 Where do I place my child(ren)? Nobody but you can decide where the children fit in. You could just look at the material and start them where they belong according to the work they have been doing. I would not worry much about starting a older child too early in the Curriculum as the book are quite interesting and enjoyable to read. However you also do not want to run out of time to finish. Thus an older child should work on mastering the vocabulary from the beginning on as this will make a big difference on SAT exams.
A more objective way of determining their placement in the Read Order is by using the vocabulary flash cards to determine their reading comprehension level. If they do 80% or better on the first pass through the vocabulary flash cards (Words and Definitions) they can skip ahead in their reading. However they should master all the vocabulary words regardless.
To know where to start older children in Saxon Math, you can click here to find the free placement exams.
See Placement and Testing for more.
Is the Robinson Curriculum approved in Texas?Yes. The Robinson Curriculum is on the list approved curriculums for the State of Texas.
Is there a way to assign course grades to subjects?
Is there a way to assign course grades to high-school subjects to help meet college admission requirements?Good scores on your SATs are often all you need. However, you can separate the curriculum books out by subject and add subjects that you think are needed.
How long will it take to get my Curriculum?The Curriculum will arrive 2-3 weeks from when you place your order. It will arrive by Priority Mail from the USPS. If you paid extra for Express delivery you will receive your curriculum within 3-4 business days.
I installed the 1st CD but I cannot get the other CDs to install?Once you install the program from Disk 1, you only insert the other CDs when you choose the book you want to read – see the Disk number on the right side of your screen. Our Robinson applicaiton is the best way to view and print the materials on the CDs. If Windows pops up something when you insert a CD choose, “Take no action” and check mark the box that says, “Do this every time.”
How do you get to the Math and Phonics Flash Cards?Go to the Vocabulary tab at the top of the screen and then click on the Print Flash Cards tab at the bottom of the screen.
My child has read all the books – what are some more that they could read?
The Sugar Creek Gang Series (30). Laura Ingalls Wilder stories (5). Grandma’s Attic Stories (10). Wilson Rawls: Where the Red Fern Grows (glorious sad ending but very nice story) and Summer of the Monkeys. Also see Teaching Younger Children.
What is the software support number?
517-376-3164
Are the CDs ordered by grade?
No. You follow the Read Order as per the Course of Study and are prompted to insert the correct CD when it is needed. Note: There is a Grade Level book list available to assist you in placing your older child in the Read Order. See: Grade Level Book List
Is there a support team for the student when they run across something that they and the parent don’t quite understand? Or is it strictly individual?
Everything is self-taught once they get beyond learning to read and they know their math facts through the twelves. The math books, for instance, point to the lesson where a concept was originally taught for each problem.
When our children run into a problem they are convinced they cannot understand, they skip it and come back to it later (after the rest of the lesson is done). If they still don’t get it they come into a separate room (so as not to disturb the other children) and then read the whole problem (and the lesson if necessary) out loud as if they where teaching it to a class. This gets them over it every time. Oral learning is a powerful concept explained in full in the Course of Study. Keep in mind that the value of a problem is in learning how to overcome it. If someone shows you how to solve a problem the value of that problem as a learning aid is taken away.
I have had RC for over a year but have only recently begun printing in earnest. Sometimes it prints just fine and other times I have problems. I have gotten an error message several times. Can you tell me what’s happening and what I should do about it?
Some printers and print drivers are more prone to problems than other as manufacturers try to gain a competitive advantage by pushing the technology envelope.
As a rule, the print drivers that ship on the Microsoft Windows CD are more reliable than those that come with the printer. Thus, if you are having problems, look in you printer manual for information on which other printers your printer is compatible with. Then install the print driver(s) for those printers (My Computer – Printers – Add Printer). Print drivers for earlier models may be simpler, more thoroughly tested, and thus more reliable.
Try a driver from an earlier model of the same line of printers from the Windows CD. That will usually work.
Also, in order to avoid problems while printing, we advise that print spooling be disabled when printing from the Curriculum. With the spooler disabled, pages will print directly to the printer without first being cached on your hard disk by the Print Manager.
To disable spooling, click through the following sequences:
- My Computer
- Printers
- Highlight a printer
- From the Menu choose File – Properties
- In dialog box click Details tab
- Spool Settings…
- Click “Print directly to printer” (note: this may be grayed out if your printer is shared).
A more stable operating system such as Windows XP will be far less likely to exhibit spooler problems.
One of our CD’s has been damaged. How can we get a replacement of that CD?
It would be helpful if you could check that CD (and any other that might appear to fail) on another computer to be sure it is the CD and and not that particular computer’s CD drive that is failing. Some CD drives lose their tolerance for full CDs and so may work with some CDs but not all.
If the CD is broken or lost you can order a new one at the following link: Technical Support
I am having problems printing or viewing certain pages from the Course of Study. Also the books beyond book 400 are not coming up. The Error Meesage says: “Insert correct Disk” but I have the Disk 1 in the machine.
