The CLE of Latin?

[SnMomof7]

I don't know if Latin programs work this way generally speaking, but here goes.

 

We love CLE's constant spiral review, rigorous grammar, and clear daily lessons. Is there a Latin program like this out there? It must include explicit grammar.

 

We are considering Latin Alive, but I don't know if it meets the above listed specifications.

[nansk]

 

 

constant spiral review, rigorous grammar, and clear daily lessons.

Henle is the first thing that comes to mind. 

 

 

 

We are considering Latin Alive, but I don't know if it meets the above listed specifications.

I have seen comments on this forum that Latin Alive does not have enough practice - only 10 or 20 translations for each lesson, iirc. You can check out their samples.

[Sahamamama]

We have worked through some Henle here (well, I have) and we are using CLE for Math. I will just say that the format of Henle is cumbersome and very unlike CLE. If what you like about CLE is that it can be done independently, then Henle probably won't be a good fit. The content of Henle is good; it's like Father Henle put himself in the book. There is good teaching in there, if you can get past the clunkiness of the multiple books that will not stay open, having to copy the exercises (or just write the answers in a notebook, which I didn't find at all helpful for review), or having to flip back and forth between the various texts.

 

Have you looked at First Form? I have mixed feelings about it. From the outside looking in, it seems like it goes so fast! But maybe by the time we get there, we'll be ready for that pace?

 

We're still trudging through Latina Christiana here, but have FF on the shelf for the next phase. I'm thinking that when we start back up in a few weeks, we'll wrap up LC I quite quickly, then move into LC II, because the format will be similar to what we're used to. Plus, we have that course already.

 

I agree, though, it would be nice to find a CLE for Latin. Good question!

 

If you decide to go with Latin Alive, you have to come back here and post your thoughts. :)

 

 

 

 

[Sahamamama]

Have you seen The Latin Road to English Grammar? Not CLE, but you build your own notebook. Not cheap, though!

 

 

[JadeOrchidSong]

I recently purchased spiral bound Henle Latin 1 textbook and spiral bound grammar book and a simple answer book from here. I also purchased a MODG syllabus for the first half of Henle 1 with daily lesson plans, weekly quizzes and quarterly tests with answers. On top of that, I found Magistra Jones' blog that has all the FREE printable exercise worksheets done with good size font and lots of room to write in.

So I just need to print the worksheets and follow the daily lesson in the syllabus. The whole Henle 1 lasts two years this way and gives 2 high school credits.

I looked at the Latin Alive Sample and it turned me off for two reasons: 1. There is not enough translation and not enough exercise for practice. 2. The Latin reading passages do not use the words you learn in the texts; you are provided with a whole new list of new words in order to read those passages, which seems to defeat the purpose of learning new words in the texts.

Henle, on the other hand, provides ample practice, translation, and Latin passages with words you have learned in the lessons, which makes more sense to me.

Also, my boys and I do not like DVD lessons. So Latin Alive will not work as well as Henle.

[kloumc]

For what you are looking for, and seeing the age of your children,  I would recommend The Great Latin Adventure by Katharine Birkett. Have you heard of this program? It has been out for several years now and I used it with great success as a beginning Latin program for my three. It contains all the elements you are looking for. It is also very God-honoring and family friendly just like CLE materials. Although the study of Latin has review built right into it, this program does have some review chapters as well. You will also appreciate the derivative worksheets for your children - I don't know of another Latin program that works on English derivatives as well as The Great Latin Adventure. You can find a fuller description of it on the website: www.classicallegacypress.com

 

[5wolfcubs]

For what you are looking for, and seeing the age of your children,  I would recommend The Great Latin Adventure by Katharine Birkett. Have you heard of this program? It has been out for several years now and I used it with great success as a beginning Latin program for my three. It contains all the elements you are looking for. It is also very God-honoring and family friendly just like CLE materials. Although the study of Latin has review built right into it, this program does have some review chapters as well. You will also appreciate the derivative worksheets for your children - I don't know of another Latin program that works on English derivatives as well as The Great Latin Adventure. You can find a fuller description of it on the website: www.classicallegacypress.com

 

The Great Latin Adventure might be the perfect fit -- I used it with two of mine when they were about 12 and 9.  The older one had done (or was doing) CLE 6 English, and she did both levels of GLA in one year.  My son took 2 years to do the program and I did it with him.  I wish I had not recycled the student pages now -- I just did it as part of my great homeschool clean out (and these two particular kids are now 18 and 15!) -- so I could more accurately describe the grammar and layout.  I don't remember it being Lesson 1, Lesson 2 like CLE but there was definitely a solid followable structure that I appreciated. 

 

My 18 went on to do MODG Henle program (both years) and GLE gave her the foundation she needed to do Henle on her own.  My 15 did Memoria Press First and Second Form with a coop, and then jumped into an online Latin 2 class with the 2nd half of Wheelock's.  They both had a solid foundation of Latin from GLE.  We had started with Latin for Children, tried to get through it twice and gave up.  I did like the LfC ending chants (probably because I learned them first) but GLE was the first Latin program we actually got through!

[SnMomof7]

She is using GSWL at a very relaxed pace right now to see if she's still interested by the end of the year. I don't plan on starting Latin before 6th with any of our children.

 

Of all the suggestions, I actually think FFL is the most like CLE. It is very no-nonsense, incremental, and grammar focused. And it includes diagramming. I actually have level one. It differs from CLE in that it has many pieces (student text, student workbook etc.) and (if I remember correctly) has more of a weekly lesson flow instead of daily lessons. However, I don't think we want to spend four years covering Latin grammar before being able to read. Two years seems more common...and more concise also.

