We Are Hybrid Homeschooling!

We are hybrid homeschooling. I homeschool at home three days a week and send my children to a private homeschool one day and to fine arts classes one day.

A hybrid is the combination of two or more different things, aimed at achieving a particular objective or goal.

For example, I hybrid scrapbook, meaning I use traditional paper scrapbook methods and digital scrapbook methods to produce scrapbook pages.

For all you die hard homeschoolers gasping in shock—I do not feel the least little bit guilty for choosing to take a break a few days a week enrich my children’s education.

How it Works

For our family:

• Monday through Wednesday:  We homeschool at home using Bible, Alpha Omega for math, language arts, science, and history,  supplementing with my stash of living books and the Heart of Wisdom Link Library. I turn the Alpha Omega lessons into mini unit studies.
• Thursday: Our boys attend Family Christian Academy Homeschool Tutorial Classes. They are taught from 8:30 to 3:00 by a Christian schoolteacher, using  Bible, Alpha Omega language arts, math, history and science. I meet with the teacher to go over lesson plans (then change to fit us).
• Friday: The boys attend FCA’s Fine Arts Friday with other homeschoolers to learn in small groups. Classes include art basics, oil painting,  photography, creative writing, music, culinary arts, computer layout and design, sewing, quilting, literature, drama, archery, foreign language, and guitar.
• Car Schooling: Our new schedule requires a 1.5 hour drive each way, three days a week. We are using the car time to work on  Bible drill memory work and multiplication skip counting via CDs. I enjoy the drive as gives me time to relax and listen to Bible studies and nutrition podcasts.

That is how we utilize FCA’s services.There are other options where students can go two days a week, five days a week, or 100% online.

Using Alpha Omega with Heart of Wisdom Methods

We use Alpha Omega as our lesson plan outline and combine with living books (Charlotte Mason methods).

For example; when studying rainbows in AO Science, we supplemented with the Heart of Wisdom Light Unit Study and books from my stash, visited Web sites, and watched videos from HOW Link Library: Rainbows. When studying homophones in Alpha Omega Language Arts we played a lapbook/file folder game.

See How to Beef Up Your Homeschool with the Internet

Absolute Answer to Prayer

This schedule is an answer t o prayer for me for several reasons:

• The school, Family Christian Academy, is run by my oldest daughter whom I homeschooled until graduation. We founded the school over twenty years ago as an umbrella school for home- schoolers. My daughter turned into a hybrid homeschool/private school. (I am reaping what was sown!)
• FCA’s main goal is to help homeschoolers. They are pro-Charlotte Mason and in complete agreement with the Heart of Wisdom philosophies. Read more...
• I’m still in charge of our children’s education. I approve of the curriculum and can change it when needed. I can make suggestions to the teacher and will eventually teach some of the school classes.
• My daughter sets the values and morals for the FCA (same ones I originally instilled in her) and teaches some of our boy’s classes.
• More family time. Most of my adult children and grandchildren live in Nashville. I get to see them much more often by driving to Nashville three days a week.
• I’ve been ill. I’m getting better, but I need some time to recuperate and focus on my health. While the children are in school I have a chance to see a chiropractic doctor/nutritionist three times a week in Nashville.
• I deserve a break a few days each week. I have been homeschooling every year for  over 25 years (I got pregnant with my youngest son when I was 46.)  Hybrid homeschooling frees me several hours each week to work  on my health,  HOW, and my blogs from my daughter’s home (close to FCA).

Who Hybrid Homeschools?

• Homeschool families who love homeschooling but would really like some support
• Mothers with health problems
• Working moms
• Burned-out moms who need some time off a few days a week
• Beginning homeschoolers that want or need structure and lesson plans
• Homeschoolers wanting to enrich education with extra curriculum classes

How to Start Hybrid Homeschooling

As homeschooling has grown, so have options. There are dozens of programs that you can find to help you with homeschooling your child.  The best place to find what is available is to check your local support group.

If there is no option in your area, contact your church, private school, or tutoring center and start a brainstorming session. Pray about it.  You might be the one to start a program in your area.

FCA’s Online Academy

FCA offers online education with a teacher. FCA online students receive daily assignments from their online teacher. After mastering assignments, students are tested on the material. Most lessons, quizzes and tests are graded automatically, and an online teacher responds to all requests for help, grades, essays and reports. Read more

Do You Hybrid Homeschool? Co-op? Utilize the Internet?

I’d love to hear what you are doing to enrich your homeschool. Tell us in the comments.

I’ll be posting more about hybrid homeschooling as we continue through the summer months.