This school year we focussed on a lot of reading skills, spelling, math, science, computer tech, geography, health and physical fitness, animal husbandry skills (chickens, rabbits, cat and kittens, dogs), biblical study, and life skills. The kids did really well and they have all progressed in their skills by leaps and bounds. I am really proud of them. However, two areas we did not spend a lot of time in this year was history and grammar, and I am hoping to work on these subjects more through the summer and fall. I was thrilled six weeks ago to find out our family was selected through the The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew for a Veritas Press Self-Paced History course through Veritas Press. We were sent the Veritas Press Self Paced History: New Testiment, Greece and Rome and also a set of New Testiment, Greece and Rome Flashcards. This history curriculum is just what our homeschool needed.
Veritas Press Self Paced History Courses are designed for kids in 2nd through 6th grades. They could also be used by older students as a review. Each online course costs $199 for the first student, and $99 for each additional student in the same family.
Self-paced history courses to choose from include five specific time periods:
Old Testament and Ancient Egypt
New Testament, Greece and Rome
Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation
Explorers to 1815
1815 to Present
Be sure to check out FREE samples of each course.
Each on-line self paced course requires a computer with high speed interenet, and a set of flashcards specific to the course. Flashcards are available for purchase on the web site and range in price. The New Testiment, Greece and Rome Flashcards we used cost $19.95. There are also optional Literature books you can aquire to enhance the course. You can buy them either individually, or as a kit from the web site, or find them at your local library, or online.
Once you have purchased the course, the student will be given one year online access to the course materials on the date you choose to begin the course, and the flash cards and Literature books will be mailed to you if you also purchase them.
These Veritas Press Self Paced History courses are unique because each course includes 160 interactive class lessons and cover 32 specific events in time learned in a classical or chronological way. So for each self paced history course you take, it is the equivelent of sitting through 160 classes.
How We Used This In Our Homeschool
We were asked to review Veritas Press Self-paced History New Testiment, Greece and Rome and a set of New Testiment, Greece and Rome Flash Cards. We had a few of the listed Literature Readers on hand to get started. I also found a few Literature Readers online.
Setting up for class is easy. After setting up your parent account, next you set up your student account, and then select the course or courses you want to register for, select the date you plan to begin, and then proceed to check out. Once your course date begins, your student can log in and get started. You will have access to the self paced program for 1 year from the date you selected for the course to begin, so it will be plenty of time for your student to complete.
I must confess that I had a hard time choosing which of my kids to use this program with. Several are in the suggested age range. The older son needs it as a review, and the next two sons both need to learn the history course too and both are audio visual learners who would most benefit from how this material is taught. It was a really hard decision for me make. We are using the program with my oldest son, but I can clearly see how our whole family would benefit from this class.
He is able to work independantly on the course each day. He logs in, watches the online videos and slide (like a power point present) for each lesson and completes the interactive questions and games. After every five lessons there is a quiz or test. I can log in at anytime and monitor his progress. He will be given a year end grade at the end of the program which will include an average of all his scores. He watches videos, answers questions, reads flash cards, plays games, and completes quizzes and this is a great way to learn history.
Why is this course different from others and fun? The interactive course is a combination of educational videos and slides, history and geography, silly songs to help you memorize historical facts, interactive online quizzes, and interactive games to see what your students learned from the course. The videos are fun, even silly at times, and packed with information. My son is always saying “Mom, did you know…” about what he is learning and lets me know he really enjoys it.
These self paced history courses are like having a history tutor at your finger tips walking you through a specific time in history through the computer. You get so much helpful information in a fun presentation for about $1.24 a lesson. WOW! I know $199 seems like a lot of money, but when you put it into perspective of $1.24 a lesson, it makes it seem very affordable for this kind of resource. I am so amazed how technology can be used in a helpful way like this. I used to tutor various subjects on a college campus through a tutoring program. If those students only had access to resources like this, many college students would have a better grasp on their materials and do so much better in their course work too.
All five self paced history courses are going on my wish list for the fall. I want to find the funds in our budget to order more of these classes and the recommended literature reader kits for all of my students. I love the way this course includes geography, history, cultural studies, biblical studies and more in an interactive all in one class. I can’t believe what a good fit this program is for our homeschool, and a fun way to learn history. This program is absolutely WONDERFUL!!!
You can follow Veritas Press on their media links for all the latest news and updates.
Be sure to check out what other families on the Schoolhouse Review Crew had to say about various products from Veritas Press. They have a wide variety of courses to meet your homeschool needs.
