How to homeschool an elementary-age child: a practical guide

Laws, hours, curriculum, apps and money: what you need to know before you start homeschooling a 6 to 12-year-old.

By Lionel Mora · October 14, 2026 · 5 min read

The short answer

Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, but the rules go from no notice at all to annual testing and portfolio reviews, so start with your state's law. For elementary kids, most families find that 1 to 3 hours of focused work a day covers the core subjects, because teaching one kid at a time is efficient. Use a clear math and reading curriculum as the backbone, build projects, books and time outside around it, and use learning apps for practice and for the subjects you feel less sure teaching. About 3.4% of US students were homeschooled in 2023, and the number is still rising.

Check your state's rules first. They decide what you have to record and report.
Elementary homeschooling rarely takes six hours a day. Two or three focused hours is common.
Pick a solid math and reading program, and keep the rest flexible.
Plan the social side: co-ops, classes and microschools cover time with other kids and group learning.
In some states, education savings accounts can pay for homeschool costs.

Families start homeschooling for all kinds of reasons: a school that wasn't working, a kid who was bored or anxious, a move, a health issue, or just wanting more time together. The first weeks bring the same questions for everyone. Is it legal? How many hours? Which curriculum? Will they be lonely? This guide answers those for kids aged 6 to 12.

How common is homeschooling now?

More common than most people think. In 2019, 2.8% of US students aged 5 to 17 were homeschooled¹. By the 2022 to 2023 school year it was 3.4%, plus another 2.5% in full-time virtual school². A Washington Post analysis called it America's fastest-growing form of education⁴. Johns Hopkins researchers found homeschooling grew an average of 4.9% in the 2024 to 2025 school year in the states that report data, more than double the pre-pandemic rate³.

The most common reason parents gave in the federal survey: concern about the school environment¹.

Step 1: Check your state's law

Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, but the rules vary a lot. HSLDA, a homeschool legal advocacy group, sorts states into four levels⁵:

Level	What it usually means
No notice	You don't have to tell anyone you're homeschooling.
Low	You notify the state or district.
Moderate	Notification plus test scores or a professional evaluation.
High	All of that plus extras, such as curriculum approval, teacher qualifications or regular reports.

A few examples. Texas doesn't require you to notify the state. New York wants an instruction plan, quarterly reports and an annual assessment. Pennsylvania wants a portfolio reviewed by an evaluator. Look up your state on HSLDA's map before you take your child out of school. And keep simple records either way: a list of what you covered, some samples of work, the books they read.

Step 2: Set realistic hours

A school day is around six hours, but a lot of it is transitions, waiting and managing 25 children. Teaching one kid is far more efficient. Nobody has run a rigorous study on the ideal amount, but common guidance is about 1 to 2 hours of structured work a day for kindergarten and 2 to 3 hours for grades 1 to 5. Reading together, building things, cooking, museums and time outside fill the rest of the day, and kids learn there too.

A simple rhythm a lot of elementary families use:

Math and reading in the morning, while focus is high (60 to 90 minutes total).
A project, science or history in the late morning, often built around something your child is curious about.
In the afternoon, time outside, free play, reading on their own, or a class or co-op.

Step 3: Choose curriculum (without overbuying)

The classic beginner mistake is buying a complete boxed curriculum for every subject and burning out by November. Start smaller:

Pick one structured math program. Math builds step by step, so a clear sequence matters. The Common Core standards (or your state's version) are a useful map of what kids usually learn each year¹¹. Our grade-by-grade math guide goes through it.
Pick one structured reading program for early readers, especially for phonics. Once kids read fluently, a library card does a lot of the work.
Keep everything else flexible. Science, history, art and geography work well as projects that follow your child's interests.
Review after six weeks. If something is a daily fight, change it. That's the whole point of homeschooling.

Step 4: Use apps where they help most

Apps are good at three homeschool jobs: practice, subjects you feel less sure teaching, and keeping one kid busy with something worthwhile while you teach another. As the whole plan, they're weak.

Job	Good options
Free practice by grade	Khan Academy, Khan Academy Kids (ages 2 to 8)
Challenging math	Beast Academy
Reading and phonics	Reading Eggs, Epic for a big library
Coding and making	ScratchJr, Scratch (free)
Curiosity-led independent learning	Marble (ages 6 to 12)

We compare these in more detail in the best learning apps for kids. Marble is ours: an interactive learning world where kids follow their curiosity through quests about science, making things and creativity, with characters to talk it through with. A parent gets a note after each session on what their child explored. It fits well in the independent block of a homeschool day.

Step 5: Build a community

Social time is the question every homeschooling parent gets asked, and it's a fair one. The answer is to plan for it:

Co-ops, where groups of families share the teaching, often one day a week.
Microschools, small learning groups that are often part-time. RAND estimates between 750,000 and 2.1 million US students attend one as their main school⁶, and in an EdChoice survey, 77% of microschool children went part-time⁷.
Classes and teams: sports, music, art, library programs, scouts.

Step 6: Check if your state helps pay

More and more states offer education savings accounts (ESAs) that can cover some homeschool costs. Arizona's universal ESA, the first in the country, passed 100,000 students in 2026, with typical awards of around $7,000 to $8,000⁸. Texas's new Education Freedom Accounts start in 2026 to 2027 and include up to $2,000 for homeschoolers⁹. Rules differ a lot from state to state, and some programs leave homeschoolers out, so check your state's program directly¹⁰.

Your first month, simply

Week 1: confirm your state's requirements and file whatever you need to.
Week 1: take the week off structured work. Read, go outside, and watch what your child gets curious about.
Week 2: start math and reading only, for an hour a day.
Week 3: add one project built around your child's current obsession.
Week 4: find one group activity with other kids.
Week 6: look honestly at what isn't working, and change it.

Questions parents ask

Is homeschooling legal in every state?

Yes, in all 50 states. The rules vary a lot. HSLDA groups states into four levels: no notice required, low regulation (notify the district), moderate (notice plus testing or evaluation) and high (extra requirements such as curriculum approval or reports). New York, for example, requires quarterly reports and annual assessments. Texas doesn't require you to notify the state.

How many hours a day should I homeschool a first grader?

Nobody has done rigorous research on the ideal number. Common guidance is about 1 to 2 hours of structured work for kindergarten and 2 to 3 hours for grades 1 to 5, because one-to-one teaching moves faster than a classroom. Reading together, play, projects and time outside fill the rest of the day, and they count too.

What is the best homeschool curriculum for elementary?

There isn't a single best one. Most families pick a structured math program and a structured reading or phonics program first, because those build step by step, then keep science, history and art flexible and led by their child's interests. Choose one that fits how your child learns and how you like to teach.

Can I use apps to homeschool?

Yes, and a lot of families do: for practice, for subjects a parent finds hard to teach, and for independent work while a parent teaches a sibling. Apps work best as one part of the plan. Free options include Khan Academy, Khan Academy Kids and PBS KIDS Games. Paid options include Beast Academy and Reading Eggs.

Do homeschooled kids get enough social time?

That depends on the family's plan more than on homeschooling itself. Co-ops, sports, classes, libraries and microschools give homeschooled kids regular time with other kids. Many microschool students go part-time, alongside homeschooling.