Our Approach
About SIL
Sunshine Individualized Learning was formed to help parents along their homeschooling journey by Rebecca Cumbie MS. Ed. As a Home Education Specialist, I am a Certified Teacher in Florida and have a diverse teaching background and experience. I understand and work with ALL homeschooling methods and philosophies. I have personal experience or professional experience with just about any type of homeschooling, including unschooling. Each child learns differently and deserves to be educated and evaluated in the manner in which they learn best.
Our Story
My Story
I began homeschooling in 2004 when I realized during a parent/teacher conference at a private school that I could do a much better job educating my child than the overpriced private school or local public school. I had recently resigned from my teaching job to stay home with my newborn, and homeschooling seemed a natural direction for our family. Without ties to the school system's rigorous attendance calendar we found ourselves with a lot more freedom.
We soon made a life changing decision to travel the country in an RV. We set out with no destination, time limit, or expectations. It was an amazing experience for our family. We learned about the areas we visited and adapted our curriculum to learn about the history and science of that area. My children experienced our country firsthand. After two years we were ready to be in one place and we settled outside of San Francisco in Pacifica, CA. Both boys continued to be homeschooled and I began working as an Educational Specialist for a charter school specializing in homeschooling. (www.ogcs.org) I also became certified to teach children and senior yoga. In 2010 we became homesick for the rest of our family and the Florida sunshine. So we packed up and moved back across the country to our native home of Florida.
After settling in I began to notice differences in the homeschooling community in Florida and wanted to help parents here find their way among the plethora of curriculum. I jumped in with two feet starting online support groups, SunnyEvals my cyber-evaluation site, The Free-Range Learning Co-op, Sunshine Individualized Learning, and Sunshine School of Individualized Learning.
It is my passion to help fellow parents realize that homeschooling is possible for all families, has limitless benefits, and can be tailored to meet individual needs. Every child is different and learns differently. My earlier career was spent teaching students to pass the Florida writing assessment, and I will never go back. Homeschooling is such a wonderful contrast to traditional schooling by allowing creative expressions, authentic learning, family bonding, and unlimited potential.
Please enjoy these photos of my family along our homeschool journey.
