Latin in the Christian Trivium

[Quiver0f10]

Could this be used with a bright 5th grader or should I wait until he is older? I am searching for something my 5th, 7th and 8th graders can do together.

[HSKLNG]

Comparison

"Which Latin Curriculum Is Best For Me?"

While we obviously have a stake in your purchase of Latin In The Christian Trivium, we want every customer to have the Latin curriculum that best fits THEIR needs. Here at LITCT, we recognize that each homeschool or private school is unique. Below is a good-faith comparison of the major Latin Curricula available. Please use this chart as a helpful reference when deciding which curriculum to purchase.

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Uses the Bible as its primary sourcePronunciation Promotes conservative Christian idealsGeared for Student/ Teacher InteractionFree e-mail supportTargeted AgesEmphasis on pagan mythsApprox. cost for first year textbookLatin in the Christian Trivium YESChurchYESYES, may be self-study if student is 14 yrs. old.

YES8+, though usually begun at 12 Accredited as high school course by UC

NO$29.95

 

This is found in their website as a chart, maybe there is easier to understand.

[Quiver0f10]

Thanks, that does help some. I am thinking if we took it slow he might do well. Maybe do volume I over a year instead of half a year. I wonder if this would be too slow?

[Chris in PA]

Jean,

I was interested in this program last year for my 4th grade ds and 7th grade dd. I spoke to someone at the CHAP Fair in PA about using this for my 4th grade ds. He really needs to be challenged. I think the lady I spoke to wrote the program (?). She told me that it could be done with my ds as long as we took it very slowly. I would not think that a year and a half would be too slow. At the time my ds had only completed Prima Latina. I chose to wait another year. This year we completed Latina Christiana I (which I wasn't too fond of). We are switching to something different for the fall and I am back to considering LINCT.

 

HTH somewhat.......

[Robin in Tx]

Finally! A topic I can speak to!

 

Jean, in all honesty, I doubt it. My daughter is 12. I'm calling her 6th grade, but she's doing basically 7th grade everything (summer birthday, I want her a year older for graduation, yadda yadda). Anyhow, she's almost 13 and the same age and maturity as her 7th grade friends.

 

She is doing LITCT online. I do have the TM, and I use to keep up with what the objectives for each week's lessons are, etc., so I can help her study and do her homework. I do not believe that she could have done this course in 5th grade. Maybe a very, very bright student who easily grasps grammar concepts could, but I believe they would be the exception, not the rule.

 

If you decide to go with this program, one of the things that the student has to do is make flash cards for each lesson's vocabulary words. Your youngest could simply drill all the vocabulary words if she couldn't keep up with the grammar. Then, when she is ready to start the program (or any other program) she will be that far ahead of the game (can focus on just the grammar and not on the vocablary).

 

Imo, there are not enough exercises to keep the student busy if you stretch the program out over a longer period of time. I don't think there's enough exercises as there is, to be honest. My dd can do her week's worth of homework in one sitting. Volume I is a one year course, not a one semester course. Each lesson is supposed to take two weeks, and there is enough information there to take two weeks to master... just not enough practice exericses to keep a student busy for two weeks, and certainly not enough practice exericses for the student whoneeds to spend more time on the lesson. For that reason, I think it moves too fast for a younger student.

 

Also, I think that their placement test is not exactly spot on. The student really does need to know a LOT more English grammar than what the placement test suggests. The program introduces all 8 parts of speech in the first lesson. In the second lesson, it has the student identifying the simple subject and simple predicate of an english sentence, and asusmes the child will know that helping verbs are part of the simple predicate (it does not give the student any instruction on this). It also discusses latin vs english syntax, and assumes the student knows what direct and indirect objects are, and how they are placed in english sentences, etc. Lesson three has the student jumping right into the principal parts of a verb - present indicative, present infinitive, and full verb conjugations, and a good sized vocabulary. At the end of this lesson, you only get 15 english to latin translation exercises, and 15 latin to english --- not many exercises for two weeks of study or for such a long vocabulary list. After chapter 3, there is a test and there are more exercises on the test than there were in the lesson.

 

Lesson four, the student has to grasp the concept of using the nominative case in the predicate, and they have to grasp it quickly. They also learn what the genetive, dative, accusitive and ablative of place where is. Another long vocabulary list, and this time more exercises (57), but in order to translate to latin correctly and know which case to use, the student needs to know exactly how to parse a sentence like this: Prophets live in the provinces and they give the poets wisdom. A compound sentence with prepositional phrase, direct object, indirect object. None of that grammar is touched on in the lesson - just thrown at the student as a translation exercise after the cases are explained. If your 5th grader easily sees that both prophet and they should be in the nom. case, etc., then she will be fine and won't get frustrated. There are other leaps in grammar instruction, such as when the vocative case is introduced... it merely explains that the case is used for direct address, but it doesn't give one english example of what a direct address is (much less an example in latin) - it just shows up as in a translation exercise and the student has to know what it is.

 

So see, I think that a student needs to be really on top of this level of english grammar or have a teacher (like you!) willing to take the time to teach these things and come up wth your own set of examples and exercises as you come upon them, or else I think she could get very frustrated. Honestly, I would have given up on this program if it weren't for the class, simply because too often there are big leaps from the instruction to difficulty in exercises. The online class is the only reason this program is getting done. We are taking level II next year, and looking forward to it, but only because dd loves the class and the teacher and is motivated to do well. That is more important to me than the curriculum :). I take the time to explain the gaps when I can, and remain thankful for the years we spent R&S English. WE'd be lost without it. And the online teacher is trying to convince my dd that she doesn't need to study English grammar while taking this course. HA!!

