MyLittleWonders Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 I think I've narrowed it down to one of the two: LfC or LL. We are currently doing Song School Latin to give us all an introduction to Latin and love it. I'm not sure when I want to start my oldest in either LfC or LL (maybe after Christmas, maybe in the summer - we go year round), but I've decided I want to have a good idea of what I'm going to use. So ... opinions on LfC and/or LL? Looking at the samples, they both look like good programs. :confused: Help! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aready Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 I am at the same place! I just posted this and got a few answers. You can check them out here: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130854 I am anxious to hear what others say too. One person said LL is mostly online. I didn't realize this, but will check to see now. I am sort of leaning LL, but mostly because WTM recommended. Let me know what you decide! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brehon Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 I started my eldest ds (now 8) in LL when he was almost 7, I believe, and we took it very slowly. He did not have any Latin prior to that. He *really* likes LL - especially making his vocabulary cards and, most especially, the Roman history. I like LL because it teaches English grammar at the same time it teaches Latin (in the early years of grammar there isn't a lot of difference between the 2 languages). Ds just started CW-Aesop & is ahead of the game because of his Latin instruction. I've never seen or used LfC; so, I can't say anything about it. Good Luck with your decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 I agonized about which of these two curricula to use. In the end I chose LfC because 1) I don't like the LL website and 2) LfC has dvds. Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patchfire Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 We tried using LfC A, making two or three attempts at it. We got about a third of the way through it. It was not a bad program, but it definitely was not a good fit for dd. She groaned about doing it, even though she said she loved learning Latin. We switched to LL this year, and she actually enjoys doing it! She's going through it really quickly, thanks in large part to her previous Latin exposure, but we'll use LL with the others, barring some bizarre change. Dd can get overwhelmed by large amounts of text on a page (we've had to switch math programs at times for the same reason), and the black and white layout of LfC totally overwhelmed her - the activity book was even "worse," in that it was more cluttered, because of mazes, word searches, and so forth. I feel like she's learning just as much with LL as LfC taught, but in a more gentle way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleWonders Posted September 30, 2009 Author Share Posted September 30, 2009 Patchfire, you bring up an interesting point that I didn't think about when looking at the two - we switched ds#1 from Singapore to Miquon because he was overwhelmed visually by Singapore. I'm not sure if it'd be different now that he is older - we won't know until we switch at the end of Miquon. Now I'll have to take another look at the two programs and maybe print out a couple pages to see what works for him. We've done so well with Miquon that I had forgotten about the visual-overwhelmed-ness ;) of Singapore with him. Hmm ... Other than that, everyone is mentioning the things I like about the two - DVDs and book form of LfC and the history built into the LL (ds LOVES history). Keep the opinions coming ... it really does help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleWonders Posted September 30, 2009 Author Share Posted September 30, 2009 I am at the same place! I just posted this and got a few answers. You can check them out here:http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130854 I am anxious to hear what others say too. One person said LL is mostly online. I didn't realize this, but will check to see now. I am sort of leaning LL, but mostly because WTM recommended. Let me know what you decide! Thanks for the link to your thread - I subscribed in hopes of it helping make the decision for me. ;) The curriculum junkie in me is saying "Get them both ... you know you want to!" :lol: But I must refrain. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aready Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 I know- I was thinking the same about getting both. But I must refrain too!!! I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one having this same decision with the same thoughts! I'm always amazed by the people on the forums and their insight! It helps SO much! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narrow Gate Academy Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 and decided to go with LfC for my oldest for a few reasons. I really like the DVD and the translation practice in the history readers. My oldest became much more enthusiatic about Latin just by being able to watch other kids chant through the grammar and vocabulary. There are free extra worksheets and tests as well as an online vocabulary review at the website. I didn't need or want the history component of LL or the hassle of printing all the pages. On a cost comparison basis of the print version of LL vs. the mastery bundle of LfC, I just felt the latter was a better value. It's been a great fit for us. My third grader is looking forward to starting it next year. