Hybrid Homeschooling

Let's face it: at some point, we want to throw in the towel at homeschooling. Typically these are moments when we are stressing out or slipping behind because of what homeschooling means. However, we can't shake off all the motivations that made us want to homeschool from the onset. How effective is schooling at home? Is it good or bad for your kid?

In many cases, there are both supporters and critics of homeschooling. In the beginning, we have to look at what is involved with homeschooling.

What is Homeschooling?

As the name implies, homeschooling is when the pupil is educated at home rather than in a school. North America calls it homeschooling; however, in Europe, the United Kingdom, and many Commonwealth countries, it is recognized as 'home education.' A parent, an instructor, or even an online educator can do the tutoring. Homeschooling is permissible in several nations, including the US, as an alternative method of education.

Ironically, at one particular time, homeschooling was the norm; it's not uncommon and has been going for years now. Also, family members' schooling of kids at home was a rather common practice. Obtaining qualified tutors, of course, was usually only an alternative for the rich, but parents' homeschooling as such was the primary type of education until the 1830s. It started to alter by the early 19th century when formal schooling in the classroom was the most popular method of learning in developed countries.

Which was the explanation for the formal classroom's popularity? This worked well, above anything else, because it promoted the adoption of a particular sort of teaching uniformity/discipline. That said, analysis has also begun to show the other, not so pleasant side of formal education in the years to come. For example, in the 1960s, Dorothy Moore and Raymond studied early childhood development among American health experts who included independent studies by other scholars and a compilation of over 8,000 similar reviews. They mentioned that not only was formal schooling not efficient enough before the age of 8–12, it also affected children negatively. The Moores expressed their opinion that formal education harmed young children physiologically, mentally, socially, and academically. It cited evidence that developmental concerns such as nearsightedness, juvenile delinquency, student enrollment in special education classes, and behavioral issues stemmed from early admission. They put forward the point that intensive education was stealing the quality time kids should spend at home with parents and the personal care they wanted at their young age so badly. Researchers said this family time was vital for most children's mental and all-round growth, including those that are poor or with special needs.

Hybrid Homeschooling

Created out of the intentions of parents to both homeschools and to send their kids to physical education, hybrid homeschoolers serve as "part-time homeschoolers." Essentially, it is when you take your kids to school two times a week and educate the other three days at home. Alternatively, you can take them to physical school for three days to teach them at home for the remaining two days. For a fact, there are hybrid homeschoolers whereby students attend most of the day at the physical school and learn at home for the remainder of the day. The options are quite infinite, based on what feels right for your family.

One of the best advantages of hybrid homeschooling is that parents are not 100 percent responsible for the education of their kids. Live help is available in the form of administrators, teachers, and others who run the hybrid school. This support serves as a comfort to many parents–especially new homeschoolers. However, if your pupils "mess up," you don't believe like you are to blame or that all attention is just on you.

The social factor is another advantage of hybrid homeschools. Homeschoolers are often questioned about their intentions to socialize their students, and also, students will routinely socialize with classmates with the hybrid home school method. If you're worried about socialization, it could be the right choice for your family.

Hybrid schools typically give pupils the ability to select topics separately as to the particular coursework. It ensures that, if appropriate, students can take classes at different grade levels. Most hybrid schools recruit certified instructors to teach the coursework, which means you do not have to bother about covering a topic that you might find difficult to address. Additionally, several hybrid schools provide children with exposure to extracurricular activities and field trips.

Just like any non-home schooling alternative, you may have little or no discretion over the school's curriculum. Schools are frequently regulated by standards of the government and must stick to them (generally, this happens so that the school can receive government funding). That said, hybrid schools may allow your child to take standardized tests every year, and you may have to record days, hours, etc. for days your student is doing homeschooling.

Another drawback to the hybrid schooling option is that every day at a certain point, you're stuck in the house. You will revolve around the schedule of the school. This can be particularly uncomfortable if, at a particular time, you have younger kids that need to nap. Since most hybrid schools function as private schools, you will be just the only one supplying your pupils with transportation, so it will mean bringing all the kids with you, irrespective of the time of day.