By Julianna Duerksen

“The earlier they’re in school, the earlier they’ll read.”

“Kids need preschool to learn to sit still so they can learn in kindergarten.”

“Children will never be socialized if they haven’t experienced a classroom.”

Such are the mantras the public education system has drilled into our brains. So much so that even we homeschool mamas can easily start feeling the pressure to start formal schooling earlier and earlier.

I risk being controversial, even in the homeschool movement for saying this, but it’s true! The later, the better!

What early education expert and homeschool pioneer Dr. Raymond Moore argued in his groundbreaking book “Better Late Than Early” is just as true today as it was in 1975. In fact, Moore’s book launched the modern homeschooling movement! Moore states the obvious, but perhaps not-so-obvious in a world where universal, all-day preschool is becoming more and more common:

“The family and the home are the foundation of our society… What the child needs most to grow well is a warm one-to-one relationship with a parent (or parent figure) who is always there to comfort and guide him. During the first crucial eight years [and we homeschoolers argue even longer!], the home should be the child’s only nest and parents the teacher for their children. The child requires affection and emotional security more than learning skills, when he should be able to get ready for life unfettered by [school].”¹

And yet, our culture continues to pressure us moms to “get it right” and start homeschooling as defined by curricula and bookwork as early as possible. As a staff member of a homeschool organization, I can’t count the number of times I hear the question “what is the best preschool/kindergarten curriculum?”

“None!” I emphatically say. Five, six, seven, eight year olds don’t need a fancy curriculum set, nor will they learn best while sitting at a desk filling out workbooks for four hours a day. In fact, this mindset, imposed upon us by the ‘higher-ups’ of public education (which is definitely not working, as shown by alarmingly low literacy rates and test scores) actually squelches that natural love of learning and wonder with which every child is born.

Instead, we as parents have the amazing privilege of teaching our children in the most optimal environment possible: the everyday life of our homes. Raymond Moore points out practically how our young children can best learn in the home, including independent, solitary play time, reading aloud good books, and helping with family chores:

“Children should be given time to build a solid base in a relatively quiet, uncluttered and predictable environment… The brighter the child, the greater his need for solitude.”² The best socialization happens, he points out, not in groups, but by “learning to relate to a few people who are important to them — usually their family.”³ Again, “one of the best ways for parents to help in their children’s social development is to become involved with them in the daily chores and activities of the home.”⁴

Furthermore, in the homeschool setting, education can’t happen without the foundation of character. ABC’s will be learned — I promise — but teaching obedience doesn’t happen without consistency and intentionality on our part as parents. Raymond Moore believes this season of early character development is crucial: “If a parent wants a happy child and really loves him, he will wisely and consistently require obedience… Some parents, in desperation, send their problems to the preschool, hoping that the teacher may be able to do what they could not do, or are too lazy or undisciplined to do… Then if a child returns to a home in which he is the victim of inconsistency and indulgence, he will be further confused and will eventually be alienated from his parents.”⁵ This foundational training to help our children understand authority and obedience creates the culture in which wonderful homeschool lessons can happen as they grow older! If you’re looking for biblical, practical resources to help with this, I highly recommend Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd and Margy Tripp and Parenting by Tedd Tripp. We also offer the CHEC Early Years Guidebook, which has a lot of practical advice for how to foster a love of learning in your infants through second graders. (Available here.)

Finally, Dr. Raymond Moore has done extensive research on young children’s auditory, visual, and cognitive development, proving that waiting until later to begin formal schooling actually increases a child’s love of learning and potential to succeed. The research is compelling, but very detailed, so I highly recommend you check out his research in his book Better Late Than Early!

So anxious mama … relax! No matter how early your friends’ kids are starting school, or what the latest parenting trends on Instagram are, know that by waiting until your child shows readiness to start formal homeschooling,⁶ you are doing him or her a huge favor! Plus, that means we get to relax, have fun, and enjoy slow days of exploring with our little ones!

About the Author: Julianna Duerksen

Julianna (Dotten) Duerksen is a homeschool graduate, wife to Barry, and mom to Zoey. She serves part-time as a marketing assistant at CHEC. She writes on the Gospel, discipleship, and motherhood at JuliannaWrites.blog.

¹ Raymond and Dorothy Moore, Better Late Than Early (Reader’s Digest Press, Camas WA, 1975), 3. (brackets added)
² Ibid., 56
³ Ibid., 55
⁴ Ibid., 57
⁵ Ibid., 60
⁶ Note: Learn more about Colorado’s compulsory attendance ages at CHEC.org/law. Please do make sure you are following the law! But keep in mind that not all learning involves bookwork in the early ages, and you can totally count other educational activities as school. For more details, see our resources at CHEC.org.