Homeschooling with Robinson Self-Teach Curriculum

One thing to keep in mind is that out of the several hundred HS'ers I know in real life, and the several thousand from online, only a TINY fraction "pick" a curriculum and stick with it.

In fact, it's the most lamented thing in the HS world... how much money is wasted on curriculums the first 1-2 years.

Checking out the RC website, this is one of the things that makes me nervous about their curriculum. There are no demos, and there is no return policy. Which is abnormal in the HS world. HIGHLY abnormal. The vast majority of all curriculums WANT prospective parents/teachers to be able to get a real feel for the curricula themselves AND to be able to "test" it out with their children. Which is a BIG deal, and a common theme in HS'ing. One of the real benefits is being able to tailor an education to suit a particular child and family. I can't count the number of times I've been excited about something, start to introduce it, and realize that it is not a good fit for my son. ((We're eclectic HS'ers, so I sift, sort, and use a vast array of different curriculums and pieces of curriculums)). Or, same token, are already using something that works very well, and stumble across something that is PHENOM, and kiddo's abilities and excitement just skyrocket using a slightly to completely different approach.

Ditto Saxon Math is one of the more popular maths programs. The top 3 would probably be Saxon, Singapore, & Time for Learning (I mention T4L a couple times, but we don't use it... we use a combo of Singapore and Montessori). The idea that ONLY Saxon math can/should be used for self directed learning / child led learning I find to be fairly preposterous. Esp. when it's one of the more Teacher-Intensive math programs.

Another thing that makes me a little nervous about the RC, is the whole assertion of "this makes child led learning possible". Child led learning is not a new concept. In fact, in the vast majority of HS'ing, it's the overwhelming theme that spans several philosophies. Montessori, The Well Trained Mind, and Unschooling are probably the most well known of all of the child-led philosophies (vastly different approaches and application to the same concept), but even in teacher led philosophies there are a lot of child led concepts. ALSO, all of the interactive computer programs (from Time for Learning, to CyberEd, to games like ClueFinders or reading programs like Starfall.com), there are LARGE elements of self directed/ individualized pace/ parent is not actively teaching their child.

Anyhow... just some things to think about.

To get an idea of what is considered more "standard" in curriculum buying/purchasing (as in demos, price, and return policies), a handful of the hundreds of FREE curriculums, & philosophy application check out the following websites:

http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/
http://www.homeschooldiner.com/
http://www.freemontessori.org/?s (check out the Albums link on the right)
http://simplycharlottemason.com/basics/started/charlotte-... (with straight CM all one really needs is a library card)
http://www.noeoscience.com/
http://montessorird.com/index2.php?cPath=1&osCsid=0sc...
http://www.lessonpathways.com/

Anyhow... just a handful of things. Also, a resource I've found phenom over the past couple of years are the Yahoo homeschooling groups. Hundreds to thousands of HS'ers at your fingertips. A groups search of Homeschool and _________ will yield a lot of results. Not knowing if you're religious or not (I'm not) here are a couple to start off with; some are religious, some aren't.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/secular_homeschoolers/ ... general secular board
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AHomeschoolReview/ ... curriculum review board, christian bent
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/playschool6/ ... montessori homeschool board, catholic but inclusive
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularCM/ ... secular CM board, all faiths welcome

I don't know about Robinson but I love the Montessori method. I have an almost 2 y/o who is pretty good at independent play. I have our play area set up in sections (like a Montessori classroom) and he can choose what to play with. There are books on how to make your own montessori learning tools with stuff you can find in your house (rather than buying the expensive name-brand stuff). There are also a lot of Montessori homeschool support groups. It might be a good option if you can't find the support you want/need to implement the Robinson method.
Good Luck!

i'm interested in the answers here too. i've been thinkning about my 3rd grader when he get s to 5th grade...not too fond of the 5th grade teachers. and just to let you know i use to be against homeschooling but the church we attend about 50% of the kids are homeschooled and i hope that my son is as will educated and behaved as the homeschooled kids. and i even have a friend who home schools her kids and her husband teaches in the public school....so on that you're not alone!!!

I also looked at Robinson Curriculum for my kids. I didn't buy the curriculum, but I have used the concept for my oldest child. Reading is breathing for him and he likes to be left alone. I would give him a stack of books (or make him find them on his own at the library) and let him alone. Most people I know that have actually used RC, have used it as a supplement, a reading list to augment what they are already doing. We use Writing Strands for writing and Singapore for math. The RC does not work at all for my daughter. She requires a little more attention and handholding. That's fine. I love the flexibility that comes with homeschooling. I can tailor our lessons and methods to the needs of the children.

If your daughter is a bit more independent, then this may very well be the way to go. Just be flexible. Be prepared to change as the need arises. You may find that at times it is necessary to be more formal or more relaxed. And I agree with finding a homeschool group. You will benefit greatly from the other families.

I have a friend who has used the Robinson Curriculum. Will try to ask her about your questions and update you tomorrow. I'm pretty sure she used Explode the Code phonics with her children as she taught her children to read. This has been a good phonics method for us too. This is our 11th year of homeschooling, I taught in a regular classroom setting prior to this.

Congratulations on your decision to homeschool. We are in our 5th year. I would encourage you to find a homeschool group (Arlington has a huge one and I know there are lots of them in the Dallas area). You can join with your 3 year old and begin to get to know other homeschool mom's. Visiting with other moms and hearing what they've used, what worked and what didn't is a huge help! Most have play groups with younger children so you would have good company. Also another great resource is attending the Annual Homeschool Book fair. If you go on www.THSC.org, they list when the conventions are and what city. The ones in Houston and Arlington every year are wonderful. Houston has a program for your daughter while you attend the convention and look at curriculum. There are so many choices but you can actually get your hands on them and talk with the vendors. The speakers are usually very good as well and deal with all aspects of homeschooling. We are members of the Texas Homeschool Coalition and I would encourage you to check them out when you start to formally school. They keep us informed of all kinds of good information and are extremely helpful.

Bless you as you start this journey. It will be one of the most rewarding adventures you've ever been on!

L.

Hi, I know you asked about the Robinson Curriculum. I honestly know nothing about it. And some people have pet peeves about talking about something totally different... but I have taught my two oldest children to read with How To Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons. It is so easy. For about 10-20 minutes a day, your child can learn to read. My children learned to read by the age of 4. By the time they were in 1st grade, they were well over 5th grade level... they were tested in the gifted class. My youngest is now 4 but I guess I got a little relaxed with him. However, we are starting the book tomorrow.
Good Luck!

I am in the same boat you are. My son is also 3 and we are going to be homeschooling in a couple of years. I haven't heard of the program you are referring to, but I have been looking into K12. Have you looked at that one? From what I have read, it's like getting a public school education, at home. Or you can pay a ridiculous amount of money to customize your curriculum, sort of like private school, but also at home. K12.com is the website. I am also interested in looking at the one you mentioned. Thanks for giving me another program to research. Good luck!

Congrats on your decision to homeschool! It has been an immense blessing to our family and I hope that it will bless yours too. We have used Veritas Press' Phonics Museum for two of our daughters and it has been an outstanding program for us. The readers are clever and the concepts expose Kindergartners and 1st Graders to classical works of art. I hope that you have great success with the curriculum that you choose.

Just curious....why made you go towards homeschooling??? Might be considering it.