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cschnee Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 We are doing Primer B of LFC and we love it! The chant cd is well done and easy to follow and the dvds are great. There is actually a little latin story to follow on the dvd after Chris (we call him Buddy) messes up his nice clean white board explaining the week's lesson. In Primer A it is "How the West was unus" and in Primer B it is "Supra vir!" The vocab offered each week is just the right amount and you can learn it with the fun "games" in the activitiy book. Grammar is taught in LFC! I looked at LL as well, but picked LFC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 I agonized about which of these two curricula to use. In the end I chose LfC because 1) I don't like the LL website and 2) LfC has dvds. Tara this were a few of the same reasons we chose LfC. At the time LL was only a download and I didn't want to pay big bucks and then print something. I also needed the DVD aspect for pronunciation help. We are now in LfC B and the program works great for us. We love Supra Vir. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdeveson Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Dd can get overwhelmed by large amounts of text on a page (we've had to switch math programs at times for the same reason), and the black and white layout of LfC totally overwhelmed her - the activity book was even "worse," in that it was more cluttered, because of mazes, word searches, and so forth. Thank you for this. I'm in the same position with ds, who finds cluttered pages overwhelming. Your post helps a lot. And speaking of getting overwhelmed with black and white cluttered pages, does anyone know why this happens to some kids? He doesn't have any learning disabilities -- he's just an average 10-year-old who gets completely turned off and overwhelmed with cluttered pages. I can't tell you how many times I've created my own worksheets for curricula that was really excellent, but had cluttered books. Will he outgrow this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elm in NJ Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 I used School Song Latin last year with my 2nd grade twins, this year we are using Lively Latin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 We are enjoying LL. In terms of teaching Latin, I have no complaints. The grammar instruction seems good. However, I do have some issues with the programme in general: 1) The inclusion of Roman history is not necessary if you are doing history in WTM rotation. We simply don't print the pages that deal with Roman history. This does not affect the Latin instruction. 2) Having to make the vocab cards really annoys me - it is just "busy work". I have figured out how to print them out (requires retyping), then laminate and cut them. Still takes time, but mine, not dd's, and probably less time overall. 3) The website does not work terribly well (e.g. having to click through multiple steps to get to the audio; the audio often does not work if accessed online, I have to download it as MP3 to make it play). 4) The Magistra does not answer queries (usually about technical problems), despite there being a forum to post problems. It is intensely frustrating. All said, I would buy it again, but maybe in CD format (we are overseas, so I wanted to cut out postage costs). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aready Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 LOL! You know how when you watch a show like 60 minutes they show you a clip of one side of the story and you are all "HEY- that other guy is TOTALLY wrong." Then comes a commercial break, and next thing you know they are presenting the OTHER side of the story and you are all "HEY- now the FIRST guy seems like the crazy here!" Then they take you back to the 2nd guy and show you all of the things that they did wrong again, and you are totally confused about who is right and who is wrong?!? Well- this is what I'm feeling with the Latin decision! LOL! ha ha ha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleWonders Posted October 1, 2009 Author Share Posted October 1, 2009 LOL! You know how when you watch a show like 60 minutes they show you a clip of one side of the story and you are all "HEY- that other guy is TOTALLY wrong." Then comes a commercial break, and next thing you know they are presenting the OTHER side of the story and you are all "HEY- now the FIRST guy seems like the crazy here!" Then they take you back to the 2nd guy and show you all of the things that they did wrong again, and you are totally confused about who is right and who is wrong?!?Well- this is what I'm feeling with the Latin decision! LOL! ha ha ha! :lol::lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jg_puppy Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 LOL! You know how when you watch a show like 60 minutes they show you a clip of one side of the story and you are all "HEY- that other guy is TOTALLY wrong." Then comes a commercial break, and next thing you know they are presenting the OTHER side of the story and you are all "HEY- now the FIRST guy seems like the crazy here!" Then they take you back to the 2nd guy and show you all of the things that they did wrong again, and you are totally confused about who is right and who is wrong?!?Well- this is what I'm feeling with the Latin decision! LOL! ha ha ha! :iagree: I want to start Latin with my 4th grader in January. I keep going back and forth between these two programs. I just can't decide. I really like the looks of LL, but I really would like DVDs. I think that having DVDs might help me find it easier to teach which means it is more likely to get done. Having shown my dd both programs she prefers the looks of LL. I think trying to please both of us is going to be difficult. Jan Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 