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Dateline: 10/19/04
By Jennifer Tow
As the parent of a homeschooled teenager, I have faced more
than a few challenges over the past 16 years, some with ease
and confidence, others with less certainty. While homeschooling
my three children is far more rewarding than discouraging, there
have certainly been many opportunities for me to second-guess
my decisions and worry about my children's choices.
There have been times when I have found myself defending homeschooling
both to family and friends and even to legislators. I have been
challenged in honoring my own belief that children are the best
guides in their own education. I have grown as a mother and a
human being as I have considered what is most important in educating
my own children. I want my children to be people who are thoughtful,
discerning, passionate and compassionate, loving, self-aware
and willing to continue to search and grow as individuals. I
also want them to be educated people, capable of making their
way in the world, capable of acquiring the tools they need to
follow the paths they choose.
When my oldest son was little, my best resources were books
by people like John Holt and John Taylor Gatto, magazines like
Growing Without Schooling and local support groups. As my confidence
grew, the resources I found most useful were those that assisted
me in teaching my children reading, writing, math and history.
When they were young, it all seemed simple.
As my children have grown, things have become more complex.
My oldest son has made the decision to pursue a career in acting,
and, to that end, he plans to attend college. At 16, he is now
preparing to take the PSAT and in the Spring will take the SAT.
Because we have never used testing of any kind to evaluate our
children, I feel particularly unprepared to help him take standardized
tests. I suspect I am not the only parent of a teen homeschooler
who faces this predicament. In addition, my son has not been
the most prolific writer. With the new SAT adding an essay, I
am especially concerned about finding a resource that will effectively
support my son in taking this new test.
When I began looking for books and other resources to help
us prepare for these tests, I was disappointed by what was available.
When I asked friends with older children for suggestions, I found
that none were really satisfied with the books they had used.
First, most of the books on the market are dry and not terribly
motivating. Secondly, the new SAT, the one my son will have to
take (and yours, too, if your child is a Junior or younger),
is a completely different test, yet most of the books on the
market have simply modified their information, rather than rewriting
entirely for the new test. This doesn't quite make sense to me
and suggests that the writers haven't fully grasped the changes
in the test nor the anxiety the new essay has engendered in a
lot of kids.
Fortunately, this past summer I was introduced to Adam Robinson,
who has written a new book, entitled The RocketReview Revolution, an SAT prep
book that has really impressed me. This book has so much to recommend
it to homeschoolers that I want everyone to know about it. I
would venture to say that this is the only book most kids will
need to help them develop a sense of confidence in preparing
for the SAT. It is my hope that in directing other homeschoolers
to this book, I can spare them the cost and time of wading through
less effective resources.
When I was researching resources on homeschooling sites, I
came across Adam's name frequently. He was the author of the
only SAT book ever to be a NY Times bestseller and was a founding
partner of the Princeton Review. He has spent 20 years tutoring
kids to fulfill their own college applicancy potential by aiding
them in dramatically raising their scores on standardized tests.
He has designed a curriculum for NYC high schools that has helped
scores of underprivileged kids achieve test scores that will
assure them scholarships to the best-ranked colleges. Adam has
written several other books, including Wordsmart and What Smart
Students Know, a book highly recommended on many homeschooling
sites. John Taylor Gatto called the book "An extraordinary
work of good sense!" and, "a model of sound advice
a manifesto of individual liberty. I was inspired by it's philosophy."
It seems that Adam's works are particularly liked by homeschoolers
because he has a true affinity for the freedom inherent in homeschooling
and the process by which human beings really learn.
In my opinion, Adam Robinson's new book, The RocketReview Revolution aptly reflects
the kind of insight that I, as a homeschooled parent, value in
such a resource. The writing style is fun and motivational and
Adam has completely convinced me that he really knows his audience
and his material. There is a respect for the student reflected
in the writing and a sense that Adam has really enjoyed working
with kids for the past 20 years. My son has delved into the book
and has found it to be both enjoyable and instantly useful. According
him, Adam's book is much more accessible than the others he has
tried - easier to use, easier to understand and more effective.
He said that because Adam uses references and analogies that
relate to kids' real lives it helps him to remember the material
more easily. I have always believed that homeschooling has provided
my children many advantages over traditional schools, but in
this area, I was concerned that they may have a disadvantage.
Now I feel confident that my son can optimize his potential on
the SAT by using the techniques taught in The RocketReview Revolution..
Adam's new book is also technically superior to anything else
I have seen on the market. He has utilized the most advanced
technology to put in place a unique support system for kids who
purchase his book. The book comes with a CD that allows kids
to explore the techniques using animated demonstrations. The
support for the new essay portion of the test is of particular
interest. Kids can sign onto the website, write their practice
essays and then have their essays graded, using the same standards
that are applied on the real test.
In my opinion, the tools and resources available with this
new book are well worth the small investment. None of the other
books we looked at provide the kind of support that The RocketReview Revolution does. For homeschoolers,
I think the book has added value in that it may well teach skills
our children can apply in other aspects of their education, especially
for those who are college-bound. I am also pleased to be able
to purchase a book written by a man who so clearly supports the
education rather than the schooling of children. Using this book
is not a chore for kids or parents--it's actually fun.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Tow
RocketReview Revolution
Not only is "The RocketReview Revolution" a brand-new
book written specifically for the new SAT, it is also a collection
of interactive tools aimed at raising your SAT scores the maximum
amount in the minimum time.
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- A
Different Kind of Teacher
Reflections on the Bitter Lessons of American Schooling
by John Taylor Gatto
A decisive look at what has gone wrong with American school systems,
and how to put it right again. October 2000 Paperback.
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- Dumbing
Us Down : The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling
by John Taylor Gatto
- Thirty years of award-winning teaching in New York City's
public schools led John Gatto to the sad conclusion that compulsory
governmental schooling does little but teach young people to
follow orders as cogs in the industrial machine.
Learning
All the Time
by John Caldwell Holt
Holt is widely considered the father of the modern-day homeschooling
movement because he grew to believe that schools stifle the learning
process.
- Teach
Your Own: The John Holt Book of Homeschooling
by John Holt, Patrick Farenga
- The book encourages parents to question and even forego traditional
schooling systems, and to help them better understand what teaching
their children from home entails. Farenga's 2003 edition has
updated many references, statistics and facts of the original,
but keeps Holt's timeless understanding of the ways that children
learn and grow into the world. From review in Townline.
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- What Do I Do Monday?
by John Holt
- A wonderful book about teaching young children the basics;
reading, writing and math.
- More books by John Holt...
- * Learning
All the Time
* Freedom
and Beyond
* How
Children Learn
* How
Children Fail
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