The traditional education system isn’t designed for every child, and more parents are recognizing this reality. In a recent episode of the Homeschool How To podcast, I connected with Gabriella from RellaBBooks, who shared her journey as what she calls a “hybrid homeschooler” – someone who combines traditional schooling with home education to create a customized learning experience for her child.
Gabriella’s daughter currently attends school three days a week while spending the other two at home, where she focuses on core subjects like reading, math, and science, along with various extracurricular activities. This arrangement serves as a transition period, with plans to move to full-time homeschooling by second grade. When asked about her motivation, Gabriella thoughtfully explained that protection from certain social influences was a primary factor, along with the desire for greater flexibility in what and where her child learns.
One of the most compelling aspects of Gabriella’s approach is her commitment to “world schooling” – using travel as an educational tool. With flight attendant benefits at her disposal, she envisions taking her daughter on multiple extended trips annually, immersing them both in different cultures and languages. She’s not just planning vacation time; she’s designing comprehensive educational experiences where her daughter will eventually plan itineraries, calculate budgets, and develop real-world skills that traditional classrooms simply can’t provide.
Gabriella’s own educational background heavily influenced her decision. Having attended school on military bases and experiencing the Japanese education system firsthand for three years, she witnessed a stark contrast when returning to American schools. In Japan, she described a more child-led approach with therapeutic libraries featuring Zen gardens, specialized classes like robotics, and cultural integration throughout the curriculum. The American system felt restrictive and test-focused by comparison, even discouraging her from using the cursive writing skills she’d already mastered because “they hadn’t taught that yet.”
This conversation highlighted a critical issue in standardized education: the unrealistic expectation that all children should learn identical material at the same pace simply because they’re the same age. Children come from diverse backgrounds with varying levels of cognitive development and home environments. The one-size-fits-all approach often fails to account for these differences, potentially damaging children’s self-esteem when they don’t perform at expected levels.
Gabriella’s career path took an interesting turn from education to children’s books. After working within the school district for three years following college, she became disillusioned with the system, particularly after learning about the disturbing correlation between third-grade reading scores and future prison population projections. Instead of trying to change the system from within, she channeled her passion for education into creating children’s books that make learning enjoyable and accessible.
Today, Gabriella runs a multifaceted educational enterprise that includes writing children’s books (starting with “Mama I Got a Dollar,” which teaches financial literacy), hosting a podcast where authors read their stories to children, and developing a YouTube channel featuring interactive reading activities. She’s even working on a book about a fantasy creature living in a homeschool environment, designed to show children that learning can be fun and natural rather than forced.
Perhaps most innovative is her vision for a children’s book club where young readers can provide input on manuscripts before publication, potentially being credited as “little editors.” This community-centered approach not only helps Gabriella create more relevant content but also teaches children valuable communication and critical thinking skills as they articulate their thoughts on illustrations and storylines.
The conversation between Cheryl and Gabriella reveals the heart of why many parents choose homeschooling: it’s not just about escaping a flawed system but about creating something better – an educational experience that honors children’s individuality, nurtures their natural curiosity, and prepares them for real life through authentic learning opportunities. Whether through financial literacy, world travel, or the creative process of book development, homeschooling offers children the chance to learn without arbitrary limitations.
