Veritas offers three ways to take courses: live online, self-paced, and You Teach. While it might be evident by their names how the courses run, there’s so much more to them. For example, did you know that You Teach courses can count for course credit in our Diploma Program? Or that you can take the stress out of planning by using our scripted lesson plans? Each method of taking courses is unique, so it’s important to understand them so you can make the best decision for your family.
If you’re thinking about using our You Teach course programs for your child, here’s how they work.
You Teach courses are basically traditional homeschool classes in which you, the parent, teach the student. If your student is part of the Veritas Scholars Academy Diploma Program, you would submit it to the teacher for evaluation. The benefit of teaching the course yourself is that you can really teach it however you want.
For those parents who like flexibility, You Teach is a great option. You can take the course at your own pace or pick and choose books from the reading lists. If you prefer a little more support, You Teach is also great for you! Each course comes with scripted lesson plans to tell you exactly what to teach each day and which materials to use for the entire year. (Note: If you’re a part of the Diploma Program, there are requirements for using You Teach courses, so be sure to talk to your advisor before selecting this course option).
Parents agree that the best part about the You Teach courses is the scripted lesson plans. They are available to you as a PDF download as soon as you purchase the course. In it, you’ll find daily instruction for the course written by teachers who have taught the subject many times. These lesson plans give you the structure you need, but the flexibility to be as hands on with the lesson as you like.
Let’s walk through the scripted lesson plan for a history course, Explorers to 1815.
We begin with an introduction to the course. Basically, the reason why we teach it this way. It’s worth a read, especially if you’re questioning, “Does my child really need to memorize the song?” and, “Did I order the right books?”
Then we jump right into the content in Lesson 1. The number of lessons in a course varies (read the introduction to find out why). In Explorers to 1815, for example, there are 160 lessons. History is meant to be taught 5 days a week for 32 weeks. In contrast, Bible is meant to be taught 4 days a week for 32 weeks. Also, depending on the age of your student, the lesson plan gives different instructions for activities.
The lesson title is listed at the top of each lesson plan. Next comes a list of books and materials needed for the lesson that day. Purchasing the You Teach course kit ensures you’ll have everything you need for the entire year. The “Objective” is the goal or focus for the day. This helps you to clarify, organize, and prioritize learning.
The bulk of the lesson plan is the teaching portion. This often includes a script that you can read verbatim from the plan if you wish. It lists the steps that should be taken for the lesson that day and ends with some sort of assignment. The assignment can be a worksheet, project, or test that is usually included in the course kit. Sometimes, like in Linguistics, worksheets are included right in the lesson plans. Other times, the worksheets can be found in the student workbook or teacher CD. When to play memory songs, read the literature, discussion questions, and grading rubrics are all found within the lesson plans for relevant subjects.
As you can see, any information you need to teach the course is included in the scripted lesson plans. It’s like having an experienced teacher by your side guiding you through the school year. Veritas offers 71 You Teach courses; of those, 8 are secondary, and the rest are grammar. Check what offerings are available for your student!