You might be using our Version 2.2 software but the Version 2.0 CD Disk 1. You need to upgrade to Version 2.2.
Sometimes Windows Vista seems to want the software to be run in Windows XP Compatible mode. To set this up you would:
- Right click on Robinson Curriculum program
- Choose Properties
- Click on the Compatibility tab
- Choose “Run this program in compatibility mode for:
- Windows XP (Service Pack 2)
- Click OK
Will this Curriculum work for my children if they have already started with another one?
Yes it will work just fine. It may take more time to transition into the self-teaching methodology, depending on their background, than if they started with the Robinson Curriculum to begin with.
What is the Scholarship Program?
The scholarship program is paid for by those who pay full price. You may direct further questions about the scholarship program to OISM at 2251 Dick George Rd., Cave Junction OR 97523.
Is there a demo available?
No. This is one way we keep the price low. However we do make the RC Sample Pack available on request by email to: [email protected]
What are the computer requirements?
System Requirements: Microsoft Windows
Will I need a computer for each child?
No you do not. It only takes one to print out the materials. In fact, with RC Online now available, you can use RC with your phone or a tablet.
Do I have to buy the whole set of Saxon Math books at one time?
You may buy just one or as many or as few as you like.
Can I buy the CDs for just one grade?
No, it is a complete set of CDs and we cannot separate it.
Can I buy the Saxon Math answer books alone since I already have the book?
No, we can’t do that. We purchased them in sets ourselves.
Do I need the latest version of the Saxon Math books?No, the versions are virtually the same. However we do recommend the hard cover Student Textbooks with matching Answer keys as these can be used across multiple children.
Is there a money back guarantee?We have a no return policy to help keep the cost down. We would rather people read the information we offer than purchase the Curriculum without knowing what they are getting.We do stand behind our product and will replace any defective CDs. We also offer free technical support for the software.
Can I view the books on the computer?
Yes, there is very good on screen reading software (the best of any software of which we are aware) but we recommend you print out the materials since we recommend the children do not look at the computer for extended periods of time. The nature of screens compared to paper is that a child’s comprehension and retention of the material is significantly impaired and retards both reading speed and the ability to recreate the story line or thesis of the book.
Can the Curriculum be used as a supplement?
It can be used to great profit as a supplement since it is such a rich resource of materials. However, to get the greatest benefit from the Curriculum it should be used full time if possible.
How long will it take to get my Curriculum?
The Curriculum will arrive 2-3 weeks from when you place your order. It will arrive by Priority Mail from the USPS. Of course, your access to RC Online is provided within 24 hours of your order.
Where do I start my older child?
Dr. Robinson has created a curriculum or educational program that truly is not based on “grades.”
The student/child is advancing through a series of math books, writing daily, studying, and reading a course of chosen literature at an individual pace. The literature to be read is put in an order from simple to advanced levels and you can choose where to begin by using your own judgement as you view the books on the screen, based on your knowledge of your child’s age and reading ability. I would not worry about starting an older child too early in the reading selections as most of the books are enjoyable and worth reading at any age.
A more objective way of placing the student is by using the vocabulary flash cards to determine their reading comprehension level.
Each book in the core read order has a corresponding vocabulary. Choose a place in the read order and if they do 80% or better on the first pass through the vocabulary flash cards (Words and Definitions) they can skip ahead in their reading. If they get less than 80% correct you should skip back. Keep on testing till you find their level. (They should master all the vocabulary words regardless of where they start.)
For Math, Saxon Publishers have available math placement tests. Or, if you have them available, use the tests that come with each textbook.
See Placement and Testing for more.
How well does the Robinson Curriculum prepare students for college and do I need a diploma?
The Robinson Curriculum is specially designed to prepare students for the SAT – a standardized nationwide test administered by the College Board (not to be mistaken with the SAT Achievement test which does not give you any credit). The Saxon Math and the RC Vocabulary section do an excellent job for SAT prep. For further credit they can take the Adanced Placement Exams for the college they are attending in order to test out of credit courses. This reduces the time and money required to get their degree. 3 of the Robinson children have done all this with great results. They only need a GED if they are going into something that does not require college but does need a “High School” diploma. A transcript generally does you no good. It is the SAT scores that matter. Any other paper is not important except in unusual cases.
My child scores very high and is gifted. Would this Curriculum be appropriate (he loves computers too)?
The Curriculum has a lot of “headroom” for the gifted student. The science aspect of the Curriculum has optional elements that will stretch the limits of the most exceptional student. The Vocabulary and Exams are especially geared toward preparing the student for the SAT. Note that the Curriculum is mostly paper based for the student. They do not sit in front of the computer to use this Curriculum. The most valuable aspect of the Curriculum is the Course of Study documents (of which the Robinson Story is a part). The section on Oral Learning is invaluable and unique.
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