Can Someone compare Veritas Press to My Father's World?

[kajm]

I know they are so different, but I'm wanting the pros and cons of each.  It seems like VP speeds them up a bit more and gets them to point "X" quicker, but if so, is that necessarily better? 

 

While my boys are grammar stage at this point, I'm trying to look long term because I want them ready for college when the time comes.  I like the book choices in both, but which better prepares them without destroying their love of learning?

 

FWIW, anything Language Arts related is difficult and/or unenjoyable for my two, and I like keeping them together for the content subjects.  We are ready to begin a 4-year history cycle, which will put my oldest at finishing that up just in time for high school.  This would make VP difficult because they start the history cycle in 2nd grade, it appears, then Omnibus in 7th.  We would be totally out of sync unless we could do a major revamp somehow.

 

Maybe I should ask how people that have completed Omnibus like it.  If that's not something that is too desirable, then I could just get some of their book selections and not worry about having them ready for Omnibus???

[PeterPan]

Well both programs are AWESOME, so we should start there.  They're awesome for the right child.   ;)

 

VP tends to be dry in the written tm and pretty much has as much life as you bring to it.  The routine is the SAME THING for every single card, sigh, and it never gets that really wild, out of the box kind of romantic thing some people want.  If you want that, you have to bring it yourself.  VP focuses on skills, and they're not afraid to bring in the driest non-fiction books you've ever seen and have them do really boring written work to make that happen.  You can drop all that (what we did) and make it come alive, but at some point you'll realize you're shifting it so much that what you really wanted was TOG.  And I say if you want TOG, get TOG.   :lol: 

 

I love VP btw and used it for my dd all through elementary and into junior high.  It worked for the dc I was teaching, because we needed that framework we could flesh out.  We also did almost all their levels of the self-paced online history, and that was terrific too.  We didn't go on to do Omnibus, because it wasn't what she wanted.  Omnibus is GB + some history, and she wanted the reverse (history with some GB).  She is now doing more topical studies and really having a good time.  That fits who she is.  You have to fit your students.

 

I used MFW K5 with my ds and have looked at the other levels quite a bit.  The lovely thing about them is how practical they are.  You don't look at them and try to sort out which of 14 great crafts to do.  You know the plan and you have the book basket listings at the back to bring it alive.  If you want it all spelled out, it's gonna be great.  It's flexible still.  It may end up suiting my ds with the other levels, we'll see.  I don't want to do their 1st grade with him, and after that it's their ECC.  When I borrowed it from a friend I liked it very much for just being sane.  You can pick it up and it's all right there, totally obvious what to do.  I don't' know, that's my big bugaboo these days.  I need something to get me 80% of the way there and let me apply my creativity to the remaining 20%  

 

My dd LOVED the VP self-paced online history, and if you think your dc will like it I would do it in a heartbeat.  Then you just use your energy to do read alouds, provide a book basket, and do some hands-on.  If that online *doesn't* suit them, well honestly VP in printed form is a pain in the butt.  Given the difference in ages, you might be much happier with TOG.  It will cost you more, but it will give you a lot more help.  

[kajm]

Thank you, Elizabeth, for that information.  Especially good to know if it is dry; that is something I definitely want to avoid here!  But it sure does make me wonder why they received so many first place votes in the Pratical Homeschooling Reader's Choice Awards (or at least that's what I think it was awarded in).  I think they received 1st place in Elementary, Middle, Jr. High and High School curriculums.  Wow.

[PeterPan]

Well look at it for yourself and see!  What's dry for my dd might be AWESOME to your kid.  My dd would have hated CC, and I'm thinking about doing something like that with my ds.  Surely CBD or RR have samples online.  Typically there's a worksheet with questions you answer from the card for the week.  Those questions become your memory work.  (fine)  There are several worksheets to go with the card and usually some kind of craft, picture study, or maybe a reading comprehension guide to go with an applicable book.  The crafts will be very doable.  At the end of the week there's a test that regurgitates the questions from the beginning that you were intended to memorize.  Same pattern every week, with the goal that you get enough exposure enough ways that they memorize the target content.

 

Detweiler, of VP, got frustrated with the lack of retention when she spent lots of time doing activity-driven instruction, so she landed on this content/memory work driven approach.  Some people thrive on it as written, and some modify.  My dd was a narrative person, so was just used it our own way.  Ds is a very kinesthetic learner with speech problems, so he needs MORE doing, not less.  People just differ, kwim? 

 

I can't fathom those surveys being worth much.  Who in the world reads magazines like that??  I got a subscription to a magazine like that one year for free, but it was not what I needed.  I don't think you're getting the pulse of the homeschool community as a whole.  If booth size is any indicator, MFW is where it's at right now.