X-post: Transitioning to Omnibus

[CAmomof4]

Ok don't look at my kids' ages. I know there is no need to obsess at this point! But that's what I do. I am really wanting to do Omnibus in later years but how does that work if you're on the WTM 4-year cycle with SOTW? I know that some people do a year or two of American or state history in between, but I just can't seem to embrace that idea - esp. since I will have 4 kids and want to TRY to keep them in sync as much as possible.

 

Does anyone have any other ideas? Or has anyone adapted Omnibus into a 4-year cycle (or does that just end up cutting way too much material to be worth it)?

 

Thanks Hive!

[LNC]

Ok don't look at my kids' ages. I know there is no need to obsess at this point! But that's what I do. I am really wanting to do Omnibus in later years but how does that work if you're on the WTM 4-year cycle with SOTW? I know that some people do a year or two of American or state history in between, but I just can't seem to embrace that idea - esp. since I will have 4 kids and want to TRY to keep them in sync as much as possible.

 

Does anyone have any other ideas? Or has anyone adapted Omnibus into a 4-year cycle (or does that just end up cutting way too much material to be worth it)?

 

Thanks Hive!

 

I couldn't make it work with 4 year cycles. I also need more of a history based program for the background knowledge necessary to tackle a program like that. We use Omnibus just for Great Book lit study. We also want to have our children take AP courses in high school, so 6 years in Omnibus wouldn't work for us. In my opinion, it would be a rare child with enough background knowledge in history to comprehend Omnibus in 7th grade onward. I obsessed when my children were your children's ages too. :)

 

We bought Omnibus volumes as we read Great Books. We have read about 25% of the ancient volumes and will make it through more about 33% of Middle Ages volumes. It is still more economical than buying study guides for each individual work. I also like to use it with what I would consider more "devotional works" included in Omnibus as well as fun books like Narnia and Tolkein series, even in the summers if need be. Hth.

[fluffybunny]

We did SOTW in the earlier years, and this year we started Omnibus, back to the ancients again. But we are doing Omnibus "Lite", as there is no way we could cover every book and question and assignment in the book. In fact, one of the assignments during the Odyssey study was to physically go to the Mediterranean, hire a boat and actually do the journey of Odesseus, LOL! Like yeah! OK, I added the 'boat hire' bit, but we had a good laugh at that 'assignment'. It was the turning point where ds12 decided he really liked Omnibus.

 

I skip some of the questions because they are too loaded, and also some of the discussion readings as they can be a little "over the top". We skipped a few chapters on the books of the Old Testament, because I knew they'd freak my ds out too much and turn him off the bible. I bought a PG rated version of the Odyssey talking book, which ds loved.

 

We're on Herodotus now, and I just know there is no way that ds12, with ADHD, is going to read an 800 page history book that rambles on in every direction, so I read him a child's version of Herodotus spoken in 1st person. I also printed some interesting snippets from Herodotus's books with stories of the ancients' customs that sounded like the Horrible Histories series. So that appealed to him. I will keep going like this with some of the books, while concentrating on others, like The Apology. We've also added the Drive Thru History DVDs, that seem to go with some of the Great Books of Omni1 really well.

 

I really like Omnibus, even if I take some of it with a pinch of salt; it's an excellent guide to the Great Books.

[PeterPan]

Yes, you can combine years of Omnibus and do it in 4 years. You'd pair them O1/O4, O2/5, O3/O6 and trim to get your favs. Some of the works in the upper levels are very accessible to younger students, and some you might decide would never interest your particular student anyway. You might find when you get there that some of the secondary readings they've already done to an extent where you don't need to cover those, again allowing you to combine. So yes, that's perfectly reasonable. In fact, given that I have yet, in my years of reading and watching Omnibus, to see ANYONE on this board stick with EVERY SINGLE LEVEL of Omnibus, it's probably even preferable. ;)

 

The real issue though is what you're doing to prepare for Omnibus. While you can do anything you want, it would make more sense, if you like VP's approach so much, to go ahead and do the VP elementary sequence. I see you have stairsteps and an increasing number of kids. We LOVED the VP self-paced online history in our house. Might make your life easy. Then let them do the self-paced Omnibus courses that VP is developing, and you're done! :)

 

It's fine to have a long-term plan and work the plan. When I was at the point you are, I decided to go with VP's elementary sequence. I chose it because I decided I would regret it if I didn't (sort of a metaphysical hindsight, know in your gut what fits, kinda thing). When you make that decision, high school seems very far off. I can tell you now, just a few months out from high school with my dd, it wasn't that far off. A plan, a reasonable plan that fits the types of students you have and what you can realistically accomplish with the time, energy, and gifts you have is GOOD and reasonable. I had the plan, and when I was burnt out along the way and needed a break, I could diverge and do something else for a while, knowing where it fit in the plan and that I could get right back in with where we were and be fine.

 

I also think it's not necessary to get too freaky about doing history the WTM way. If you like VP, use VP! Those WTM skills can be hit OTHER ways. We always did. I just made a list of the skills (outlining, narrating, summarizing, dictation, what amounts) and decided what other ways I would cover them. This is perfectly valid. It's not like there's only one way to do this.

