k12 curriculum | Homeschool World

There are more and more people are homeschooling through charter school and now online education charter school to teach their kids at home. Online schooling has many benefits and some issues. Not everyone agrees, if that is a good thing or not. As debate for online charter school increases among parents, only you can tell if it works for your and your family. We like many family, use some online class, some in classroom classes and some subjects are taught at home with right homeschooling curriculum.

Source: NY Times

Half a million American children take classes online, with a significant group, like the Weldies, getting all their schooling from virtual public schools. The rapid growth of these schools has provoked debates in courtrooms and legislatures over money, as the schools compete with local districts for millions in public dollars, and over issues like whether online learning is appropriate for young children.

One of the sharpest debates has concerned the Weldies’ school in Wisconsin, where last week the backers of online education persuaded state lawmakers to keep it and 11 other virtual schools open despite a court ruling against them and the opposition of the teachers union. John Watson, a consultant in Colorado who does an annual survey of education that is based on the Internet, said events in Wisconsin followed the pattern in other states where online schools have proliferated fast.

“Somebody says, ‘What’s going on, does this make sense?’ ” Mr. Watson said. “And after some inquiry most states have said, ‘Yes, we like online learning, but these are such new ways of teaching children that we’ll need to change some regulations and get some more oversight.’ ”

Two models of online schooling predominate. In Florida, Illinois and half a dozen other states, growth has been driven by a state-led, state-financed virtual school that does not give a diploma but offers courses that supplement regular work at a traditional school. Generally, these schools enroll only middle and high school students.

At the Florida Virtual School, the largest Internet public school in the country, more than 50,000 students are taking courses this year. School authorities in Traverse City, Mich., hope to use online courses provided by the Michigan Virtual School next fall to educate several hundred students in their homes, alleviating a classroom shortage.

The other model is a full-time online charter school like the Wisconsin Virtual Academy. About 90,000 children get their education from one of 185 such schools nationwide. They are publicly financed, mostly elementary and middle schools.

Many parents attracted to online charters have previously home-schooled their children, including Mrs. Weldie. Her children — Isabel, Harry and Eleanor, all in elementary school — download assignments and communicate intermittently with their certified teachers over the Internet, but they also read story books, write in workbooks and do arithmetic at a table in their basement. Legally, they are considered public school students, not home-schoolers, because their online schools are taxpayer-financed and subject to federal testing requirements.

Despite enthusiastic support from parents, the schools have met with opposition from some educators, who say elementary students may be too young for Internet learning, and from teachers, unions and school boards, partly because they divert state payments from the online student’s home district.

Other opposition has arisen because many online charters contract with for-profit companies to provide their courses. The Wisconsin academy, for example, is run by the tiny Northern Ozaukee School District, north of Milwaukee, in close partnership with K12 Inc., which works with similar schools in 17 states.

The district receives annual state payments of $6,050 for each of its 800 students, which it uses to pay teachers and buy its online curriculum from K12.

Saying he suspected “corporate profiteering” in online schooling, State Senator John Lehman, a Democrat who is chairman of the education committee, last month proposed cutting the payments to virtual schools to $3,000 per student. But during legislative negotiations that proposal was dropped.

See source and full article here: NY Times

Online curriculum has its benefits and issues. Many homeschooler and public school teacher use combination of online curriculum to use 100% online schooling or supplement their educational process. If you choose online curriculum, make sure it is from reputable company with options to change curriculum choices just in case it does not work with your child’s learning style.

Check out:

Distance Education: A Systems View of Online Learning

Engaging the Online Learner: Activities and Resources for Creative Instruction

How do you educate your child at home?

What is Robinson Self Teaching Homeschooling Curriculum?

When I first heard about Dr Robinson’s self study homeschooling curriculum, I had to do more research as I did not know much about him or his study method before buying anything for my child to teach. What I found was interesting and inspiring indeed.

Dr. Robinson is a scientist who works on various aspects of fundamental biochemistry, nutrition, and preventive medicine. He is President and Research Professor of the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine. His wife Lauralee, who was also a scientist, homeschooled their children until her death in November 1988, when the children were 12, 10, 8, 6, 6, and 16 months. During the past ten years, Dr. Robinson and the children have continued their homeschooling by developing a program entirely based upon self-teaching.

Here is a write up from Robionson site itself saying about his Robinson Self Teaching Homeschooling Curriculum.

From phonics to physics, these 22 CDs and a set of Saxon math books are all that you need to give your children a superior education. You can use this curriculum to supplement your children’s current schooling or as a stand-alone education using the included self-study methods.The Robinson children teach themselves (as do the 60,000 children now using this system) so well that their 11th and 12th grade work is equivalent to high quality 1st and 2nd year university instruction in science, history, literature, and general education.

They also teach themselves study habits that do not depend upon planned workbooks, teacher interaction, and other aids that will not be available later in life.

They teach themselves to think.

Dr. Robinson has spent less than 15 minutes per day teaching all six children…

Many home schools are limited by the burden of teaching that is placed on parents. Dr. Robinson has spent less than 15 minutes per day teaching all six children ages 6 through 18. Yet, both of his oldest students scored over 1400 on the SAT (over 1500 on the new SAT) and received two years of advanced placement in college. The younger children are doing as well.Teach your children to teach themselves and to acquire superior knowledge as did many of America’s most outstanding citizens in the days before socialism in education.