 

Henle, oh my. Honestly, the layout almost terrifies me!

 

TGLA - I like the emphasis on noun case usage! but it is a very slow start to the full grammar. I'm not sure if I want her to spend a full year working within first (and maybe second...I can't quite recall) declension nouns. Particularly after GSWL, since it does cover those. I also can't quite visualize the lesson flow.

 

Latin Road - I tried using Phonics Road. It was a disaster. There wasn't enough written instruction (very DVD based) and I am NOT an audio based learner. I need much more text to work with.

 

Somebody should write CLE Latin!

[lotsofpumpkins]

We like CLE here, and First Form Latin is going well. It's not really set up like CLE, but it has clear directions and the workbook is not cluttered. There is a strong grammar focus, which I like. (I have my own copy of the FFL workbook and I'm learning it along with my dc.) I'm very visual and have been known to ditch programs because of font or cluttered pages, and I love how the Memoria Press Latin books are set up.

 

Someone commented on FFL moving fast. I started FFL on my own about 18 months ago, and got a little overwhelmed at first because I had no prior Latin experience. I put the book down and went through Latina Christiana 1 with my dc instead. Now we are in FFL and it is going so well. Having that introduction to Latin from LC1 really helped pave the way for FFL being a little easier, so far. We are watching the DVD too; I think that helps.

[Heidi]

We like CLE here, and First Form Latin is going well. It's not really set up like CLE, but it has clear directions and the workbook is not cluttered. There is a strong grammar focus, which I like. (I have my own copy of the FFL workbook and I'm learning it along with my dc.) I'm very visual and have been known to ditch programs because of font or cluttered pages, and I love how the Memoria Press Latin books are set up.

 

Someone commented on FFL moving fast. I started FFL on my own about 18 months ago, and got a little overwhelmed at first because I had no prior Latin experience. I put the book down and went through Latina Christiana 1 with my dc instead. Now we are in FFL and it is going so well. Having that introduction to Latin from LC1 really helped pave the way for FFL being a little easier, so far. We are watching the DVD too; I think that helps.

I agree. I could have written this post. Did and am doing the exact same thing.

[Guest SuperHerbGirl]

We like CLE here, and First Form Latin is going well. It's not really set up like CLE, but it has clear directions and the workbook is not cluttered. There is a strong grammar focus, which I like. (I have my own copy of the FFL workbook and I'm learning it along with my dc.) I'm very visual and have been known to ditch programs because of font or cluttered pages, and I love how the Memoria Press Latin books are set up.

 

Someone commented on FFL moving fast. I started FFL on my own about 18 months ago, and got a little overwhelmed at first because I had no prior Latin experience. I put the book down and went through Latina Christiana 1 with my dc instead. Now we are in FFL and it is going so well. Having that introduction to Latin from LC1 really helped pave the way for FFL being a little easier, so far. We are watching the DVD too; I think that helps.

I agree. I could have written this post. Did and am doing the exact same thing. 

 

 

 

 

I was searching to see if anyone had gone from LC1 to FFL and how it worked for them.  You two just completely answered my question.  Thanks!

[Tiramisu]

I am a huge fan of FFL. My daughter who thrived with CLE, also thrived with FFL. 

 

I'm a strong advocate of doing FFL at a slow pace. When I've used it with coop classes, I've seen the best results doing it half pace. My dd had the worst retention the year she took the online class for Third Form despite the professional teaching, quizzes, etc. I think it was just too much too fast. 

 

My FFL schedule is like this:

 

Day 1: Introduce the lesson in the textbook

Day 2: Have the student copy the lesson bullet points into a notebook (although my dd typed them on the computer) (This shows the Latin Road influence I've had.)

Day 3: Use index card to make flash cards for the new vocabulary words in the lesson

Day 4 and beyond: review bullet points and vocab flash cards each day and complete one workbook page a day until the lesson is finished (ETA: Thanks, RootAnn, for the reminder. Daily recitation of forms is a must.)

 

At home I never used the tests and quizzes, but they can be useful to work through for extra practice.

 

My dd started FFL at the end of fourth grade. I would have started it earlier but she had medical problems that year, so I waited until she was healed. She continued with the series in fifth, six, and seventh grades. In eighth grade, she started Fourth Form, which uses Henle and it did not go as well. It was a weird year and I accommodated a lot because she started vision therapy and was not a happy camper. At some point in the year dh decided to switch her over to Lingua Latina, the series she would use in high school. It didn't get done super consistently because I'm not strong enough in Latin to teach from Lingua Latina and we had to work around dh's schedule. In any case, dh placed her in accelerated Latin 2 and on the path for AP Latin at her brick and mortar high school. She's consistently scored very well. I think she got A+'s and I didn't even know they gave A+'s. I'm convinced it was the solid foundation that FF gave her that allowed her to do so well, even though the method and scope and sequence of the new program were extremely different.

 

For my youngest dd who has writing problems. I'm going to hold off of FFL and do LC1. LC1 doesn't require as much writing. I would never use Latin Road for a student who has any issues in writing. It's very writing intensive and would not have worked well for any of my kids, though we tried it for a year with my oldest.

 

[RootAnn]

The Forms Series is based on Henle, but goes slower through the material.

 

We start in Prima and eldest is doing Third Form this year. It feels slow looking back, but it seems like to moves quickly when you are trying to learn it.

There is constant review IF you follow the instructions in the TM for the oral review & do all (or at least most) of the recitations.