Veritas Press History

[Verity]

Can anyone walk me through how you do history and literature using Veritas Press? I've been trying to find a way to do history/bible/literature in a way that helps me make sure my boys are reading enough (plus read alouds) but takes some of the planning and prep work off my plate. I read their website but it isn't completley clear to me since I don't want to use their math, LA, etc...

[abrightmom]

Aylene,

 

Here are a couple of VP threads from the recent past. Perhaps reading these will shed some light?

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166149&highlight=veritas+press

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159651&highlight=vp+tog

 

I've called and emailed VP several times lately! They will answer your questions and can give you specifics.

 

If relief from prep time is on your agenda have you considered their on-line/self paced classes? You can learn more about them on the website. You can sample a week's worth. This year they introduced Old Testament/Ancient Egypt but will have several other years available for the 2010-11 school year. I called yesterday and the gal told me the samples should be up anytime. They are FUN!

 

They also do Scholars which is a scripted lesson plan. It can include one subject or several (History, Bible, Lit. if you want). The price varies. It's definitely easier to call and ask someone to walk you through if that is what interests you.

 

I have NOT used VP yet but I have been doing quite a bit of research lately! I have just shared with you what others have shared with me and what I have gleaned in the many calls/emails :001_smile:. They're probably growing weary hearing from me when I call and say, "I just have a quick question . . . " LOL.

 

Hopefully more experienced users will chime in!

[Verity]

Thanks Katrina!

For some reason I don't have much success when I try to use the search function - must be doing something wrong.

I will look over those links!

[Julie in PA]

There are several ways to use Veritas Press materials.

 

1. You can puchase the materials, make your own lesson plans, tweak it in whatever way you want, and teach it yourself.

2. The Scholars lesson plans have the whole year planned out for you. These are a huge time saverand offer many ideas and thoughts which are not in the Teacher's Manual.

3. Sign-up for the live online classes, if your child in is 4th grade. They meet twice a week. The teachers teach the class, play review games, discuss the literature books, and give assignments. They give 4 projects throughout the year for the students to complete and turn in for a grade. The also have weekly assignments. They complete them and then they go over them in class. They do not typically have to turn in the weekly assignments.

4. For History, there are the self-paced classes. The student does them at their own pace. You have the option of doing the historical literature. Depending on whether you do the lit or not, there is very little if any work outside of their time on the computer. The worksheets and tests are given through multiple choice questions and activities on the computer.

 

My son takes a couple of the live classes. He has loved the interaction he gets with the other homeschooling students. We have appreciated the feedback from the teachers. When I talked about dropping a class to fit something else into our schedule, he said he would rather drop the other thing. :001_smile:

 

My daughter will start taking a few live classes next year. I plan to use some of the self-paced classes to supplement a couple of years in History. There was a year or two with an adoption that we were pretty weak, so I want to get the self-paced classes to review with them.

[moosemomma]

I teach Latin at a classical Christian School that uses Veritas. My fellow teachers modify the lessons to suit their classes' needs and abilities, but I can give a basic overview of how the lessons usually work.

 

The student should complete a Bible card and History card each week. Each card comes with a question and answer worksheet, 1-2 extra activity sheets and a weekly test. Usually the students complete the Q & A worksheets (which are kept in a notebook) on Mondays and Tuesdays - they complete one card on Mondays (Bible for example) and one card on Tuesdays (History). A student can complete both in one day, but that is a lot of writing (4-5 pages in upper grades). If your child can complete them in one day that just means there is more time to activities during the week.

Then on Wednesdays and Thursdays, they review the Q&A worksheets and the memory songs. Next, they work on an activity in each subject. They may do just one activity over two days or one each day depending on the speed and abilities of the students. Don't think you can or should complete ALL the activities for each card. Some of the activities are better for advanced or more independent learners and some are better for students who need more teacher led work. They also do projects using the nonfiction resource books. This gives the teacher a lot of flexibility about how to implement the lesson.

 

You add the literature connections through the school year while you are studying the history. For example, my son read from d'Aulaire's Greek Myths and Black Ships before Troy while studying ancient Greece and Detectives in Togas at the start of studying ancient Rome and he will read one more before the end of the school year about Pompeii and I think one dealing with the Nicene Creed. Usually the teachers alternate a history literature book with the core literature books (Homer Price, Misty of Chincoteague, Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe)

 

Personally, I like the variety of classic childrens' literature and history linked books. Starting in the third grade, the student's also do book reports on the history and literature books that they do not do as an entire class. I figure my son will have read 10 of the literature books and 6-7 of the history books by the end of the school year.

 

The reading rate is usually 1-2 chapters a day. Some done during school and some assigned as homework. My son is an excellent reader and could easily do double this amount without much struggle. But a struggling reader could just read the core literature books and easy level reading books and still have an excellent base reading/ literature program.

 

I hoped this helped to explain Veritas works

 

 

Jill

[Verity]

Thanks so much Julie and Jill!

I am attracted to the idea of the cards and memory songs, especially for my upcoming 3rd grader who is ~dyslexic. He does pretty well with chants and songs and I like the idea of the visual and hands on reminder of the cards. My older son is going into the 6th grade and I'm not sure how he will like this (he has started rolling his eyes alot lately). He has Asperger's Syndrome and both boys have problems with writing (the physical act) so I have to do alot of accommodations. While the live class could be fun I don't know how well he could keep up in performance.

I may get the cards and TM and just integrate that into the rest of our history. I'm struggling back and forth with VP/ToG/SL - I want to get more reading of literature (core and history type books) but I need something to help me schedule them.