First Form Latin users

[Renee in NC]

How much time does your student spend per day on First Form?

 

Are the DVDs a good addition?

 

What are the cons for the program?

 

Thanks!

[Debbie in OR]

My ds11 has been using FF since the middle of last summer. He spends probably 15-30 mins./daily on it. Prior to this, he has done Prima Latina, some Minimus, Lively Latin 1 (finished), LL 2 (stopped at lesson 3 or 4). We also do Cambridge on Fridays just for fun.

 

Pros:

Mastery program...there is not a lot of jumping around. I think LL laid a good foundation but it was frustrating for my ds to work some on something for a day or two or three and then move on to something else. (But I'm learning that he needs mastery programs for math, as well.)

 

Breaks things down into small bites.

 

I personally like the layout of the books...the font is nice, lots of clean space, not a lot of sidebars and boxes of additional information running down the side or bottom. I don't do well with busy pages.

 

Cons:

 

The flip side of the simple layout of the books is that they are not colorful and exciting. But for us, this doesn't matter. We prefer clean, plain pages.

 

It's definitely workbook-y. Lots of writing, which my ds is not crazy about. I do let him do much of the translation sections orally. But I don't know that there is any other way to do latin well except by repetition.

 

DVDs: We do own them but as yet, have not needed them. We went through the online class last semester, which was great. It laid enough of a foundation, and because it breaks it down into bite-size chunks, we are progressing well without them. (I say "we" because I am learning it along with him!)

 

I have been thrilled with how ds has done with FF latin. Maybe it's a combination of the facts that he's a bit more mature now and that he's had a few years of basic latin but he is doing excellent with it. It blows me away how quickly he can do the translation exercises...he's truly learning it.

[PollyOR]

We are just (ahem) restarting. DD(14) was excited when I offered to buy the DVD's. She wanted more direction than she was getting from me. I am also watching the DVD's and they are much better than the ones for Prima and LC1 (unless they've been redone lately).

 

I also love the idea of a workbook. We needed more practice and this will definitely provide it.