Omnibus: Classical Education Review
by There is an educational course out there that is more than just one grueling subject. Take a look at Omnibus to get more out of education.
Traditionally there is a class for every individual subject you can think of. But what if you could find a course that brought several subjects together under one umbrella and then dug down deep into it. There is such a course and Omnibus is waiting for you.
Omnibus is Latin for “all encompassing”. This means that it covers more than just history and more than just art. It covers a wide spectrum. This course from Veritas Press is truly amazing. Why am I blasting their trumpet? Because we use it and I am thoroughly in love with it. This course dives into history, art, Bible, and literature. Nothing stands alone. It pulls it all together in a way that is all encompassing.
The text is a large hardcover text book that is colorful and in depth. It is divided into two semesters and then further divided into the primary and the secondary books. The primary ones are the more crucial ones for the course. The secondary books are more supportive and takes the student in deeper. Opening up the main textbook, the reader discovers a summary of the book that is the focus of the chapter along with information on the author and setting it is in. At the end of the chapter are several “sessions” of questions, projects, or assignments for the student. Some of them are review questions. Others are working at getting the student to use logic and composition to answer deep questions.
You can purchase the books for required reading through the publisher along with a separate world history book and a wonderful art appreciation and history book. But what you get with the basic Omnibus book is a teacher’s CD that helps in the course and gives the mid-term and final exams.
If you love to learn, this course is the one for you. According to the publisher, Omnibus I is a seventh grade course. Upon looking at it you would be shocked to think of any seventh grader comprehending this material. Much of it I was not exposed to until college. Some of the books for the Omnibus I course is The Epic of Gilgamesh, Odyssey, and Julius Caesar. The Chronicles of Narnia are also included for lighter reading one would think. Wrong! There is meat in those books just waiting to be devoured.
Most seventh graders would balk at this curriculum if they have not already been exposed to classical learning and using logic and deep thinking. My own child took four months to begin to enjoy it and get the hang of it. She is in eighth grade and much of this is hard for her. The teacher should expect to spend a lot of time working with the child and learning themselves as they explore some topics that are not as “easy” as they might think at first.
This course is not cheap. The main book and CD costs $100. Purchasing the entire course from the publisher will be well over $700. But in all honesty the course could stretch over two years or more depending on your teaching plans. Don’t bypass this course because of its price. It is more than worth it for the development of thinking and advancing the abilities of the student.
Liked it
