How to Make Homeschool and Public School at the Same Time Successful

Consider for a moment the possibility of not having to choose between public school and homeschool. What if there were an alternative that allows a different type of opportunity — one not completely offered by the public school system and not offered by solely homeschooling? Many families have already learned how to make homeschool and public school at the same time successful. Having a choice in this matter can make a world of difference to some families.

According to the EdChoice’s 2017 Schooling in America survey, the average is 3 percent of students that are homeschooled. It was interesting to discover from that survey that although only 3% of students were actually homeschooled, approximately 7 percent of the surveyed families would homeschool if they had the opportunity.

Although many public school families strongly believe that homeschooling is not for them and many homeschooling families wouldn’t want their child to attend public school, there is a middle ground that some families have deemed beneficial.

When a child can split a schedule to attend homeschool and public school at the same time (often called hybrid homeschooling) they can take away a unique educational experience.

Splitting time and courses between homeschool and public school can seem foreign to some families.

Let’s take a look at some of the different possibilities that would define being able to homeschool and public school at the same.

• Part-time enrollment at a traditional public school that allows your homeschooling student to take a class or two
• Extracurricular activities and/or sports at a local school while homeschooling
• Online school funded by public schools, with public school policies and curriculum delivered at home via the internet with parent supervision (I personally have experience with this when I lived in Florida, and it worked really well. It was called Florida Virtual School.)
• Online school provided by privately owned institutions; these require tuition fees.
• Dual enrollment in community colleges for high school students
• Non-profit or profit  self-directed learning centers where kids choose what and how they will learn

Depending on the reason you would rather not have your child attend public school, this may very well be an excellent option for your homeschooling family.

There are pros and cons to any educational stream you choose to provide your child. However, be confident in knowing that whatever choice your family decides to do is the best avenue for them.

A gain to parents in allowing a child to attend homeschool and public school at the same time is the access students may have to actual professionally trained teachers. This is not to say that a homeschooling parent is not eligible to teach children. On the contrary, it means that the parent has made a choice to educate their child in a way they see fit. 

Real and personal help available in the form of teachers, administrators, and others who your child may come in contact with, can be a huge help and relief to some parents who are feeling discouraged in homeschool.

Not every homeschool parent is 100% confident in their own abilities to teach every subject to their children. Although many homeschooling families decide to tackle this head-on and are very successful, this alternative is at the very least an option.

Splitting time between homeschool and a traditional school environment may be the answer to help families who don’t feel ready or able to jump into homeschooling immediately from the transition from public school.

It can help homeschool students who have a slight desire to experience what public school is about.  It can also help a homeschool mom who has needed to start working-from-home or a new homeschooling mom who can use the time to transition to a homeschooling lifestyle herself.

Making homeschool and public school at the same time successful will depend on the motivation and needs of each family.

I know homeschooling families who have a child that plays golf in hopes to one day go pro – who choose to attend homeschool and public school for the flexibility of his practice schedules.

Some homeschooling kids participate in local public schools that allows the student to play a sport he/she loves there. These opportunities can vary by state or even by district, so be sure to check with state sites before taking the plunge.

More and more families are deciding to ditch the traditional ideologies of how education is normally viewed and creating opportunities with abundant resources and options.

Specifically, online courses while attending public school at the same time is beneficial in many ways. You can determine your child’s schedule around the classes in public school.

Online courses allow students to learn any time of day, during any time of year, and from any location that has Internet access.

Luma Learn’s 100+ courses online can provide the online experience a public school student may need to reach their educational goals. Attending public school and online courses to supplement certain subjects is what is thought of when deciding to tailor your child’s education in the way you see fit and in a way, they flourish.

Should you decide to take a shot at homeschool and public school at the same time, try one of Luma Learn’s courses to supplement the courses taken in the public school.

Whatever reason you may consider for taking on this new experience in your homeschool family’s journey, rest assured that it will bring about a unique and uncommon educational experience that has undeniable benefits.

Is your student utilizing this unique approach to educating with homeschool and public school at the same time? Have you tried it this approach in your homeschool? Share your experience with us!