I've posted before on other threads on how we made the decision between these two, so this is a brief repeat. Print out the samples from each and try to see which is a better fit for your dc and you. The things that tipped the scales toward LFC for me will tip toward LL for others. A quick rundown: -Format. I love having a physical book and DVD. I hate printing tons of stuff just to do school. LFC is ready to go. -LFC was described as having more vocab, less writing. My dd has a great memory so more vocab was not scary. Less writing is a definite plus for her. -I did not want the history lessons--we'll cover that in history next time we hit Ancients. I really wanted to just focus on the language. -The structure of the LFC lessons fits how my brain works (and dd's brain works the same way mine does). The samples just clicked for me. -LFC is a little further along the curve in terms of how long it's been around. The bugs and errors have been worked out. Turns out that my kids just love the LFC DVDs. It makes Latin one of their favorite subjects. We've been very happy with our choice. The Latin structure works so well for us that we also do Spanish for Children by the same folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara Mac Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Print out the samples from each and try to see which is a better fit for your dc and you. The things that tipped the scales toward LFC for me will tip toward LL for others. A quick rundown: -Format. I love having a physical book and DVD. I hate printing tons of stuff just to do school. LFC is ready to go. -LFC was described as having more vocab, less writing. My dd has a great memory so more vocab was not scary. Less writing is a definite plus for her. -I did not want the history lessons--we'll cover that in history next time we hit Ancients. I really wanted to just focus on the language. -The structure of the LFC lessons fits how my brain works (and dd's brain works the same way mine does). The samples just clicked for me. -LFC is a little further along the curve in terms of how long it's been around. The bugs and errors have been worked out. :iagree: This is the same sort of process I went through in deciding between the two. The other thing that sold me on LfC was that if I didn't like it I'd be able to re-sell whereas if I didn't like LL (I'd have gone for the download version because I'm in Australia) then it was money down the drain. Our LfC just arrived this morning so I haven't had much experience with it yet. We are on school holidays at the moment yet my dd9 begged to look at it and loved the first chapter and is very keen to do more :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 We are enjoying LL. In terms of teaching Latin, I have no complaints. The grammar instruction seems good. However, I do have some issues with the programme in general: 1) The inclusion of Roman history is not necessary if you are doing history in WTM rotation. We simply don't print the pages that deal with Roman history. This does not affect the Latin instruction. 2) Having to make the vocab cards really annoys me - it is just "busy work". I have figured out how to print them out (requires retyping), then laminate and cut them. Still takes time, but mine, not dd's, and probably less time overall. 3) The website does not work terribly well (e.g. having to click through multiple steps to get to the audio; the audio often does not work if accessed online, I have to download it as MP3 to make it play). 4) The Magistra does not answer queries (usually about technical problems), despite there being a forum to post problems. It is intensely frustrating. All said, I would buy it again, but maybe in CD format (we are overseas, so I wanted to cut out postage costs). :iagree: We just finished LL and would purchase it again with the above notes in mind. If I remember correctly is LfC the one that has children sitting in a living room singing latin chants? I think I saw a preview of that and knew immediately that my son wouldn't go for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verity Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 :iagree: We just finished LL and would purchase it again with the above notes in mind. If I remember correctly is LfC the one that has children sitting in a living room singing latin chants? I think I saw a preview of that and knew immediately that my son wouldn't go for that. Yes that's the one. I think both must be good programs but it all depends on your and your kids learning style. My almost 11 year old loves the kids doing the chants, we both like the professor who teaches each lesson and he eagerly looks forward to the next installment of "How the West was Unus". For us LfC is a really cute, interesting way to learn Latin. We play the cd's daily for our chant review and my hardly talking almost 4 year old will chant along with us, as will the 7 year old. The chants are just very well done and that makes the whole thing work for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleWonders Posted October 1, 2009 Author Share Posted October 1, 2009 Ok, you all bring up such good points for both programs, I think I'm as confused as I was when I began! :D I am going to print up the sample from both program and go through them with my oldest to see his opinion. I also plan on having us listen to the audio samples on-line and view the video sample from LfC. Right now based on my opinion, I think I'm leaning towards LfC - though I need to get on the LL webpage because the last time I was there, I really liked the look of it. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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