What Age is Best to Homeschool?

Everyone’s homeschool journey is different. Some start homeschooling in kindergarten, while others make the transition from public (or private) school into homeschool when they’re much older – say, in middle school or high school.

Kindergarten through preschool (ages 0-5)

A lot of “learning” will take place just through play and physical exercise. Your children will be learning such things as the alphabet, numbers, shapes and patterns, etc. Many homeschool families (especially the veterans!) will not sweat the small stuff in this phase. Rather than spend money on programs that promise to give your child an academic head start, simply take the time to enjoy your kids and involve them in practical, hands-on activities. In fact, many homeschoolers debate the usefulness of a structured, classroom-type structure at this point.

Elementary school (ages 5-11)

Here things start to get even more interesting! Your kids are more and more aware (and able to articulate) new thoughts, concepts, insights and experiences all around them. They may also assert more of their independence to you and your ways of thinking. Find out your child’s learning style, as well as the different types (or flavors) of homeschooling. See what works best for your family. If you have children already in public school, you should officially withdraw them before homeschooling.

Middle school (ages 11-15)

It’s perfectly normal at this point to feel some trepidation about homeschooling – even if you’ve been doing it for a while! As your kids grow and start questioning everything, including your own authority as a teacher, you may find yourself second-guessing yourself too. But take heart – you are still the best authority (and expert) on your children’s learning! Know your strengths and limitations as a teacher. If you can’t teach music, for instance, look for a homeschool co-op, enrichment program or local music store that does. It’s OK not to have all the answers at this point. Rather, focus on cultivating your child’s love for learning, general knowledge, basic skills (reading, writing, arithmetic), and character.

This is a great age to have your student(s) on Echoes. As students get older, the instruction becomes more technical and it really helps to have subject matter experts handling the teaching. Echoes also provides the report card and transcript that will be needed later on.

High school (ages 16-18)

Beginning home education in the high school years is certainly possible but not always recommended. Feel free to call us at Echoes and we will talk you through the pros and cons!