So, You Want to Try Hybrid Homeschooling?

2020 brought a litany of new ideas to the way Americans do life, particularly around how parents are choosing to educate their children. While some schools reopened, others have kept distance learning as the new normal. Some families, however, are trying something different all together: Homeschooling their kids!

Why Isn't Everyone Homeschooling?

Homeschooling is not an option for everyone. Even though the National Center for Education Statistics has shown a steady increase of homeschooled children, the number is still relatively low, as only about 3% of students are currently being taught at home. For many parents, homeschooling isn’t feasible and that’s perfectly okay. In some cases, it’s a budgetary decision, in other cases, mom or dad just can’t fathom being at home full-time to teach their children. Not to mention, there are parents who are unsure of their teaching abilities, or worried that their child’s socializations skills may suffer.

But with many parents working from home as well as kids learning from home, the education landscape is changing. Cue: Hybrid homeschooling. This relatively new way of teaching is an innovative way to let children split their time between learning at home and attending class in an actual classroom.

One of the reasons hybrid homeschooling is gaining traction is because it is far easier for parents to access high-quality learning materials than it has ever been in the past. With a wide variety of options and resources available to them, families can get instruction that is just as good, if not better, than they may have access to in a regular school setting. Another perk of hybrid homeschooling is that parents can expose their children to subjects and material that they might not otherwise have access to. Finally, with the increase of virtual learning and technology, collaborating with other homeschool families has become much easier as well.

Will Hybrid Homeschooling Fit My Family's Lifestyle?

There are not hard and fast rules as to how the model operates, but it could look something like a student going to school 2 days a week and learning at home 3 days a week. Another option could be the child going to school for the morning and learning from home during the afternoon. The learning models are endless. The hybrid model still gives parents the semblance of a more traditional schooling experience since their kids can potentially still be in a building setting a few days a week.

The primary focus of hybrid homeschooling is home always comes first; education comes second. Public and private school systems won’t always agree to classifying hybrid homeschooling as “school” as students aren’t required to attend the state-required number of classroom days or follow other regulatory practices. Nonetheless, it gives parents considerably more control over what and how their children are learning.

Education has been heavily guarded by many layers over the years, and the hybrid model is challenging many of the norms. But, as more people are adapting to working remotely, it only makes sense that learning remotely will continue to be a hot button issue as well. Families being able to create and customize learning environments for their children is an exciting benefit for parents and students alike.

Compass Outreach and Education Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fl Offers Several Hybrid Homeschool Options for Families! Visit www.mycompassoutreach.org for all the deets!

Join our new Facebook Hybrid Homeschool Group.