Robinson Curriculum Reviews
Pros And Cons Of The Robinson Curriculum
The Robinson Curriculum was set up by Dr. Art Robinson in 1988 when his wife Laurelee suddenly passed away. Laurelee had been homeschooling their six children; she and her husband were both scientists who worked from home, enabling her to assume responsibility for the children’s education.
Faced with having to take over the homeschooling of his children as well as continuing his scientific work and also running a farm, Dr. Robinson took it upon himself to create his own homeschool program, which is known today as the Robinson Curriculum and fares consistently well in national homeschooling reviews.
Running throughout the curriculum is a strong Christian message, inviting comparisons with other biblically based homeschool programs, such as the Bob Jones Homeschool Curriculum. One major difference is that the robinson homeschool curriculum consists of only three core subjects: reading, writing and math. All other subjects–for example history, science and geography–are taught solely through reading. Dr. Robinson states that the great minds of past history taught themselves by using “great books”. For children who have a keen interest in a subject other than one of the three core ones, therefore, this program may lack what they need to make the most of themselves and their individual skills. On the other hand, many parents (and children) love the Robinson way of learning, which is going back to basics and focusing on key subjects in an age where all sorts of subjects are taught in regular classroom-based skills, many of which provide the children with little to help them develop strong characters and make the most of themselves as they grow up.
The other main difference between the Robinson Curriculum and some other homeschooling programs is that there is no flexibility in the Robinson program. The guidelines are rigid, and if you try to adapt them to suit your circumstances, you may not see the positive results you desire, according to Dr. Robinson himself. He and his children followed the rules, and they achieved great things. These rules include absolutely no television, with the exception of one video every six months; the children eat absolutely no sugar; and they do their schoolwork for five hours per day, six days per week, for ten months of the year.
Under the Robinson program, children spend the first few hours of the day on their schoolwork, taking breaks only to eat breakfast and help with household chores. The first lesson of the day is Saxon math. The children correct their own work and go over any missed elements. After the entire Saxon calculus has been completed, math is replaced with college physics and chemistry. After this lesson, the child writes an essay on his chosen subject. The remainder of the homeschool day, to make up the requisite five hours, is spent reading. The entire reading list is provided on a package of 22 CD-ROMs, which must be printed out at home for children to read. These 22 CD-ROMs include 245 books, to be read in a specific order from first through twelfth grade. After the child has completed the calculus element of the program, they are permitted to use a computer as a learning tool, meaning they can read the reading list material on the computer screen. A child must know how to read, by using phonics, before commencing the program. Math facts must also be mastered to facilitate a progression to Saxon 54 at around second grade level. Instead of writing a daily essay, child under the age of 10 should practice handwriting and perform copy work.
Parents who have used the Robinson Curriculum and found it to be successful tend to be those who share Dr. Robinson’s goals. For those who want their children, above all else, to develop life skills through independent thinking and highly disciplined study systems, this program is likely to be beneficial and appropriate. For those who want a more flexible, modern learning program, however, there is unfortunately a lot lacking with this particular curriculum. There does not seem to be a satisfactory explanation for the absence of foreign languages from the program; all Dr. Robinson says on the matter is that it would take away from the important subjects of reading, writing and math. Many parents want their children to have a wider, more varied skills set and knowledge base than this program gives them. Another disadvantage of this program is that several assumptions seem to be made about the families who are going to be using it, effectively alienating a huge section of the population. If your children do not watch television, and read children’s encyclopedias in their free time, great. If not, they are unlikely to benefit from a complete education using the Robinson curriculum.
It may be that the robinson homeschool curriculum can be successfully adapted to suit a more modern family than the Robinsons give the impression of being. Further research and taking advantage of homeschooling forums will help you decide whether this is the program for your child.