+ Analytical Reading

Most public and private schools do not teach reading. Schools teach students how to fake understanding and how to hide ignorance behind overcomplex writing. But they do not teach real, analytical reading.

If you’re skeptical, go find a recent essay your child wrote. Ask your child to explain what one of his/her chosen evidential quotes literally means. Not the hidden meaning, or the secret meaning, or the subtext. Not the symbolism or anything like that. Just the literal meaning.

You might be surprised. You can even take something as common as the Declaration of Independence. Your child has almost certainly supposedly studied it in school. Here’s the first line.

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Ask your child literally what it means. Your child’s answer will instantly inform you of the quality of the reading training at your current school.

At Vohra, we do not do reading training in discussion seminars, where students who haven’t even read the text bloviate about its meaning. Instead, we use individualized reading training that uses probing, analytical questions to determine comprehension level, and then build that level. (Note: We do use discussion seminars in our creative writing programs, where discussion is actually useful.)

The hallmark of our system is something we call “Reverse Turing Questions.” These questions are designed to quickly determine if a student actually understands a sentence...or is just pretending. These let us know what areas need to be addressed, and help us ensure all of our students are building real critical reading skills for life.

Rapid Analytical Reading

Our advanced students have the option of studying Rapid Analytical Reading, a grammar-based approach to speed reading. This approach is designed specifically for complex texts, including literature, standardized test passages, and textbooks. Rapid Analytical Reading Seminars are offered twice a year.

+ Grammar Training

Most schools teach essentially no grammar at all. Vohra’s rigorous program builds intensive grammar skills to support serious, analytical reading. This grammar training also prepares students for the SAT and ACT grammar sections.

Grammar training is a prerequisite for all of our reading and writing programs. It is also a very quick course.

+ Math

At Vohra, math training is individualized. Students work at their own pace with careful, close guidance from our educational experts. Students are never left behind, and are never waiting for others to catch up.

More importantly, we use “Responsive Worksheets” throughout math training. Often, students develop gaps in their math knowledge. Most schools don’t address that problem at all, and instead let the gaps get worse and worse over time.

At Vohra, we constantly look for gaps, and immediately address them. For example, if a calculus student is struggling with adding fractions, we pause the calculus, build the fractions skill, and then return to the calculus. This builds a rock solid, rigorous understanding without gaps.

We offer intensive math training up through BC calculus, which is followed by guided independent studies in advanced topics such as linear algebra, number theory, abstract algebra, discrete mathematics, etc.

Students interested in risk and finance may choose to study for the SOA/CAS Actuarial Exam P, which is a challenging exam in calculus based probability. It is also available to students of all ages, but most highschool students, drowning in busywork, never even consider adding such a unique and prestigious exam to their resume. You can.

Your Path Through Mathematics:

Prealgebra, Algebra I and II, Algebraic Geometry, SAT Math, Trigonometry, Euclidean Geometry, Calculus

Geometry Explanation:

Most schools, including most private schools, no longer teach rigorous, proof-based Euclidean geometry. That’s not surprising; Euclidean geometry takes the kind of grit and perseverance that most schools fail to instill.

At Vohra, we teach real, rigorous Euclidean geometry. But first, we make sure that the student has the math skills, logic skills, and perseverance to rigorously study Euclidean geometry.

Recommended Testing:

• CLEP College Algebra
• CLEP College Mathematics
• CLEP Precalculus
• PSAT
• SAT
• ACT
• CLEP Calculus
• AP Calculus AB
• AP Calculus BC

+ Science and Social Science

Natural Science

At Vohra, we offer AP Level training in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Students also independently prepare for the AP Environmental Science and AP Psychology exams, which are easier.

Our science program focuses on rigorous mathematical and conceptual understanding. We don’t slow students down with pointless projects and tedious lab reports.

Students either prepare directly for the AP Exam, or first prepare for the CLEP exam and then take the AP Exam.

Philosophy of Science

Most students in advanced science classes do not understand the philosophical basis of Western Science. Instead, they learn scientific facts as if they were articles of faith.

But science is a process, not a fixed set of facts. Supposedly infallible scientific theories eventually get proven wrong all the time, but the core methods of science stand forever.

At Vohra, our science program is grounded in a rigorous understanding of the scientific method, the philosophy behind science, and deeply considered epistemology.

Vohra students also study the towering works of scientific thought. Instead of reading summaries of the Origin of Species in some Pearson’s textbook, our students read the original text, and see the complex and nuanced thought of one of history’s great scientific minds. They read Alan Turing’s Paper on Computable Numbers, and Watson and Crick’s analysis of DNA. They learn how great scientists think and analyze, and understand science as a method, not as a collection of blindly accepted factoids.

Your Path through Natural Sciences:

Chemistry, AP Chemistry, Biology, AP Biology, Physics, AP Physics

Recommended Testing:

• CLEP Natural Sciences
• CLEP Chemistry
• CLEP Biology
• AP Chemistry
• AP Biology
• AP Physics (Calculus based)

+ Social Science

Economics

For most people, social science is more important than natural science. All adults contend with economics and psychology. Very few adults do much with physics.