 

Hope this helps!

 

Robin

[yinne]

Jean:

 

I agree with Robin. I think this would be a very challenging course for a 5th grader. My oldest dd, an 8th grader, is in the 2nd book this year and it is alot of work. She spends an hour+ 5 days a week on Latin.

 

I would use something else for a 5th grader and hold off using LCT. My 5th and 6th grader are using LFC Book B this year. They will use Book C next and then I will probably have them use the new Latin Alive course that CAP is coming out with this year.

 

Yvonne in NE

[HSKLNG]

....What happened with the plans to have dvds done for the lessons? There is no mention at all at their website, is that not going to happened?

 

How are the lessons in the internet? Actual time? or On demand, if I may use the term.

 

Does any one knows? The y...group for this curr is frozen. No activity at all, no one to asked questions to.:confused:

[Quiver0f10]

Thank you everyone. I was looking at LFC and have gone back and forth over using it. I guess we could do that for a year or two then either LA or then move into LiCT. I looked briefly at the samples from LA and it looks like LiCT explains things better? I need a lot of hand holding LOL.

[yinne]

Not familiar with the internet lessons, but I know when we have a question I just email the authors and they have always answered our questions. Yvonne in NE

[profmom]

How are the lessons in the internet? Actual time? or On demand, if I may use the term.

 

We all meet at a specific time and use headphones with a mic for listening and participating. (So, it's not a video class and it's not just typing/chat.) I'm taking the class for myself and there are 2 other students. (Max was 5.) When we go through exercises together, I have to answer every 3rd question.

 

It's been a good experience!

 

Also, our teacher adds in the study sheets and drill sheets (that are available separately) for more practice than is included in the text.

[Robin in Tx]

Really?

 

My dd is taking the online class with the author's daughter, Julie Gentry, along with five or six other students. It is all typing/chat. No audio at all. I'm surprised that the format of the classes can differ like this.

 

Yes, we get the drill/study sheets, too... usually because the text exercises are done during class, and the study sheets are the homework.

 

It's been a very good experience for my dd, too.

 

Robin

[Robin in Tx]

Okay, I just read that audio is part of the upper level courses. So you must not be taking Level I, right?

 

My dd will be excited when she hears that audio will be a part of future courses!

 

Robin

[profmom]

Robin, I started the beginning class with volume 1 and Mr. Kinney in February '08. Maybe they're gradually moving to the headset/mic classes? I really like this format and think it would be better than typing. However, a friend's dd takes a Memoria Press Latin class with no sound or talking (typing only) and loves it!

[Robin in Tx]

My dd has loved this format, too (all typing). Almost every week they have a "drill" time where the teach asks questions and students race to type the correct answer. It's been funny to watch, because the girls in the class can type much faster than the boys, and so the teacher makes it a girls vs. boys contest and the girls have to type with just one hand and sit on the other. :) My dd has loved this class.

[Beth in SW WA]

Great news. My kids will have Julie Gentry (Mary's daughter) for their online teacher next year for Volume 1 (LITCT). I just received our books and am excited to get going.

 

I'm also toying w/ Lingua Latina and have been listening to the audio and trying to read along. I have no idea what I'm doing -- but in a strange way, its fun :)

[Robin in Tx]

HEads up... she begins with chapter three. Then goes back and does chapters one and two. I cannot remember her reasoning, but I do remember feeling quite lost in the beginning. It might help for you to review those first three or four chapters and make sure your son understands the correlating english grammar before you begin. It will help get things off to a smooth start.

 

Robin

[ChrisN in NY]

Could this be used with a bright 5th grader or should I wait until he is older? I am searching for something my 5th, 7th and 8th graders can do together.

 

Jean,

 

I think that if you're teaching the material to your dc and working together, expecting more of your 7th and 8th graders than of your 5th graders, that it's quite possible he will do decently with it. IMO, it's worth a try.

 

I have 2 doing LiCT right now: 11th grader in Volume 2, and a 7th grader who recently began Volume 1, but my "older" kids work more independently for their subjects. I'm trying to work my way through volume 3, but struggle with having the time on a consistent basis.

 

HTH!

[Beth in SW WA]

HEads up... she begins with chapter three. Then goes back and does chapters one and two. I cannot remember her reasoning, but I do remember feeling quite lost in the beginning. It might help for you to review those first three or four chapters and make sure your son understands the correlating english grammar before you begin. It will help get things off to a smooth start.

 

Robin

 

 

Thanks for the tip! They are sitting at the table doing LC 2 right now -- sounds like lots of grammar. Their local LC tutor says they are behind in grammar and she has been giving them extra.

 

Robin, I appreciated your lengthy post earlier about the way you do things w/ LITCT. If you think of anything else to share, flag me down :)

[Quiver0f10]

Jean,

 

I think that if you're teaching the material to your dc and working together, expecting more of your 7th and 8th graders than of your 5th graders, that it's quite possible he will do decently with it. IMO, it's worth a try.

 

I have 2 doing LiCT right now: 11th grader in Volume 2, and a 7th grader who recently began Volume 1, but my "older" kids work more independently for their subjects. I'm trying to work my way through volume 3, but struggle with having the time on a consistent basis.

 

HTH!

 

Thanks, Chris. I am going to think and pray @ it and decide. I really DO like the looks of LiCT.