Give children access to a good study environment and the best books in the English language and then get out of their way! All Curriculum books may be viewed on the computer screen and printed with included software.

This unique curriculum will save you hours of teaching time each day and will give your students an opportunity to develop superior knowledge and life-long study habits.

One caution do not use this curriculum unless you are willing for your children to be academically more learned than you.

Source: Robinsoncurriculum

So what is so special about this course? And why does it make it a good choice for any homeschooler?

Robinson Self-Teaching Homeschool Curriculum

There are several keys to learning, one of them that I believe in that a child learns by example, by seeing. I never taught or had class on my child how to stand and walk on two feet. My son did that simply by observing his parents and others around him. Environment has to be right, new positive habits needs to be created with right curriculum and quality books.

This course, says this is the only and one curriculum you will need to teach your kids. I personally think my kids need other stuff as well, but this comes darn close to it as it has vast information and knowledge that kids needs for KG to 12th grade. From phonics to physics, these 22 CDs and a set of Saxon math books are all that you need to give your children a superior education. You can use this curriculum to supplement your children’s current schooling or as a stand-alone education using the included self-study methods. The Robinson children teach themselves (as do the 25,000 children now using this system) so well that their 11th and 12th grade work is equivalent to high quality 1st and 2nd year university instruction in science, history, literature, and general education.

What is Included in the Curriculum?

120,000 Page Library Resource 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica 1913 Noah Webster’s Dictionary 2,000 Historic Illustrations 6,000 Word Vocabulary Teacher Progress Exams Keyed to Books Outstanding Science Program Very High Academic Quality Proven Methods of Self Study.

Printable books/materials on CD
Complete Course of Study
12 Years of Education – 22 CDs
120,000 Page Library Resource
1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica
1913 Noah Webster’s Dictionary
2,000 Historic Illustrations
6,000 Word Vocabulary Teacher
Progress Exams Keyed to Books
Outstanding Science Program
Very High Academic Quality
Proven Methods of Self Study
Vocabulary, Phonics, and Math Flash Cards

Here are a few sample of books by some of the best authors included in the curriculum

The Life of George Washington by Josephine Pollard. “The main purpose of the work [is] to give to its young readers a distinct and vivid idea of the exalted character and priceless services of Washington.” Other books by Pollard: Our Hero General Grant, Christopher Columbus and the Discovery of the New World, The Bible for Young People

Original Children’s Classics: Bobbsey Twins (11 volumes); Tom Swift adventures (8 volumes); 26 Horatio Alger volumes; Five Little Peppers and How They Grew; Heidi; Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farms; The Boy Knight: A Tale of the Crusades by G.A. Henty

History: Life of George Washington by Washington Irving; War Between the States by Alexander Stephens; The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government by Jefferson Davis; The Life of Stonewall Jackson by R.L. Dabney; Picturesque America: A Delineation by Pen and Pencil, 2 volumes edited by William Cullen Bryant

Here is what some of the parents have to say about the Robinson Self Teaching Homeschool Curriculum

She is enjoying learning much more By FR

I can definitely see using this curriculum through high school. I love the Robinson curriculum. We are in our third year of homeschooling, with “older” children who were accustomed to testing and quizzes and spoon-fed material. Math was miserable for the high-schooler and me until this year (we started RC on 8/4/97). She is gaining confidence and is actually enjoying it! My 11-year-old giggled at some of the antiquated phrases (“Oh, pooh!” said one of the Rover boys in book No. 16), but he is learning and developing an interest in history for the first time. I can definitely see us continuing this curriculum through high school for both of them.

He is doing better then Public School: Review by SBB

This is our first year of homeschooling our sixth grader. The Robinson curriculum was recommended by a friend in our church. The ability to work at his own level and speed has made the difference for our son. He is actually doing more work than he did in public school and is enjoying the work. I know it sounds too good to be true, I thought the same thing. But through prayer and a step of faith, I have found that the Lord will be faithful.

Review by – fb in TX

If your children are learning to hate school ….

I was using all of Abeka’s stuff and their day became drudgery. They were not liking school at all and they had no time to read except for snippets of information.

Now they love history, they love math, and they enjoy reading!

When we started they had to get the definitions of the definitions because they were still dumbed down. They still have to live a dictionary but they are having a lot of fun.

I did use the Abeka language book because I needed it to correct their work. I let them use a computer to take advantage of the spell checker and a spelling game. The husband is still addicted to TV but even that is being curtailed over time. So I don’t make an issue of it.

It took about a year to make the transition to using the Robinson Curriculum but wow, what a difference.

How much this curriculum sells for?It is complete 12 years of education Curriculum:

I have seen the best price on Amazon or By Robinson site, which both sells around for $200. I think it is great value since it covers 1-12 grades and covers so much information and it is well worth it. If you order through amazon, you may get free shipping to your home.

Click here for the Best price on Robinson Self Teaching Homeschooling Curriculum.

All Image Source: Robinson Education Kit and Robinson Product Site