txhomemom Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 I am trying to decide what Latin program to use and am thoroughly confused. There are so many good programs and I do not want to waste money on one that ends up not working. I am considering Latin Prep, Lively Latin, Latin For Children, Latin Road to English Grammar, Latina Christiana, Latin's Not So Tough, Latin Primer, and Matin Latin. My dd is around a 4th/5th grade level and has no previous Latin exposure. I am looking for something that is easy for the teacher (me). I do not want something that is geared only to the student because that is not the way my dd learns best (so heavy amounts of workbook work would be out). Ideally I would like to find a program that has more of a whole to parts approach or at least explains the concepts of Latin really well. I have no previous experience with Latin so I need something that completely explains the grammar part of Latin. Whenever I read about Latin grammar terminology it makes my head spin. So, what is the easiest Latin program of the ones I mentioned for the teacher with good explanations and not too much workbook time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogpond1 Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 What is your overall Latin goal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 I am looking for something that is easy for the teacher (me). I do not want something that is geared only to the student because that is not the way my dd learns best (so heavy amounts of workbook work would be out). Ideally I would like to find a program that has more of a whole to parts approach or at least explains the concepts of Latin really well. We are currently using Oxford Latin, which is definitely whole-to-parts. But, we worked through Matin Latin 1 & 2 first when ds was in 4th & 5th grade. I am not sure if ML would be considered whole-to-parts. I think not. I chose ML because I had no Latin experience and was intimidated by the whole subject. ML is supposed to be good for those of us with no Latin experience. Towards the end of ML 2, I had to work ahead of ds to make sure *I* understood. ML was easy for me to teach. They teach the grammar very well and very easily because first they teach the lesson in English, then in Latin. So, they would teach about direct objects in English, then in Latin. It was a great foundation for higher level Latin, imo. I have written a detailed review. Email me if you would like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 FWIW, I chose parts-to-whole (Latin Prep, in my case) because I didn't feel confident using a reading-style programme. I needed something that explicitly taught the grammar, because I didn't think I'd be able to answer my child's questions otherwise. Best wishes Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 FWIW, I chose parts-to-whole (Latin Prep, in my case) because I didn't feel confident using a reading-style programme. I needed something that explicitly taught the grammar, because I didn't think I'd be able to answer my child's questions otherwise. Best wishes Laura Ditto. But now that we have been through PL, LCI and are in LCII, we are supplementing with reading from Cambridge, Oxford, etc. If I had tried to do it from a reading-only approach we would have quit first year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 I'm not sure about all the programs you listed, but I believe that most of them take the parts-to-whole approach in teaching Latin. The whole-to-parts program that I would recommend is Lingua Latina (http://www.pullins.com/txt/LinguaLatina.htm). This program is also very good if you don't want a workbook approach. Based on these two criteria alone, I think the following programs are automatically eliminated from your list: Latin Prep, Latin For Children, Latina Christiana, Latin's Not So Tough, Latin Primer, and Matin Latin. I'm not sure about Lively Latin or Latin Road to English Grammar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plaid Dad Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 It's not whole-to-parts, but if you want a program that requires little or no teacher preparation, Lively Latin would fit the bill. The problem is that whole-to-parts programs generally require a teacher who is already very familiar with the language and able to explain grammar concepts as they arise in reading. Motivated high school and college students might be able to work through a program like Lingua Latina with just the College Companion, but it would be pretty much impossible for elementary or middle school kids to do so. The author of Lingua Latina has said that homeschooling parents who work at least 10-15 chapters ahead of their students can teach the program, and I would think that very possible, particularly if you use the College Companion as a teaching guide. If whole-to-parts trumps easy-to-teach for you, I'd go with Lingua Latina. If ease of teaching is the more important criterion, I'd go with Lively Latin, which is the closest thing to a self-teaching Latin curriculum I've found. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Yes, let me state that although ds is using Oxford Latin (whole-to-parts), he is doing so with a Latin tutor. I think a whole-to-parts approach for me, being Latin ignorant, would have been very difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.