A Self-Teaching Method in Homeschooling: Robinson Curriculum

Parents awaken to the reality of the current values of our youth today. Many of our children in public school are into being "popular". Public school-educated children think they have a license for bad habits, bad temper, foul languages, bad music, bad attitude and negative behaviors. Thus, many worried parents are scared their children's peers are raising their children. They join the bandwagon of numerous parents today. The homeschooling movement is gaining momentum. Yet, the common questions remain "What curriculum should I use amidst the thousand of curricula available in the market? What educational philosophy resonates with my values and religious convictions?"

Though parents are deeply agitated with the moral values acquired by their children due to peer pressure, not many of them can visualize themselves as "teaching their own kids." First of all, they do not have the educational background to make them feel confident of this endeavor. Secondly, they have part time and full time jobs. Thirdly, some parents are single parents. Fourthly, many parents are intimidated by just what needs to be done to initiate the process.

For parents with the above-mentioned concerns, the Robinson Curriculum may be the answer.

The Robinson Curriculum's Philosophy

The main ingredient for success in college and graduate school is the ability to read a vast amount of literature. Another significant criteria for success is a solid grounding on high level mathematics. It is also important to be able to think critically. The student must also be able to communicate their analysis through essays. The ability to to teach oneself when there is an absence of direction or instructions is imperative. In other words, independent learning, study skills, and self-discipline are important qualities to master for college and beyond.

The Robinson Curriculum teaches children at a young age how to self teach. The Robinson curriculum provides an array of well-written books that cover science, history, geography, grammar, reading, spelling, and vocabulary.

The premise of the Robinson Curriculum is "reading books provide a firm foundation of understanding and comprehension." The use of the best of literature, no matter how antiquated, and the readings of original writings of historical figures will give the student more than just practice in reading.

The self-teaching concept teaches children to govern their own time, to think for themselves, to search out answers to their questions, to enjoy learning and be accountable for their own mistakes. These are important values to be successful in college instead of the typical "spoon feeding method" of many curricula.

The Robinson Curriculum in a Nutshell

The Robinson Curriculum believes children are capable. If we give children the "tools" of learning, they can eventually learn how to use them.

The Robinson Curriculum uses 150 books as their core reading list. These 150 books are all you need to educate your child until high school. All the books and references are scanned in CDs. There are no grade levels. The reading list order is arranged from easy to difficult. The older books selected in the Robinson Curriculum increase in reading level until the reader has a much advanced command of the English language. This pace will continue until the reader is ready for university level textbook. Prior to the beginning of the program, the student is expected to know phonics and math facts. The student proceeds with the Saxon Math curriculum for its mathematics component.

The majority of the books are not modern books. The "fluff" of modern literature has been superimposed with old literature. These old treasures are brought out for the high literary quality standards of the authors. Most importantly, the values instilled by these older books replace many modern text which seems to celebrate "foolishness, lack of control, violence, disrespect to authority, and silliness" to an alarming extent. Many of the books used in the Robinson Curriculum exhibit character traits that children should model. It also teaches moral lessons. Thus, children acquire a good taste of speech patterns and moral standards.

The Robinson Curriculum believes that study skills need practice. The time a child spends in learning should cover the basics of math, reading and writing. The Robinson curriculum recommends two hours of reading, one hour of writing, two hours of math. The Robinson Curriculum suggests implementing the program for 6 days a week for the entire calendar year. Dr. Art Robinson, the founder of the Robinson curriculum, discourages watching television and sugar intake.

Many children taught in a home school environment are cluttered with various subjects. The Robinson curriculum has so much "meat" of its own that to add a supplement is unnecessary. The Robinson curriculum encourages the students to pursue their individual interests outside of their 5 hour mandatory core schedule.

The downside of the Robinson Curriculum to many parents is numerous. Some parents complain that there are many important subjects that are not covered like "rhetoric". They feel that the Robinson Curriculum is not "complete" because it does not have a separate history or science subject. Some parents want to be guided in the minute details of their child's daily work. Parents argue that the program may not be suitable for special needs children. Many parents downplay the role of acquiring the habits of self-teaching and learning the works of great writers and those who witnessed history.

Conclusion

The success in using Robinson Curriculum will depend on your child. Your child's success in her education will depend not on any method-based curriculum or to a parent's micro-managing a child's education. Despite deficiencies in the educational background of a parent, a child using the Robinson Curriculum will have the best possible outcome if implemented properly. The success of the child will depend on how the child will use the important study habit of "self-teaching" to learn the excellent materials available to her. The freedom it gives parents to pursue other equally important goals in their family life is noteworthy. The child's readiness to undertake college and graduate studies after using the Robinson Curriculum is phenomenal.