occasions, support those who have homeschool burn out, or those who are just starting to homeschool.
LDS Classical Education
A list for LDS homeschoolers seeking a classical education.
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Featured Resources
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Critical Thinking: Reading, Thinking, and Reasoning Skills
Based on Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Critical Thinking will allow students to garner more knowledge from new information by knowing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating. A brief review in each unit provides frequent indications of student mastery. This series is written for grade levels 1-6.
MCP PLAID Phonics
MCP PLAID Phonics from Modern Curriculum Press incorporates best practices for teaching essential phonemic awareness and phonics skills with lots of flexibility. Find information on these products here.
English from the Roots Up
English from the Roots Up explores the Latin and Greek roots of words. Many people haven't realized how valuable the Latin and Greek vocabulary is in the formulation of the finely structured English vocabulary of today. Even learning a few Latin and Greek root words gets you hooked and you want to learn more. Why? Because you can move from "what words mean" to "why words mean"&mdashin short, a thinking vocabulary. You'll find product information here.
Christian Unschooling : Growing Your Children in the Freedom of Christ
Is unschooling incompatible with Christianity? Elissa Wahl and Teri Brown argue that they are not incompatible, but complementary. Unschooling offers a different path to learning. This book explains what unschooling is (and isn't) and offers support for your unschooling journey. Includes information and support, along with essays on how they unschool guided by the Lord.
Why We Homeschool
It is a common misconception that most parents homeschool due to bullies, school shootings, or bad teaching content. While these things are important, there is a higher purpose for choosing to home education your children. Even if all those things were corrected, there are stronger reasons to stay committed to the homeschool model. So why do you homeschool? This book looks at the meaning and significance of a true Christian education.