I tutor Latin online on a sliding scale (people place themselves on it) between $25 and $60. I'm an experienced tutor and a Fulbright fellow in teaching, and I typically spend 45 minutes to an hour prepping for each hour I teach. If you want it, there is more information up at http://www.LatinTutor.net.

I can also vouch for Dr. Fuhrman and Eat to Live. My mother's cholesterol went down 150 points when she stared eating this way. She literally added 30 years to her life expectancy. Plus, my boyfriend used this method (and a ton of exercise) to loose 80 pounds over the course of a year. Both of these are extreme examples, but having seen them both with my own eyes (I guess you can't really see cholesterol, but you know what I mean.), I am totally sold on this method. Other things you can do to get out of the mindset of "cutting bad things" from your diet and into the mindset of just eating fresh, whole foods are watching the documentary Food, Inc. and reading Michael Pollan. Good luck! It's not easy to start out, but once you've successfully changed your eating habits over the course of three or four months, you'll never want to go back.

http://www.Latintutor.net has personalized online Latin classes, and they use a variety of materials, so the classes can meet your kids exactly where they are and not spend time going over stuff they already know from doing Latin earlier. Good luck!

Another option you have, when you're feeling stuck using a Latin program you're not able to explain to your dc, is getting support from an online Latin tutor. Latintutor.net offers a free first hour and can be very helpful in a pinch to keep things moving forward. Good luck!

I started learning Spanish at age 12 and continued all the way through high school until I was basically fluent. I've let it drop off a little, but I have used it to communicate with Spanish speakers whose English is weaker in this country (the US). I started learning German at age 20. (I'm at an upper-intermediate level now, but man, is it hard to achieve fluency a new language and have the responsibilities (not to mention the mind) of an adult at the same time!) The reason I started learning German: It, and French, are the two languages that are most useful for many intellectual pursuits in grad school. (Philosophy, philology, music, etc. Probably sciences, too, but I am not a science person.) Part of me wishes I had learned French in middle/high school instead of Spanish, since it would have been easier to meet these grad school reading proficiency requirements! Folks in the US think of Spanish as "useful" -- and they're right. Depending on your profession/the region of the country you live in, Spanish is very useful and sometimes necessary. Folks in Europe think of German as "useful" -- and they're right, too. I believe it's the most widely-spoken second language in Europe after English, partially because Germany is an economic and intellectual force. I think it's fair to say Germany is more prominent on the world stage than any Spanish-speaking country. On the other hand, I saw an article recently -- in Spanish -- about how the majority of Spanish citizens themselves are decidedly not enthusiastic about learning a foreign language (or even willing to learn one), whereas, taking into account my experiences in Germany, I would suppose most Germans are more excited about bi- and multilingualism. Does this answer your question at all? I hope so! There are strong pros of each. If you've got a crystal ball and you can tell say, whether your dc will be interested in working in public heath or law or teaching in the US or as academics or for multinational corporations with branches in Europe then your decision might be easier. :tongue_smilie: If not, you can certainly be comforted knowing that any foreign language is better than none at all!

Lots of times when kids take tests, it makes sense to prep them specifically for the test, even when they might have covered a lot of the material that's on it. This is especially true for AP Latin tests, but also true for the NLE and SAT 2... Some books are available: There are some really good AP books out there for example. But for NLE or SAT 2 it's probably better to get a Latin tutor. Latintutor.net has specific test-prep courses, if the online approach appeals to you. Also, don't forget a little test-taking strategy work can go a long way!

Considering the age of your kids, I'd look into http://www.thedowsschoolroom.com/foreignlanguagelatin.shtml if I were you. You also might find http://www.latintutor.net to be a good resource... It's aimed at older kids but has some general information and tips, and you can always book a free "first lesson" for yourself if you have a bunch of questions or are confused about something in particular. Good luck!!

I think your relationship to AP depends on what goals you have in mind... APs can be a good "tool" to show colleges what you've accomplished, but there are certainly other tools out there to do the same things. Personally, I think the language APs (which I have by far the most experience with) are a mixed bag -- On one hand, I'm not sure I would've reached Spanish fluency as quickly without Spanish APs motivating me. On the other hand, as a classicist, I find the Latin AP pretty boring. There is such a breadth of wonderful Latin literature that it's a shame to have high school kids only focus on one thing. Have you considered doing a course of your choosing - Virgil, for example - and trying out a practice AP test to see if it's worth paying the fee to have documented scores? This might be a happy medium between doing what feels good and getting credit in the UC system. You might also choose SAT 2s to give colleges an idea of proficiency levels.

:iagree: Were you thinking of www.latintutor.net ? There's personalized online courses there. You can have the tutor work through Wheelock's or any other text... at whatever pace works best for your son. In addition to the entertainment/engagement factor, online classes are supposed to produce better results than books alone - http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/study-finds-that-online-education-beats-the-classroom/