Veritas Press Self-Paced History
by Veritas Press (website )
High-engagement, video-led classical history courses featuring interactive games, automated grading, and a chronological Christian worldview.
Best Fit For
Busy families or those with multiple children who want a rigorous, classical, and biblically-integrated history program that students can complete entirely on their own.
Not Recommended For
Secular homeschoolers or families looking for a flexible, neutral historical perspective; also those on a strict budget who cannot wait for seasonal discounts.
What Reviewers Say
Reviewers consistently laud Veritas Press Self-Paced History as a premier choice for independent learning, particularly for parents looking to offload teaching responsibilities without sacrificing rigor. Sources like Cathy Duffy and The Homeschool Mom highlight the high production value and the 'stickiness' of the memory songs and timeline facts. While the interactive games and 'talking head' actors keep students engaged, some trade-offs are noted: the pricing is high compared to workbook-based programs, and the content reflects a very specific Reformed Christian worldview that may not suit all families. Common concerns on the Well-Trained Mind forums include the potential for 'screen fatigue' if multiple subjects are outsourced to similar formats, but overall retention is frequently described as exceptional.
How It Works
A student logs into the online portal independently to complete approximately two to three interactive video lessons per week, with each session lasting between 30 and 45 minutes. The child watches high-production videos featuring historical actors, plays digital games to reinforce facts, and sings memory songs to learn timeline events. The parent's role is primarily administrative: they monitor the automated gradebook to track progress and ensure the child is reviewing their physical history flashcards. While the program is designed for independent use on a computer or tablet, many parents choose to read the optional recommended literature books aloud to the child to deepen the experience.
Switching to This?
Because these courses are organized chronologically by historical era rather than by difficulty level, there is no formal placement test. The publisher and community recommendation is to start at the beginning of the five-year cycle with Old Testament and Ancient Egypt in 2nd grade, though older students can successfully jump into any era that matches their current interests. Families can start at any time of year because the one-year subscription clock begins only when the course is activated. If you are switching from a textbook-heavy program, expect a transition period where the child adjusts to the 'edutainment' style of learning and the requirement to memorize specific dates for the cumulative tests.
Curriculum Details
- Price
- $199
- Grades
- 2 - 6
- Available As
- Digital Video Interactive
- Coverage
- Single subject
- Subjects
- History/Social Studies
- Pacing
- Self-paced
- Parent Time
- 0-10 min/day
- Parent Involvement
- None
- Student Independence
- Fully independent
- Academic Level
- Above grade level
- Worldview
- Christian
- Engaging for Reluctant Learners
- Yes
Pricing is per course per student for a one-year subscription. Frequent sales occur in spring/late summer reducing price to $149.00 or less.
Videos
How a Veritas Press Self-Paced History Course Works
by Educational Roots
Reviews We Consulted
Commends the program's academic rigor and its integration of Protestant church history with secular events, though its specific theological perspective is a key consideration for families.
"The lessons often broaden beyond their titles, but they frequently link biblical and church history with the typical history that most children are taught. The religious perspective is strongly Protestant, but it does include early church fathers, church councils, and other church history."
Appreciates how the high-quality interactive videos engage students independently, though it lacks a traditional teacher role and requires following a strict sequence.
"When you enroll in a Self-Paced History course with Veritas Press, what you are getting is a year long class, taught to your student, which you access online. There is not a ‘teacher’ element to the course, but there is a prescribed sequence you need to follow, as well as assignments and tests which your child will complete throughout the year."
Highlights the fun, interactive nature of the lessons for memorizing historical facts, while noting the software prevents students from skipping forward.
"The online courses are interactive and teach about important people, events, places and dates in a fun way that helps students remember what they have learned... the forward button is locked until you work through the lesson."
Enjoys the "storytelling" approach using costumed actors and humor, which successfully keeps students entertained while learning historical concepts.
"The teachers are more like actors and actresses who are acting the parts of characters who lived during the time period being presented in the lessons... it’s like they are sharing a story and there are plenty of silly moments that cause my son to laugh out loud."
Reports high student enthusiasm and "begging" for lessons, while praising the robust parent dashboard for easy grading and progress monitoring.
"Every day he begs me to do Veritas history. It's become our all time favourite resource. Today he begged me to do a lesson before bed time!"
Updated: March 2026
How This Compares
When compared to The Story of the World, the biggest difference is that Veritas Press offloads the teaching to an interactive video platform, whereas Story of the World requires a parent to read a text aloud. Parents choosing between this and The Good and the Beautiful will find that Veritas Press is designed for independent, grade-specific study, while The Good and the Beautiful is built for 'family-style' learning with multiple ages together. Compared to BJU Press Distance Learning, Veritas Press feels less like a recorded classroom lecture and more like a produced television show, which can be more engaging for children with shorter attention spans. Against Mystery of History, Veritas Press is more strictly Reformed in its Christian worldview and places a much heavier emphasis on memorizing a specific, unchanging timeline of 160 events. Finally, compared to a program like Biblioplan, Veritas Press is much more structured and digital-focused, making it better for parents who want a 'done-for-them' history solution rather than a flexible reading list.
Getting Started
Get Support
Provides answers regarding pacing, managing multiple students, and navigating the online learning platform.
Purchase
The publisher's direct store for purchasing individual history courses or bundled literature kits.
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