What is Hybrid Homeschooling? Homeschool Methods Revealed

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight. ~Proverbs 3:5-6

Are you overwhelmed with the homeschool method you should choose for your family?

It can be tough to figure out what the best answer is, but one key thing to remember is that you are never stuck one way or another -- you can always change!  As your kids grow and your family changes, you can always shift into something new. Our families have done a little bit of everything, but my initial start into homeschool was through a hybrid model.

To help you decide what might work best for YOUR family, we're highlighting the basics of a few popular homeschool methods in our next several blog articles. Our goal is to give you a brief "Homeschooling 101" tutorial to help choose the right fit for you and your kids.

In this post, we will discuss the definition of hybrid homeschooling and some pros and cons of of this method, and my experience at a school like this.  

So, What is Hybrid Homeschooling? 

A Hybrid Homeschool model is exactly what the title suggests -- it's a little bit of homeschooling and a little bit of private school that blends them both together in a model like no other. Here are the 3 main characteristics:

1st Characteristic of Hybrid Homeschooling: Parents and teachers work together

In this model, parents and teachers are co-teachers. Usually teachers in the hybrid school make up the lesson plans and share with the parents. The parents then implement the plans on their teaching days. in the hybrid school we were a part of, the teachers would email all of the parents in the class the lesson plans for the week, and both parties were responsible for following the plans.  

2nd Characteristic of Hybrid Homeschooling:  Students work both at home and at school

This method beautifully weaves together the best of both worlds for students -- Some days they get to work at home with a parent and some days they get to experience a school environment and work with a trained teacher.  In our school, my children when to school on Mondays and Wednesdays and then they were home with me on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Fridays were a day off to do enrichment, take field trips, etc. Some schools do a 5-day week (meet 3 times, 2 days at home), and some are 4-day. Other schools have schedules where kids can even just come part of the days for 2 days a week for certain subjects. Each school is different and makes a schedule based on the needs of all involved.

3rd Characteristic of Hybrid Homeschooling:  Curriculum is determined by the school

In each hybrid school I have been a part of, the curriculum is homeschool curriculum which is determined by the school with more of a traditional style. In our school, we paid tuition and then bought the books ourselves separately, just like we would do if we were straight homeschooling. The curriculum was Biblically based and incorporated all of the traditional subjects: Bible, language arts, math, science, and history. Our school also had PE and Spanish, and some schools also include enrichment like art and music as well as after school clubs

Pros and Cons of Hybrid Homeschooling 

• Benefits of Hybrid Homeschools:
  
  • They provide support for homeschool parents. As a new homeschooling mom, I so appreciated having someone choose curriculum and plan lessons for me!  They just told me what to do and I did it. I was a former public school teacher but had NO IDEA about homeschool curriculum, methods, styles, or anything in the homeschool world. It was a great help.
  • Gives the homeschool parent a break. As a new homeschooler with young, active boys, and a work-from-home mom, I needed breaks.  Having two days a week built in to my schedule where my boys would be at school was a Godsend.
  • Provides a community for moms and kids. My kids and I made great friends at this school while we were there and it really helped us transition from public school.
  • Children have someone else to answer to besides mom and dad.  As a new homeschool parent, this was very helpful to me! If my kids were pushing back against doing school work while they were home with me, I would just threaten to tell their teacher and they would usually straighten right up!😂
• Cons of Hybrid Homeschools:
  • Lack of freedom and free choice. In a hybrid model, the curriculum doesn't always match the learner, and the plans do not always jive with your style.  Just like in any regular school, sometimes the curriculum did not click with our style.  My kids still had to do the work, and I still had to teach it to them on the days they were home, which was sometimes difficult to do.  In our particular situation, my child was very active and I remember having a conversation with the teacher about him learning cursive.  I was not against it, but I did not think he needed to complete pages and pages of practice (I was noticing that the more he practiced, the sloppier the writing got!). Because the teacher was the one giving the grades, he had to comply with her plans, so he did the handwriting...and I bribed him with being able to listen to Van Halen, his favorite band, as he wrote out all the scriptures. lol 

Eventually, our little school closed its doors and we ended up doing straight homeschooling because it offered us more freedom to plan around our interests and schedules, but I was so grateful that the Lord led us to this way of life as new homeschoolers, because it really did have so many benefits for us initially.

We always encourage the moms in our online community to make a decision about their homeschool style and stick with it for at least a semester, making modifications if needed. If there are too many cons or adjustments you are constantly having to make, it's not a good fit. Pray for guidance and find a natural break in your schedule to change it up, like a holiday summer break. Don't listen to the doubters that are watching from afar. Listen to God, your husband and kids and, most importantly yourself...you know your family best!

Conclusion

We hope this overview to hybrid homeschooling has given you an idea if it would work for you. If you’re having trouble deciding on what to do in your family or how to find resources, connect with our community, where we meet every week to share tips, ideas, and encouragement with homeschool moms just like you!  Homeschooling is never easy, but it can be easier and actually enjoyable when you have a support system and know that you are giving your children the best education possible. 

We pray this blesses you, and please reach out with any questions: [email protected]

Be enlightened,

Jenny

This article was written with care by us, real humans. No AI invited.😜❤️️

Like this article? You might like these other articles:

Know Your Why: Choosing What to Teach in Your Homeschool

How to Choose Curriculum That Fits Your Homeschool Style

Homeschool Methods

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