Would someone please give me a quick summary of VP

[Wendy in ME]

I just can't seem to find a summary of what the teacher's guide is like and the worksheets etc. I have been looking at this program for several months but just haven't ordered yet. I would be using the middle ages set with 5th and 6th grade.

Thanks

[debbiec]

I don't have a VP book now, since we're in Omnibus now. But we did the five levels of VP History.

The TE will give you worksheets, tests and activites.

The worksheet follows the card and requires the child to read the card and transfer that information to questions on the worksheet.

For example, "what year did /whatever event/ happen? 1776 (though VP recommends full sentences, but you get the idea.

The questions on the worksheet outline the card well so the child can "get the fact". Then there is a test, same format as the worksheet, but the questions are reworded. No tricky questions are anything. Pretty straight forward.

There are also activites sprinkled within the TE to do during the week, make mini books (using other resources listed on the bottom of the card), make a model, etc..... Somtimes I used them, sometimes I didn't.

That's not terribly helpful, I know, but each history cycle is a little different as far as activites. I liked the worksheets, because it required son to not just passively read the card, but to understand it enough to transfer information to paper. We also tested on each card, because truthfully, son would not have made much effort to remember much if we hadn't.

I can't be sure about this. but it seemed they asked questions from previous cards at the end of the test as a testing review. I may be confused, but that seems right. So there was an element of trying to retain past learning, AND the fact, all the history facts/event cards, are related, telling a story of history.

I hope that's helpful. I know some ladies JUST use the cards, but I lean to a more academic approach and used the full curriculum, tests and all.

IN the TE also, is some pages on how the program is recommended to be implemented:

Mon - read the card and complete the worksheet
Tues - Thurs, read other resources listed on the bottom of the card, and do any activities you like.
Fri - test, and student lists on the back, or separate sheet of paper, all cards (events and dates) learned that year to that point. I thought they were crazy, but son at 3rd grade was always able to do it. I think in my mid-40's, I forget how much better the young brain is! There is a song cd that goes with the program to help students remember the events and dates in order, but we never used it. Many people JUST use the cards and the song only.

I hope that helps a little bit.

[cajun.classical]

I'll just piggyback onto what Debbie said. My understanding is that the enhanced cd has a greatly improved Teacher's Manual with many more activities, maps, etc. I've not seen it, but I do remember some discussion about it on the VP Yahoo Group.

[Wendy in ME]

Thanks for your input. That helps a lot. The program sounds really easy to implement. We are not a family that wants history to run our lives though we do enjoy it. I am looking to read good books in some sort of organized manner. VP sounds like it will the bill. My goal for high school is to use Omnibus so VP now just seems to make sense.

[angela in ohio]

I'll just piggyback onto what Debbie said. My understanding is that the enhanced cd has a greatly improved Teacher's Manual with many more activities, maps, etc. I've not seen it, but I do remember some discussion about it on the VP Yahoo Group.

I definitely like the CD better. It saves copying from a book, which is a pain, imho, and it has more on it.

[cajun.classical]

Thanks for your input. That helps a lot. The program sounds really easy to implement. We are not a family that wants history to run our lives though we do enjoy it. I am looking to read good books in some sort of organized manner. VP sounds like it will the bill. My goal for high school is to use Omnibus so VP now just seems to make sense.

Wendy,

I feel the same way, so I want to encourage you to feel very free to tweak the program to your needs/goals. The program is flexible that way. I use the cards and songs to organize our history studies, but I don't really do projects. We read a lot instead. And I can see a use for the worksheets if you wanted your children to have practice writing in complete sentences, but I don't drill the history card and I don't test. Of course, you can do whatever you like, I'm just giving you some ideas of how we use the program. When we did VP as written, I found that it didn't leave enough time for as much reading as I liked and all the drill was making history dreadful. I lean more to CM when it comes to drilling history facts. We read and narrate instead and I've found that my dc's retention is very high. We combine VP and TQ and I really like this combination. We are also headed toward Omnibus.

[Wendy in ME]

Thanks again Angelina. Your style sounds very similar to ours. I have found that since we left all the history and science tests behind, the retention really is there. I probably will use the worksheets as practice for answereing in complete sentences. They are both somewhat weak in that area. We will also probably keep a time line because they really enjoy that but we are not a project family. Extra reading is the way we add to our studies. I am starting to get anxious for next year now. The middle ages look like so much fun.