I wasn’t a good at studying in high school or college. In fact, I pretty much relied on my memory and reviewed things as quickly as I could right before a test. That strategy got me through with a high GPA, but unfortunately didn’t result in great long term retention. I don’t want my kids to do that! So, I was thankful for the opportunity to review the Victus Study Skills System.
I received several great physical books to choose from. While they were all high quality, I choose to focus on teaching two of my kids study skills during this review period. My review will primarily focus on Level 1: Primary (K-2/3) and Level 4 (10/11-College).
What Did I Receive?
The picture above shows the complete Victus Study Skills System. There are four levels, ranging from kindergarten to college. Levels 1-3 have a Student Workbook and a Teacher Supplement. Level 4 just has a Student Workbook. There is also a Student Planner, which is flexible enough to meet the needs of a wide range of students.
What Are These Products?
I think the quote from Dorothy Sayers on the front of each book sums up the heart of these products very well…
For the sole true end of education is simply this: to teach men how to learn for themselves; and whatever instruction fails to do this is effort spent in vain.”
These products are all designed to teach children how to study, and learn on their own. They’re meant to increase independence, and help students learn to master material.
You’ll find activities, worksheets, discussion prompts, and practice activities to help with this process. And best of all, the levels build on each other, so if you start at the beginning it’s introduced in very basic terms, which proceed to get more complex at each level.
This keeps kids engaged, and ensure instruction in study skills is on par with their developmental level.
Level 1: Primary
I used the Level 1: Primary materials with one of my early elementary kiddos. She enjoyed the activities, especially the checklist style that some lessons have. She is like me, and enjoys crossing things off of a list.
This system is easy to pick up and run with. The only prep work involved was reading through the introduction and then reading the guide for the lesson before we dove in.
As a busy mama, I greatly appreciate grab and go resources. Especially ones that teach essential life skills like this one!
Here’s a peek at the Teacher Guide for the primary level. It has a snapshot of the student workbook, so you can always make sure you and your student are on the same page.
This thing has simple, step by step directions to follow. But, it’s not scripted, which I appreciated!
The worksheets are age appropriate. Level 1 has ten lessons, taking students through a study habits checklist, an evaluation of their learning strength, and some insight into setting goals.
The remaining lessons help students see how to make their goals a reality. There are lessons on time management, organization, listening, and more. It’s a great overview of several different strategies to increase productivity and understanding.
Here’s a peek at one of the pages my student did – it was on active listening. You can see that it’s a simple checklist style format with plenty of room for writing.
Level 4: College
I still can’t believe my oldest is old enough to be doing college prep…seriously where does the time go?
But alas, she is. And I want to make sure she’s as prepared as possible for life after high school.
Level 4 of the Victus Study Skills System is helping me accomplish that goal.
She and I work through it together one or two mornings a week. It’s designed to be used independently by older kids, but I have really enjoy spending this time with her, getting more insight into the way her mind works.
The student workbook is very thorough. There are checklists and guides, plenty of room to respond, and suggested aids for additional study.
Here’s a peek at one of the pages from this level. It asked students to think about what life in college would be like, and to compare and contrast some of the similarities and differences.
This activity really provided a jumping off point for us. We started researching life in college, and watching videos of dorm rooms and things.
That’s what I found throughout all of the lessons we’ve done so far – they really open up the door for further exploration.
And I really feel like my teen has become more organized and prepared for college since we started working on this.
What I Thought
From everyone in my family who used this product, it’s unanimous. Everyone thought they were well-done and very helpful. The college level book is formatted to be self-teaching, which I appreciate.
If you have a student who could use some better study skills, or to take control of their own learning, the Victus Study Skills System may help. I highly recommend it!
I was one of 50 reviewers for these incredible projects. To see what other families thought (and how they used the levels I did not), please click on the link below.
