Curriculum Review:The Robinson Curriculum

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Curriculum Review: The Robinson Curriculum

When my last article, “How to Protect Your Children from Indoctrination” on The Organic Prepper was republished on Zero Hedge, I went through the comments to see what I might be missing or what I might learn from others. One commenter suggested the Robinson Curriculum. Now, I’ve heard about a lot of curriculums, but not this one, so I went straight to their website and started reading. I requested their demo package so that I could review their curriculum here, and to my surprise, a helpful customer service representative at the other end of my email sent login information almost immediately. I have also requested sample materials from Ron Paul’s curriculum, but have heard nothing from the company.

Dr. Robinson and his wife, both of whom were scientists, began accumulating material so they could homeschool their six children. Sadly, Mrs. Robinson passed away when the children were young, and with a scientific lab and a farm to manage, Dr. Robinson did not have a lot of time to instruct the children. He and the children developed from his wife’s materials, a self-paced, and a self-directed curriculum for the children to follow.

Some distinctions of the Robinson Curriculum

Here are some distinctions of the Robinson Curriculum (RC) that I think might help a lot of homeschoolers out there:

It is self-taught learning, with the exception of parent’s reviewing and critiquing the daily essay each student writes
Children learn to manage their own learning
It is a complete K-12 curriculum
Because it is printed from either CDs or from an online repository, it is reusable for every child in your family
It is very reasonably priced, but RC also offers a comprehensive turn-key package for a higher price that will get you started with everything needed straight off
It is classical in nature, with a Charlotte Mason bent, and with a heavy emphasis on math, reading, and writing. History is gleaned from literature. The parents had a chemistry lab onsite and so we can presume the children were exposed to real science, which the author explains was not introduced until after a mastery of math
RC recommends the Saxon Math curriculum, which is a solid math curriculum and students proceed at the rate they are able, regardless of age or grade level. Saxon has a placement test, so you can be assured you are starting your student at the appropriate level
The RC recommends printing out the materials since learning and working from a printed page is easier on the eyes and encourages interaction with the material (Read about that here, here, here, and here)
RC has a Christian foundation, but Bible study is not part of the curriculum
The program has a support and mentorship program as well as helpful YouTube videos from an RC parent
The enhanced program provides bonus materials for reading, science, and in helping parents know how to manage a homeschool

Because it was developed by a scientist, it develops solid scientific inquiry skills

There are two key benefits that really caught my eye in light of concerns from today’s parents: the amount of time and money expended.

Because the curriculum is written to be self-directed, the child can take charge of his/her own learning. That doesn’t mean the parent isn’t involved, but is more of a facilitator and overseer than a teacher and lecturer. And, with a base price of $195.00 for a 2-year family license for all K-12 curricula, and a $36.00/year annual renewal rate, you can’t beat it. The comprehensive package, for $1999, allows a lifetime of access as well as laminated flash card materials, bonus reading and science materials, and a curriculum for preschoolers.

The Robinson family is unique, as the parents are trained science researchers, so the kids have started with some impressive DNA! However, it is unique in other ways in that the family did not have a TV, did not recommend the children eat sugar, and did not allow computer usage until the child was 16. It goes without saying that the children did not have cell phones either. The students did not begin science study until they had mastered their math, and the math problems were solved by hand and rarely with a calculator. This is incredible to me! I was taking high school chemistry around the advent of the hand-held calculator. My Father, who was a university engineering professor, insisted I not solve chemistry formulas with a calculator, but instead a slide rule. And so, I took the before-school class in using a slide rule, a skill I cannot remember today! Truthfully, I wish it had made me a better math student, but sadly, that was not the case.

Structure

Another part of the RC plan is that children spend 2 hours on math, 1 hour on writing, and 2 hours on reading a day. That’s a 5-hour school day, done during the most productive hours of the day, which while shorter than a public or private school equivalent, is more intense. Children mark their own math papers and learn what concepts they must better understand before progressing to the next lesson. Reading is taught phonetically and children write a page a day that the parent corrects. While Bible study and reading is not included in the curriculum, the Robinson family did have a family Bible reading session before bed each night.

You are not required to follow the Robinson family rules, however, I think there is wisdom in that it frees the children from social media pressures on television, cell phones, and computers. If you doubt the pressures from social media on your children, watch The Social Dilemma on Netflix. Social media has begun to destroy Gen Z. Also, the Robinson rules encourage independent learning and might potentially prevent an addiction to sugar. Processed sugar elicits from our bodies a response similar to other chemical addictions and if you’ve ever tried to purge your diet of sugar, you’ll know that addiction is the appropriate word. You buy the curriculum and use it as you wish, however the website provides many answers to questions and provides explanations for why the family made the choices they did.

In addition, by printing from CDs or an online repository, you create a permanent paper record in the event of power and Internet failures, enabling you to continue homeschooling in the absence of two services we’ve become dependent upon.

Simplicity is Beautiful

When I was a young recruiter at a semiconductor company, I traveled with a former Penn State student to recruit for the company at his alma mater. He had friends who lived in Amish country, and we went the weekend before the job fair, stayed with them, and got to experience the Amish and Mennonite lifestyle. The first night there, we all attended a volunteer fire department fundraiser dinner for the local Amish and Mennonite communities. Young girls, with perfect complexions, served us mouth-watering food, and I was struck with their poise and beauty. This began my fascination with the Amish and Mennonite lifestyle, and truthfully, planted in me a fascination with Christianity, to which I had not been exposed as a child. There is beauty in simplicity, in developing good character, in a willingness to serve others, and I knew their clear complexions came from eating well, from working hard, and having a clear conscience. Before you discount out of hand the rules the Robinson family abided by, take time to examine the root of the rot in our culture and think how you would keep your children from diving into that quagmire.

There are families that use the Robinson Curriculum without fully implementing the Robinson family procedures. Some allow computer use, others try to limit but not eliminate processed sugar, some introduce other books than those cited, and so the curriculum is adaptable. Allowing the children to “self-teach” is unique and while no one would compare the Robinson curriculum to unschooling, there is a similarity in that the children take responsibility for their own learning. With that responsibility comes a passion for learning and an ability to go beyond limits classrooms typically place on students, which keep students progressing at the same speed. Once students master the basics, the children can develop an expertise of sorts in areas that fascinate them.

You might think, “Well, this is all well and good for the Robinson family, but the proof is in the results. What are their children doing now?” From their website here is a report:

Matthew (the youngest) finished calculus at the age of 14. He is now 16 and working his way quite successfully through our physics program. (This physics is at the level of Caltech freshman physics.) Matthew is entirely self-taught using the rules in our curriculum.

Zachary has a doctorate in veterinary medicine.

Arynne has a doctorate in veterinary medicine.

Noah has a doctorate in chemistry from Caltech.

Bethany has a Masters in Nuclear Engineering.

Joshua has a doctorate in Nuclear Engineering.

Matthew has a doctorate in Nuclear Engineering.

Both Zachary and Noah completed their BS degrees in chemistry with only two years of college work – they skipped the first two years by means of advanced placement exams.

All of the children have performed outstandingly in their academic work.

Noah has been the most remarkable. When he applied to graduate school, he was told by MIT that he was their top ranked applicant. Noah’s academic record was especially outstanding. Added to this, his GRE scores were 800, 800, and 770 – two perfect scores and a 99 percentile. The GRE is a sort of SAT taken by those who aspire to graduate school. Scores this high are very rare.”