Songschool Latin ?

[ThreeBlessings]

I'm considering purchasing Songschool Latin for our next school year. I'm trying to decide if I should get the teacher's manual or not. Can someone with experience please give me their opinion?

[fhjmom]

I just bought it at our book fair and I am planning on using it in the fall. I did buy the Teacher's Edition because I have*no* experience with Latin at all. The Teacher's Edition is basically just the student text with the answers filled in. There are a few teaching points and suggestions scattered about, but not a ton of instructions for the teacher. I found it worth it simply because I wanted to know I was giving the kids the correct answers without having to second guess myself. :D

 

Oh, and there are some sections the teacher is supposed to read aloud and the student has to mark things in their book, so it is easier if you each have your own version. I don't know if there is a lot of these, but I know I was looking at one story section earlier this evening that was like that.

[Ravin]

I bought the Teacher's Edition for the same reason listed below. And haven't cracked it since the first week. You probably don't need it, even if you don't know a lick of Latin.

[lauracolumbus]

I don't know a lick of Latin and didn't buy the TM. We breezed through it. I haven't seen it though, so I don't know if it adds any extra enrichment activities.

 

Laura

[ThreeBlessings]

Thanks :) I was reading on the website and it pretty much said you didn't need it. Now I just need to decide if I should go with Songschool or Minimus. My kids are 10, 8, and 2. I almost wonder if Songschool might be too young for dd at 10, but I bet she'd have fun with it. Especially if dd who is 2 shows interest in the audio aspect of the program.

[abbeyej]

...I almost wonder if Songschool might be too young for dd at 10, but I bet she'd have fun with it. Especially if dd who is 2 shows interest in the audio aspect of the program.

 

Yep, absolutely too young. Way too young.

 

You could just throw the CD and the book in the car and have the kids sing the songs as you're driving around town. But I'd consider it a complete waste of time as "school" for kids the ages of your older two. It really only teaches a few dozen vocabulary words (without any of the Latin grammar required to be able to *use* those words). I'd expect a ten year old to be able to cover all of the material in SSL in a couple of weeks -- but not have much accomplished at the end of that time. (I think it's fine for the 4-7, maybe 4-8yo crowd as a very first intro to the *idea* of doing Latin during school time.)

 

But for *school* I'd go with Minimus for the older ones. If you want to do SSL, just get the student book (not the teacher one) and throw it in the car. And yes, I think it will be very cute to have the 2yo singing the songs. ;)

[christine in al]

I do suggest the teachers manual for Minimus , It added a lot of activities for us.

I love the idea of Song school in the car. ( notice the cd has both classical and eclesiastical ( I know I didn't spell that right) prounounciations ( durn I hate spelling)

ANYWAY,,, if you can you may want to copy jsut the classical prouniciation on a cd and keep the master safe, so A. you don't have to futz with only some tracks being wanted , and 2, it makes the copy almost disposable, if it's lost or scratched, no biggy,

 

my 2 cents.

~c.

[m0mmaBuck]

Here's my plan. I bought SSL as DS8's introduction to Latin. I plan to use the CD in the car this summer and gently introduce him to the idea of learning Latin. I think it will be fun for DD4 as well. We will probably get through the actual text in a matter of weeks and then move on to Minimus when we start school in the Fall.

[abbeyej]

I do suggest the teachers manual for Minimus , It added a lot of activities for us.

 

I agree. Apply the money you save *not* buying the TM for SSL toward the (unfortunately more expensive) TM for Minimus.

[NaturalFamiLEA]

I bought it. Although I can review her lesson and see for myself if she got it right, etc. I like that we can both sit, each with a book in our laps, and go over it together.