7.01.2014

Veritas Press Self-paced history ~ REVIEW

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Have you heard of Veritas Press before?  I have to say honestly I was a little reluctant to Review another History Curriculum.  Thank Goodness that I did though.  I have 100% fell In Love with Veritas Press Self-paced History.    We were given one year access to Veritas Press Self-Paced History ~1815 to the Present.  I can't wait to tell you all about it! :)

Veritas Press offers live courses and self-paced courses. They provide your Kiddos a classical education that ignite your Kiddo's Imagination and Hunger for education. The company began when a couple wanted a way to teach history chronologically while combining Biblical events.
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When I started homeschooling I took a textbook approach and then later kind of went with a more hands on/literature reading stand.  And that has really been where the kids have grown.  So, I thought I was happy and content.  Well, now I'm all flipped upside down.  I never thought to try an online, self-paced route.  And now that I have I think I Love it and have found a perfect fit for the whole Family.

Are you thinking, what does self-paced History mean?  

I know I was wondering what the difference was compared to what I was already doing.  






Well, it means that you are given a full year from the date you buy to finish your Course chosen. Each Course has 160 different lessons that take you though TONS of historical events.  Some of the event, us parents will barely remember or will be learning for the 1st time right alongside of your Kiddo too.  This program was designed to help the Kiddos memorize important information while keeping it entertaining and interesting with different kinds of games, sing-alongs, matching, fill in the blanks, maps, puzzles, videos, cool pictures, amazing narrators....you name it, it's there. The self-paced courses are Best for Kiddos in grades 2-6, at least 7 years old. Each self-paced course is $199 and the Optional flashcards are $19.95  You have to have those Flashcards...they are such a high quality product, they make me Happy.  Check out a Sample right Now to see if it's right for your Kiddo!!

Take a Quick Look at the 5 available Self-paced History Courses.... There are five lessons, approximately 30-50 minutes long that covers each of the main events during the time period your Kiddo is learning about. 

  • Old Testament and Ancient History
  • New Testament, Greece and Rome
  • Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation
  • Explorers to 1815
  • 1815 to Present














So, What did we get with the Veritas Press Self-Paced History~1815 to Present?

  • 160 lessons divided into 32 weeks- You will get to go through 32 different events that happened during the 1815 to present time frame, starting with the Monroe Doctrine and ending with Modern America. :)
  • 1815 to Present flashcards- Huge, sturdy, beautiful cards!  The flashcards are beautifully made and contain all the information relating to the Events covered.
  • Instant grading....thank you sooooo very much, saves me so much time!!!
  • Online tests and worksheets- you can choose to use or not use...it's up to you!
  • Printable PDFs of material for assignments
  • Interactive activities and Memory Song throughout the lessons- Means a ton of Fun for you and your Kiddos!


 Almost every day that we did not have a ton of Summer errands or therapy you would find Kaden surfing through his Flashcards or going over his folder with his printed worksheets.  I will admit with him being on the Spectrum and very Math driven I was a lot unsure that he would get anything out of this program.  Boy was I wrong!!!  I think because he is very rule based and a fact loving Kiddo he thrived off of each lesson.  He easily remembered what he had learned the day or week before and surprisingly was able to retell the information effortlessly to the Family over many, many dinners.  

 
Kaden's highlights were the Narrators, he said he liked their conversation tone....you have to know him to understand that one.  What that means is he felt comfortable listening and it didn't feel like he was being bored to death.  Makes me Happy too!  He Loved the different ways they asked questions.  There was something for everyone to enjoy.  Kaden's handwriting is awful, no matter what we have done to help him in that department.  That being said, he get's very upset when he has to write.  So, doing everything online was a big bonus for him, the extra printed sheets was just that....extra.  He didn't feel stressed to make it perfect.  Another favorite component was the flashcards.  He is fascinated with artwork as it is, each card has a wonderful picture of art and the back lists a ton of facts for easy reference.  He studies it because when he plays the games he likes to challenge himself to achieve 100% each time. 
 
Kaden's only thing he could do without is the Memory Song.  It plays all the time, or at least that's what it feels like.  So, what we do is he listens to it just once or twice per each card.  We actually play around and while the slide show of cards are going we turn the sound off and then blurt out a fact that we know about the card on the screen.  It keeps him happy and it's fun to try and think of something before the next card pops up. :)

Now, for me I liked all the things Kaden did plus a few others.  I loved that I had basically nothing to do to prepare for each lesson.  Since I'm basically learning right along with them it's nice to just "show Up".  I must have slept through all of my History classes growing up, but I am making up for it now.  I love that there is no grading involved and it keeps a record of everything for me.  My Major love is that it's done chronological.  I honestly believe that was one of the reasons History overwhelmed me growing up.  Going back and forth every year, with nothing in order confused me.  Kaden likes order and thrives off of it.  Veritas Press fits the bill where that and many other things are concerned.  

I really do not have anything negative to say except a few times I had a issue loading the program or it would freeze up on us.  But, a quick reload would fix the issue.  I think maybe the price would stop some families, but if you look at all that you get and the amount of time you save on having everything prepared and ready it's worth it.  I learned a long time ago that Time is very Valuable, Time is Money.  

So, for our Family we will be purchasing the other Self-paced programs and some of their other products.  You can get their Literature Packs for each course too.  Here are the ones from the  Veritas Press Self-Paced History ~1815 to the Present : Level 1 (grades 2-3) Level 2 (grades 4-6) Level 1&2 (grades 2-6)

Catch up with Veritas Press out in Cyber World....


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