Monday, April 7, 2014

TOS Review - Victus Study Skills System

Victus Study Skills Review 
 
All homeschool parents worry about gaps in their children's education. I am no different and constantly worry about what we are missing. Recently it has become painfully obvious that my child doesn't know a whole lot about "how to study". That includes how to study for a test. Our review of the Student Workbook and Teacher Edition from Victus Study Skills System could not have come at a better time. We received the Teacher's Edition and Student Workbook to use and give our honest opinion. Both copies we received as physical books.
Victus Study Skills Review 
This year has been tough in many ways. First year of high school. Harder work load. State mandated standardized testing coming up. Being a freshman in high school starts to make education of your child seem more strict, scheduled, and dare I say NOT fun. I say all this because things like note taking, research, and preparing for a test have become much more important. When we started this review I discovered real quick that I had never really sat down and taught Grace how to take notes or study for an upcoming test. Some parents may ask , "Well how did you guys get this far and not learn how to study for a test?". Well, we are a very relaxed homeschooling family and the only tests we do pertain to spelling (in elementary), math, and vocabulary. It has been three long years since the last standardized test and we are fast approaching the next one. I'm telling you all this because we really needed this workbook. Here are some basics you might want to know:
 
Teacher's Edition Physical Copy  $40.00
 
Student Workbook Physical Copy $20.00
 
Recommended for grades 5th - 12th grade
 
The study skills program is also available in video, do-it-yourself, and power point formats.
 
First let's talk about the Teacher's Edition. This edition is broken down into four sections. The first section explains the philosophy of the program and what to expect to accomplish throughout the course. The next section contains all the instructions for the teacher/parent. Ten lessons are included in the following section that includes topics like goal setting, time management, note taking, and test taking. The final section is the Appendix which includes more extension activities and blank forms to use.
 
The student workbook is set up in much the same fashion and meant to correspond with the teacher's edition. I like the way the sections were set up in the workbook with the titles of, "Where am I now?", "Where do I want to be?", and "How do I get there?" All very valid questions worth investigating.
 
We used the program together a few times a week until it was finished. In the beginning the workbook had Grace take a short quiz to discover what her learning styles and strengths were. She was surprised to find out her highest score was auditory. Next she was able to read over specific techniques to study geared to an auditory learner. Grace enjoyed taking the quizzes and the goal setting activities. It was very eye opening for her to see how her time was spent throughout the day/week after working in the time management section. We both felt it was a worthwhile endeavor to work through the program. Grace learned better ways to study, how to take notes, how to have a better study environment, and tips to work your way through a test. We will definitely be reviewing the material again before taking the CAT in July and throughout her high school years. Victus Study Skills System seems to be a very effective tool to utilize while learning how to study. My only negative may be the price. As much as I enjoyed using the product and feel it will continue to help us through the years, I probably would not have paid the $60.00 price if purchasing it on my own. Luckily they do offer a DIY version that the student works through alone that seems more economical in my opinion. Regardless of my one negative we did enjoy using this product and are gradually filling that one gap in our education.
 
Please be sure to visit The TOS Review Crew to see what other members though of this product.
 
Available Social Media Links for Victus Study Skills System
 
 Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/VictusStudySkillsSystem
Twitter: @VictusStudy

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1 comment:

A Candle to Read By said...

Learning how to learn seems more important sometimes than the substance alone. I see lots of Public School kids who have NO idea how to study effectively.