Learning How To Learn: A Victus Study Skills System Review

One of the ways we fail to do our job as educators on any level is to overlook basic learning skills.  We get so involved in the subjects that we forget to teach a man to fish so to speak.  Today's review, the Victus Study Skills System , is very unique in that it is designed to help each student evaluate themselves and then equip them to move ahead towards a goal.  Sometimes in our efforts towards our students learning we don't take the time to consider how they learn.  It is so common to hear adults say they struggled in college because they didn't know how to study.  Too many students don't know what they don't know on top of that.  These products have been a sweet blessing in the time we have used them, but promise to be bear fruit for years to come. 

For this review, we received all levels that can be used with students from K - college.  My children are doing 1st and 3rd grade work right now so for the review period we used Level 1, Level 2 and the Student Planner. As you can see below though, having access to all of these levels will allow them to revisit the information in more detail as they grow.

What We Received:

Level 1: Primary (K-2/3) 
Teacher Supplement 
Student Workbook

Level 2: Elementary (2/3-4/5) 
Teacher Supplement
Student Workbook

Level 3 (5/6-10/11) 
Teacher Edition
Student Workbook

Level 4 (10/11-College)
College Student Workbook

Student Planner

Every level workbook is divided into three sections, each of which answers a different question.

Where Am I Now?

Where Do I Want To Be?

How Do I Get There?

Primary Grades Student Workbook - My 5 1/2 year old decided she wanted to be a farmer when she grows up

Within those sections are various units that cover a variety of information including current learning/study habits, learning style questionnaires, goal setting, time management, reading skills, listening skills, note taking, test taking, etc.  All levels are age appropriate.  The primary workbook doesn't go into subjects not relevant yet (like test taking, etc.), but certainly sets the concepts up in the students minds about setting goals and finding the things you can do to reach those goals.  The elementary workbook goes further into things like time management and test taking.  One of the things my son (8) was the most excited about was using a planner.  He immediately started carrying it around and writing things in it.  In the time management section of his (Elementary Grades) workbook one of their activities was to have them fill out a planner with a fictional person's deadlines and activities.  It was exactly what he needed to use the big planner more effectively.    

Elementary Grades Student Workbook

The Student Planner

The Primary and Elementary Teacher Supplement are designed to be used in conjunction with the Teacher Edition book.  Each one shows student views of their corresponding student books along with instructions.  The supplements often instruct you to read out of the teacher edition.  All instructions are clear and concise so even as you are switching between two books, it wasn't confusing.

What We Thought

It may seem too young to be discussing career goals with your 5 and 8 year old, but it sparked some really valuable conversations as we worked through the lessons.  When the workbook asked him what he wanted to be doing at 30, his initial choices were working at Braum's (a local ice cream and burger shop), driving a UPS/Fed Ex truck or being a mailman.  Mr. Butler and I have always agreed that we want our children, especially our boys, to find careers that will sufficiently provide for their future families - not just something they would enjoy.  Both would be ideal.  Since Braum's wouldn't be a great choice for a long term career we began talking about annual income.  Once it was over I could definitely see the wheels turning.  

Some of the things we learned about won't impact their daily school life just yet, but others already have.  We struggle with structure and this program helps you prioritize, something I'm not the greatest at.  Ideally, I wish we would have had this program when J was in Kindergarten!  For a type B personality like me, we need to be taught how to order things like time and take notes.  Everyone needs to see the connection between where we want to be and where we are now.  Itemizing how we will get there is where so many of us fail.  

Check out Victus on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VictusStudySkillsSystem/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/victusstudy
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/victusstudy/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZQ_3UrSbjae4ooEJhJI4bA

We loved this program and expect great use out of it in the future.  Since we only used the lower levels, be sure to read some of the other reviews of the higher levels to see how it might work for you!