Our economics program combines mathematical, conceptual, and historical approaches. Students study game theory, microeconomics, and macroeconomics. Our economics program is calculus intensive, and calculus is a prerequisite. Fortunately, Vohra students usually complete calculus by 9th or 10th grade, so you’ll have plenty of time.

Students also directly analyze the towering works of economic thought, including An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Das Kapital, and That Which is Seen and That Which is Not Seen.

By default, students prepare for the AP exams in Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. Some students may take a CLEP exam before the AP as a stepping stone.

Students who wish to test themselves further may prepare for the Actuarial FM Exam in Financial Mathematics.

Psychology

Vohra’s psychology program examines both classical and modern psychology. Students study classical thinkers like Freud, Jung, and Adler, but also examine modern analysts like Cialdini, Gladwell, and Dweck

After completing core training in psychology, which involves intensive reading of critical psychological works, students move to a guided independent study program. Most students prepare for the AP Psychology exam. Some choose to focus on the neuroscience aspects of psychology.

Your Path through Social Science:

Economics, AP Economics, Psychology, AP Psychology, Core Psychology and Neuroscience

Recommended Testing:

• CLEP Microeconomics
• CLEP Macroeconomics
• AP Microeconomics
• AP Macroeconomics
• CLEP Psychology
• AP Psychology

+ History and Literature

Vohra Method’s History and Literature program consists of two major components.

AP Integrated Humanities

At Vohra Method, students train for all eight AP History and English courses; some students also add AP Art History.

AP History and English Exams are tests of critical reading and analytical writing. They include relatively little pure fact recall. The exact same skills are tested on multiple exams. At Vohra, we take advantage of this to create a single, integrated program that prepares students for multiple AP exams at the same time.

This is in stark contrast to most private schools, which artificially limit the number of AP exams their students take.

Structure of Western Thought

The hardest part of Vohra Method’s Literature and History program is our Philosophical Pillars of Western Thought program. Students closely read and analyze the works that have shaped Western thought. Examples include The Leviathan, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, On Civil Disobedience, Hamlet, The Prince, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, On The Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection, and other significant works. Students analyze these texts closely, and challenge questions are presented by the instructor.

At Vohra, there’s no way to pretend to read, pretend to understand, and then hide behind complex language or clever charisma. Our questions are incisive and brutal, designed to guarantee real understanding. Expect to work harder in this section than you’ve ever worked on anything.

You’ll have a mix of “Reverse Turing” challenge questions designed to see if you understand the text, and individualized questions designed to ensure thorough understanding.

Your Path through History & Literature:

AP Integrated Humanities then Structure of Western Thought

Recommended Testing:

• CLEP Western Civilization I
• CLEP Western Civilization II
• AP US History
• AP European History
• AP World History
• AP US Government
• AP Human Geography
• AP Comparative Government
• AP English Literature
• AP English Language
• CLEP American Literature
• CLEP Analyzing Literature
• CLEP English Literature
• CLEP Humanities

+ Writing

One of the absolute worst things public and private schools do is that they only teach the most boring, most commercially useless, most utterly pointless writing skill. Most schools teach literary analysis as their ONLY type of writing.

Supposedly, this measures whether or not a student has understood a book. It does not achieve this at all. The only thing the “All literary analysis, all the time” approach achieves is making students hate writing.

At Vohra, we build writing skills in ways that are engaging, commercially useful, and effective.

While other students waste their time on writing inane papers about books they didn't read, Vohra students learn to write fiction, political and persuasive writing, and nonfiction. Students have the option to work on commercially in-demand genres, including mystery, fantasy, science fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, and other areas that have commercial and cultural relevance.

Your Path through Writing:

Vohra Writing has multiple components. You can complete fiction and rhetoric in any order, then move on to narrative writing. Studying nonfiction is an optional elective.

Fiction Component: Mystery Writing, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Literary Fiction

Rhetoric Component: Persuasive Writing then Political Writing

Narrative Writing: Narrative essays, College Essays, Screenwriting & Playwriting Requires 3 quarters of fiction and 3+ quarters of rhetoric before beginning

Screenwriting & Playwriting This is a guided, independent study. Requires 3+ quarters of fiction before beginning.

Nonfiction: Guided Independent Study in Nonfiction. Requires 3+ quarters of fiction and 3 quarters of rhetoric before beginning.

Recommended Competitions: Weekly competitions at TheProse.com Essay Contests at aynrand.org (add list)

+ Foreign Language

Foreign Language Mastery requires motivation and immersion. We don’t believe in dragging students through several years of ineffective drudgery in Spanish or French. Instead, our students do independent studies in the languages of their choice.

Our students use Openculture, Duolingo, and other methods of their choice.

Recommended Testing:

• ACTFL Reading and Oral Proficiency Tests
• CLEP in French, Spanish, or German
• AP Exams in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Spanish