TOS Review - Veritas Press Self-Paced Bible New Testament

At the core of why we homeschool and why I am a stay-at-home mom is that I believe motherhood is my ministry to train up my children in the ways of the Lord, so I was thrilled to get a chance to review the Self-Paced Bible New Testament 1: The Gospels from Veritas Press that allowed my child to learn on her own beyond what I or Sunday School seem to be able to teach her.

To me, the idea of teaching the Bible is to make it stick and filter into every other area of learning and living life. Of course, I want my children to learn as much as they possibly can about the core subjects as well as several electives, but far and beyond anything else I teach my children, I want to know that they have gained a heart of love toward God. I want to launch them into the world knowing that they are firmly grounded in biblical instruction and desire a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through it all.
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What is Veritas Press Self-Paced Bible New Testament 1: The Gospels?

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To best describe what the lessons are like, you really need to see it in action.  Try out a sample lesson, and then this video sums it up well:
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I received online access to the Self-Paced Bible New Testament 1 Gospels, which is one of 5 different Self-Paced Bible options. There were 128 class sessions that cover 32 biblical accounts. When the student logs on, they begin watching a video skit that teaches about specific Bible accounts in the Gospels. The skit presentation is followed by games and interactive questions that the student must master before proceeding. By the end of the lessons, the student will have:

• memorized biblical names, dates, and places
• engaged in multi-sensory learning videos and games
• received a solid foundation for further study
• gained a thorough understanding of the Bible

The Gospels lessons begin with Zacharias learning of John the Baptist's birth and work their way through the Ascension of Christ. They are presented by characters named Benjamin, who is a carpenter, and his young apprentice, Jude. Also, a dove named Spyro and a termite named Uz is introduced. The characters are introduced to keep the student interested.

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How Did We Use It?

At first, I sat down with my child to watch and interact with the lessons. We watched the video, completed the interactive, online activities and questions, and followed step-by-step what the lesson asked us to do. But, I soon realized that she didn't need my help. The lessons were easy for her to complete on her own.

What Did We Think?

This program is amazing! It is engaging, interesting to watch, and before you know it - You have watched your child learn so much about the Bible without them realizing it's a lesson. I think she learned even more when I backed off and turned it completely over to her. I was surprised at how much she retained and told back to me when I asked.

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While I received the Self-Paced study, other members of the TOS Review Crew received an annual subscription to VeritasBible.com.


        
Read what other members of the TOS Review Crew thought by clicking on the picture below:

TOS Review: Veritas Press Self-Paced History Old Testament and Ancient Egypt

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review an amazing history course from Veritas Press. This is part of the Veritas Press: Self-Paced History for Grades 2-6.

WHAT I RECEIVED

I received one-year of access to the Veritas Press Self-Paced History: Old Testament and Ancient Egypt course and the Old Testament and Ancient Egypt Flashcards that correspond with the online lessons.

Old Testament and Ancient Egypt Self-Paced History - $199
Old Testament and Ancient Egypt Flashcards (includes 32 major chronological events from Creation to Ancient Egypt and the fall of Rome) - $19.95

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS

The lessons are presented online with fun video presentations that include talking characters, games, songs, and tests. There are 160 online sessions that present a course where the students learn about 32 important events. The Old Testament and Ancient Egypt Flashcards cover 32 events that are presented in chronological order, from Creation to the fall of Egypt to the Roman Empire, and connect the dots as to what part God played in history and how He still moves in modern day times. The cards put the lessons into a concise, colorful, and easy-to-read format that the child can hold in his or her hands.     The entire program is presented in a Classical education style, stressing the importance of memorizing facts, names, and dates, which I agree with so long as it's not just mere rote memory. No worries here, because with such interactive lessons and flashcard lessons to hold in the hand, true learning happens far beyond just memory work.

You get started by signing up to create a user name and password, add your students and register for the class you want. The site offers many options. The one I was asked to review is Old Testament and Ancient Egypt Self-Paced History, which is in the Grammar level of the Classical education trivium of Grammar - Logic - Rhetorical stages of developing and learning. 

The lessons, literature reading and quizzes are all done online through the site at the student's own pace. The only hand-held physical component are the flashcards. These flashcards are an amazing summation of what is being taught along the way. They serve as a form of a road map to learning.

The only other thing recommended to use to add to the lessons is a Bible, which we have plenty of on hand. There are also Literature Kits you can purchase that only enhance the entire learning experience: Old Testament and Ancient Egypt Self-Paced Literature Kit Level 1 for Grades 2-3, sells for $110.30. Old Testament and Ancient Egypt Self-Paced Literature Kit Level 2 for Grades 4-6, sells for $88.35 Old Testament and Ancient Egypt Self-Paced Literature Kit Levels 1 and 2, for multiple children in the same household in Grades 2-6, sells for $151.14

HOW I USED IT

I received access to the program for one year. I went through the process of signing up and registering my daughter for the class, and then watched the tutorial that was quite informative and fun.

I told my 7-year-old daughter, who is at the extreme lower-end beginning side of the recommended grade level (Grades 2-6) for this curriculum, that this review was for her.

Once you sign on, there is an introductory tutorial that walks you through how to use the online lessons. The tutorial is enjoyable and not bland or boring to watch and is quite informative. From there, it's really easy to start up a lesson and follow along for any child really, though I suppose it helps if they have experience using any kind of program online.

I originally began playing the lessons on my PC laptop, but then while we were out and about one day, I decided to see if they would be playable on my iPhone or her iPod Touch.  Well, the good news is that I was able to get them to play, but they are not intended to play on an iDevice.  The lessons require the use of Flash, which is not compatible with iDevices. Though, I have a browser app that plays Flash on my iPhone, so all was well for us to use the program anywhere we want. And, if your smartphone or tablet is an Android, there shouldn't be a problem accessing the lessons so long as you have a wireless connection.

One thing that I really liked might sound like a small feature, but when something saves you time and thought, it's a BIG THING To ME!  I love that when you log back in, it remembers where you left off and asks you if you want to continue.

Another thing I really like is that the program gives you the option to print the results of the tests to save for your homeschool records.

Overall, I am extremely impressed by the entire program. I love how everything is easy to access and even entertaining to watch online. So long as you have an internet connection, you're good to go. But, it really makes the lessons come alive with the hand-held flashcards that sum up everything being learned.

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Veritas Press also has a Self-Paced Omnibus program, which other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew received. Find out what they thought of the various Self-Paced History and Omnibus programs from Veritas Press, by clicking on the picture below: