L.E.A.P. Program to Serve Homeschooled Students

Stay-at-home mom Laura Pace learned so much as a parent at Fayette Cooperating Preschool that she sought to keep that relationship alive after her 5-year-old child aged out of the program this spring.

Pace will homeschool her daughter and thanks to a program that she envisioned, mother and daughter will stay connected to the school.

Pace and Co-op Director Mary Brenzel created Learning Enrichment Through Active Play (L.E.A.P.) for homeschooling parents. Starting in August, Fayette Co-op will offer a three-hour enrichment program twice a week at its Rosemont Garden campus for children ages 5-7.

Teacher Tisha Maynard will lead the program, which is structured just like a half-day at Co-op. The first hour will consist of two stations with hands-on, multi-sensory art and science activities.

Maynard will lead one station and parents will take turns serving as a teacher/guide at the other station.

The next hour consists of 30 minutes of circle time devoted to individual and directed reading, music and dance. A 30-minute healthy snack follows.

The last hour is outdoor play – a hallmark of Fayette Co-op. The Rosemont Garden campus playground features a sandbox, climbing tower and slide, playhouse, bicycle merry-go-round, balance beam and enough beautifully crafted wooden blocks to match any child’s wildest imagination.

“We wanted to give homeschooled kids a place to go to learn through play,” Pace said. “It’s also a place where homeschooling families can connect and learn.”

The program is inclusive, non-religious and offers no specific curriculum.

“We’re not offering a homeschool cooperative,” Brenzel said. “This is a drop-off enrichment program with parent participation. So many parents were coming to us, looking for a different option. We had the space and teacher, so we’re excited about the program.”

Heather Smith’s 5-year-old daughter, Mina, has yet to attend any school and will participate in the Co-op program.

“I like the environment and general feel of the place and know my daughter will have freedom to play and go outside every day,” said Smith, who will homeschool Mina.

By mid-June eight children had enrolled in the program – five of them outside the Co-op community.

Spots for more children are available with the goal of keeping the child-adult ratio no higher than 4 to 1.

Costs include a one-time materials fee and registration fee for an average of $180 a month – or less than $8 an hour.

“This will work out great for someone in my position,” said Pace, whose 3-year-old son will attend Co-op preschool twice a week.

“I can drop my son off in the morning and spend one-on-one time with my daughter, then pick him up when I drop her off for her enrichment class.

“The important thing is that because it is Co-op, I know she will play while she is there. At her age, the No. 1 job for children is still play.”