Latin for Children -- convince me.

[Audrey]

I keep looking at LfC. We're doing Minimus/Minimus Secondus, and it is fun. It's cute. Dh loves it.

 

But.... it doesn't go any further, and although Latin is ds's fave subject, I don't think he has any great grasp on the grammar.

 

So... convince me (or not) that LfC will be a good, solid Latin programme AND it will be fun. The fun part is very, very important.

[elegantlion]

Last year when we looking for a Latin program I read every post about Latin on this board (eyes glazing over). Fun was one of my criteria as well. LfC was described as fun more than any of the other curriculum. My other criteria were it had to have DVDs to help with pronunciation and I wanted a book with a clean layout and a similar format from week to week.

 

I've never been sorry about our choice. We had a great first year of Latin. DS has learned a lot, we made up marches to go with the chants, and we had fun. Latin was the one subject my son never complained about doing. We are continuing with LfC next fall.

[HollyDay]

Sorry, I cant convince you because it was not a good choice for us. I tried it with a 2nd and 5th grader. We also had complete Minimus - have you been to the website by the way and played the games there?

 

LFC was awful for us. My 2nd grader did not have enough english grammar to understand the latin grammar and the program moved so very fast.

 

My 5th grader had plenty of grammar, but the vocab was so fast, she didnt retain much. The lessons were really, really fast.

 

Also, the chants were not good for us. The dc were not memorizing one single word, but a string of sounds. I guess that is why they are chants. They reminded me of military drill/running chants. And they were really, really fast.

 

If fast is not an issue, then you would probably due well with LfC. My gf uses Shurley and loves the program because LfC follows the Shurley books. So, if grammar is not an issue, you would probably due well.

 

For a fun and easy workbook, you might look at LNST. Yes, it is not at all liked here. I wouldnt use it past vol 1 and 2. We did do vol 3 this year, and it was okay - not a mistake - but just okay.

 

HTH some

[abbeyej]

I've never actually *used* it, 'cause whenever I looked at it closely, I got really turned off to the program. It moves very quickly in terms of just piling on the vocabulary (and to a lesser extent the grammar paradigms), but doesn't spend much time on pulling that together and letting kids *use* what they've learned to translate and manipulate the language. And while I'm certainly a fan of memorization (especially for younger students), I find that most kids need context for that, a way to see that their hard work is building towards a real understanding of the language. And not just overwhelming them with lists.

 

For a student who has done Minimus and Secundus and is under 5th grade age, I'd consider Lively Latin instead. For 5th-8th grades, I'd go to Latin Prep from Galore Park. Both are fun and colorful, have explicit grammar instruction, translation, and are both "fun" and rigorous. I really love Latin Prep (I've taught the first two levels and will be using the third this fall), but will be using Lively Latin instead of Secundus next year (2010) for some younger students coming up...

[Melissa in CA]

Sorry, I cant convince you because it was not a good choice for us.

 

LFC ... moved so very fast.

 

:iagree: When we first began Lfc my son really, really liked it. It started off well. Around lesson 7 or so he began to flounder. We stopped and I purchased Getting Started with Latin. He did that daily for a few weeks with the online lesson downloads. It was rather dry and boring to him. We went back to Lfc and tried to go more sloooowly but that did not really help him grasp the grammar. It's a chants/vocab program more than it is a grammar program. It does move really, really, really fast through the lessons. Perhaps if your ds loves learning vocab with Latin grammar as a side-issue, then Lfc may work well. But my son being older, wanted more understanding about what he was doing. He needed more grammar, and practice using the grammar. Lfc did not give this to him, and since *I* do not know Latin myself, I could not add in what was missing. Lfc gives you chants with a smidge of grammar thrown in and lots and lots of vocab, but not a lot of practice. And yes, we had the Activity Book/DVDs/ Cd's etc.

 

We have purchased The Great Latin Adventure for this next year. It is geared more toward learning Latin Grammar, with lots and lots of usage and practice. I think it's going to be just what my son needs. My hope is to use both Levels I and II for 7th.

 

I don't want to dissuade you from Lfc, as it seems to be a great program. But it won't be a great program for every child. Your ds may or may not do well with it. I guess only trying it will tell you for sure. ;) As for fun factor, I actually think Lively Latin is more fun. (Yes, we have that too! :w00t:).

[metrodorus]

There are now over 125 Beginning readers in Latin for children, on the Tar Heel reader site.

 

This resource continues to grow, and will be crucially important to parents who wish to teach young children Latin - what is needed, is an enormous amount of input - lots and lots of reading.

 

Prior to the Tar Heel Site being colonised for this purpose, these books simply did not exist. It was hard to find enough reading material at the right level - quite simply, Latin educators have been behind the curve for a few centuries when it comes to providing masses of material to develop and consolidate language skills.

 

Now we have over 125 magnificent Latin Readers. If you educate children in Latin, please publicise this site as widely as you can. It is amazing.

[metrodorus]

Re Tar Heel - I forgot to add - only use the Latin readers with the gold badge.

 

There is an index of all the Latin titles on the Tar Heel site that have been reviewed.

 

Laura Gibbs keeps this list.

 

As you use the site, you can add the books you want to use to your favourites list.

 

This is also a way of controlling which books your child can read - as some of the Tar Heel Books are written for teenagers.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

DD1 did Prima Latina in 3rd grade and was bored to death. In 4th grade we switched to the LfC A set with the DVDs, activity book, and history reader. Now DD1 says that Latin is one of her favorite subjects. I found that most of the lessons could be completed in one week. A few times we spread a lesson out over two weeks or took an extra week to work on vocabulary. I've found it to be an excellent program and plan to continue with level B next year. HTH

[Kareni]

There are now over 125 Beginning readers in Latin for children, on the Tar Heel reader site.

 

 

 

Thanks for sharing this site. I passed the link on to my daughter's Latin instructor too.

 

Regards,

Kareni