 

Anyways, you're not crazy. I do the same thing. Enjoy your plan. :)

[G5052]

Yes, you could combine and pick books to do that. I know several people locally who use it as a resource to choose from, and others who use it as their core curriculum. I have one friend who has used the Veritas products from 1st grade up and has one in Omnibus 5. I have a high school student in Omnibus 1 now. I'm adding a few books from Omnibus 4 at the end to round it out, but it is plenty for my high school goals with multiple languages, lab science, logic, etc.

 

As mine got older, we have done less and less together because of their interests and preferences. I have one taking online Omnibus now, and one in local paid classes this year, and it probably will be the same next year if we get into a different local program that we're hoping for (waiting list). If the local class falls through, I'll probably have two in different levels of Omnibus classes online. So flexibility is good.

[CAmomof4]

Thanks everyone. Although I know plans change over time, it really helps me organize my thoughts and make decisions about which way we're going to try to go first! This is my first year HSing and there are just so many different things I wish I could try out. Of course I am finding that ultimately you have to just jump in and start with something. The advice on these forums has really been invaluable to me - what did people do before the internet? :tongue_smilie:

[Homemama2]

Planning to use Omnibus, I only can say I'm les worried about the History dd should have, then about her writing skills ;-)

If you plan to use Omnibus 1 in grade 7, I would make your dc has the writing skills needed for the assignments.

 

(dd wasn't a great writer when I bought Omnibus so I was a little bit shocked ...)

 

Can you recommed anything for writing to make sure they are ready? I was looking to use Omnibus in the future but writing is our biggest struggle this year...

[PeterPan]

Can you recommed anything for writing to make sure they are ready? I was looking to use Omnibus in the future but writing is our biggest struggle this year...

 

 

VP uses IEW for elementary. It's not that anything they do up to that point is so hard or fancy. It's more the QUANTITY they build the kids up to. If you look at the VP choices for each subject and how they implement them, there's writing EVERYWHERE. When you get into Omnibus, there's sort of this expectation that they'll be able to crank it out.

 

VP has put LARGE samples of the Omnibus levels online (books.google.com), so you can see how the assignments are structured and the amounts of reading and writing required. It's also not too soon to go ahead and get your own copies. Well K5 is a bit soon, lol. If your dc is say 5th, absolutely go ahead and get it! I bought my O1 then and spent a summer reading portions of the books. Next year I bought O2 for the same reason, so I could really sit down and look at it and have an opinion. Now I'm getting ready to get O3 and O6. (tossing around my ideas for this coming year) So definitely get started and work ahead. It's something others before us have said (Janice in NJ for instance), that they wish they had spent more of elementary and junior high preparing for high school. So now is the time. Buy that baby and start learning! If you decide not to use it when you get there, it will have good resale value. It takes quite a while to read the lit, read the essay commentaries, and then really think about your student and how YOUR student and situation will work best. I'm glad I started early. :)

 

PS. Obviously it's not out yet, but the new self-paced online Omnibus classes (1 out this summer) may skirt the writing issue, don't know.

[yvonne]

Just want to reiterate Elizabeth & Janice in NJ's advice: the single best thing you can do to prep for Omni is to read the books yourself, starting now!! I think that's even more important than worrying about how to prep your child for it. You are wise to be looking ahead. You will be so glad if you've read the books by the time your child starts Omni.

[SheriGene]

I have a 6th grader this year that I want to start in O1 next year. We have done all VP Bible and History, so I think we should be relatively ready (if we can get through WWS :) ) Does anyone know if the self-paced course will require that you read and do everything? I have heard from so many that doing all of it is just not realistic.

[PeterPan]

Sheri, even for the live online class they cut down some of the assignments. I'm not sure how they handled that for the self-paced. I'm sure it's going to be very well-done and realistic though. If you want to add more, you could. I doubt it's going to leave people feeling killed. I think it's going to be a more flexible option, where you can take that up or down, my guess. I mean think about how they did the elementary self-paced history. They didn't specify ANY of the writing that is in the printed tms.

[G5052]

I have a 6th grader this year that I want to start in O1 next year. We have done all VP Bible and History, so I think we should be relatively ready (if we can get through WWS :) ) Does anyone know if the self-paced course will require that you read and do everything? I have heard from so many that doing all of it is just not realistic.

 

 

If you've had your student doing the questions for each card by writing them out, you should be fine. Look at the session questions in the samples though -- they are quite difficult at times and quite thought-provoking. We've had some good discussions at home even with my oldest enrolled in online sections. Yesterday we discussed the various stands on the millennial kingdom in the Bible and the order of events in the book of Revelation and how that related to The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis. Wow!

 

Also keep in mind that the self-paced will be only Omnibus I Primary (i.e. mostly history) this year. It doesn't include the Omnibus I Secondary books.

[shanezomom]

G5052,

 

You suggested in your post: "Look at the session questions in the samples though -- they are quite difficult at times and quite thought-provoking." Where are those located?

[G5052]

I'd recommend looking at the sample in Google Books versus the Vertias website. On the Google Books version you can look at multiple chapters and the format is easier to navigate. Here's the one for Omnibus I: http://books.google....epage&q&f=false.

 

For each book, after the introductory information, you get reading assignments and questions and activities broken into "sessions." They've definitely stretched us a bit, even with an occasional peek at the answer key (highly recommended, it is on disk).