Please convince me that Latin for Children is fun...

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Ok- I'm not trying to sound shallow. I don't mean fun as in a piece of sugary candy or a cheap comic book... I mean fun as in engaging: like a good book that you just can't put down. Latin has to have some fun to it or a student would want to drop it like a hot potato.

 

Compared to Lively Latin's color and open-looking pages (lots of white space), LfC is a densely packed black and white text that feels HEAVY to me for a 3rd grader. I know there are fun extras, but I don't see how they are scheduled.

 

I want to like LfC because posts here sound like there is clearer instruction compared to LL. I get the feeling it might be better organized-especially in the long run. It just looks DRAB. What about the DVD lessons? The sample lesson does not impress me. The teacher "scribbles" on a white board and flies through a lesson that would be very abstract for a3rd grader. Am I wrong?

 

Really, I'm not trying to be critical. I AM trying to understand.

 

I've also heard about enough mistakes in LL that it makes some people NUTS! :tongue_smilie: Are the mistakes really that bad? I emailed Cathering Drown, but she has not responded to my question about fixing the errors in BB1.

 

How can LfC be fun when it looks so text-booky?

[Dmmetler]

My DD seems to enjoy it in part BECAUSE it's so textbooky, if that makes any sense. She really feels like a "big kid" and enjoys figuring out how it works. The chants help, as do the gestures for the vocabulary. I had many of the same concerns-but it hasn't been an issue for her.

 

I admit that I find the DVD about as appealing as watching paint dry, and that DD has never gotten into it beyond the initial presentation of the chants. I'm torn on whether to get the DVD/CD set for LfC B, because while it's great to have the CD for carschooling, I'm not sure it's worth it to pay the price for the set when we're only watching the first minute of each lesson.

[Ali in OR]

When we started LfC A two years ago, Latin took the place of history as my kids' favorite subject. They really enjoyed the DVD. They liked watching the kids chant Latin. I'm not sure how much attention they pay to the whiteboard lesson, but I am learning alongside them and it helps me quite a bit. But the best part for my kids are the silly extras at the end of the lesson. I think every other week is the continuing saga of How the West Was Unus, and the off weeks would be getting to know the chanting kids better. My kids do not watch t.v. or play video games, so they are probably more easily entertained than some kids, but the DVD made this course great fun for them.

 

As far as learning from the black and white text, that just isn't even an issue for us. The text is logical, the skills sequential--it's a format that works well for us. I do not turn dd loose with the text--Latin is something we do together sitting on the sofa. In fact I am usually the scribe and most of the writing in the book is mine as I ask dd the questions and write down her answers. It is working well here. Dd has excellent retention and can help me on the things I can't quite remember as I help her understand some of the things she can't quite recall. We are very happy with LfC.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Thank you, ladies!

 

I sent Catherine Drown another e-mail:tongue_smilie: to ask her about the mistakes/corrections in LL since I'm trying to decide between LfC and LL. I was thrilled to hear from her that LL is 98% corrected and that any minor errors would not prevent anyone from learning Latin.

 

I am leaning toward LL. We will finish Getting Started with Latin by Bill Linney this year. When I asked him about what to do after GSwL, he basically suggested to maintain interest in Latin and not to overload the child.

 

I'm going to continue researching LL and LfC, and I hope others will continue to share opinions about how *fun* LfC is.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I like it and my son likes it. It is one of the few subjects he doesn't complain about (go figure). He likes the chanting and the children standing there in the video chanting. The puzzle pages are fun too. He isn't so crazy about the teacher guy, but I don't mind him.

 

I have never seen LL, but from your description I think I might like that one too. I personally don't mind black and white. In fact, if there is too much color and splash and confusion on a page I feel like hurling the book across the room (and it is unfortunately how many children's books are written these days).

 

I agree there is a lot in each chapter. We just go more slowly. I don't do one chapter per week. I don't even care if it takes an entire month to do a chapter, so I don't mind that aspect.

 

I will take a look at Lively Latin though. The only other Latin program I have used was Latin's Not So Tough (which was so so).

 

 

Thanks, Wendy!

 

Let us all know what you think about LL since you might be able to offer a comparison.

[Karis]

IT IS!!!!!

 

My children also like the supplemental site - Headventure Land Please take some time to go to it. Go to the CAP website and there is a link. Many wonderful additions.

 

I like it too. If you have your child memorize the 1st - 5th declensions and all of the verb tense endings from the beginning, it's easy. I am quite pleased with it.

[MyLittleWonders]

We really like LfC A, including the DVD and the Magister. He has a quirky sense of humor, which goes over very well in our house. :) It is a lot, but we keep reviewing the vocabulary from previous chapters, which helps a lot. My 2nd grader is keeping up with my 4th grader just fine (though my 2nd grader seems to have a knack for languages and is keeping up with his older brother in MCT Island as well). None of us are crazy about the English derivative pages, so we usually skip those and instead I typically point out English words that come from the Latin words as we work through the chapters.

[mommaduck]

Mine loved it...but we used the DVD also.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

IT IS!!!!!

 

My children also like the supplemental site - Headventure Land Please take some time to go to it. Go to the CAP website and there is a link. Many wonderful additions.

 

I like it too. If you have your child memorize the 1st - 5th declensions and all of the verb tense endings from the beginning, it's easy. I am quite pleased with it.

 

 

Thank you, Karis! I found Headventure just two days ago. It IS wonderful. This must be new because when I was looking at the LfC web page several months ago, I don't remember this being there...

 

I don't understand how Headventure is scheduled. Is there a lesson plan that says, "Do lesson 1... Now do Headventure video 1?" I think the only disadvantage would be if Headventure isn't a planned part of the curriculum. Also, just the time it takes for the videos to load on the computer. This was a problem this morning when I was trying to watch some of them.

 

 

We really like LfC A, including the DVD and the Magister. He has a quirky sense of humor, which goes over very well in our house. :) It is a lot, but we keep reviewing the vocabulary from previous chapters, which helps a lot. My 2nd grader is keeping up with my 4th grader just fine (though my 2nd grader seems to have a knack for languages and is keeping up with his older brother in MCT Island as well). None of us are crazy about the English derivative pages, so we usually skip those and instead I typically point out English words that come from the Latin words as we work through the chapters.

 

 

MyLittleWonders, I'm amazed that your 2nd grader is keeping up with your 4th grader in this Latin. That is wonderful!

 

My 3rd grader has an older brother and sister who will be in 6th and 8th grades next year. The 8th grader especially will have classes that will require my help. I'm having to learn how to balance the time among all three children so that I can help each one.

 

I could be wrong, yet it seems like LfC might take more time than LL. This is a concern and another reason I am still considering LL.

 

Algebra I, physical science (physics and chemistry), English I (The Potter's School, maybe), Analytical Grammar, and SWB middle school writing are some of the challenges my older two are facing next year.

 

He may only be in 3rd, but my youngest will just be beginning the more intense elementary school subjects. He will need me just as much as the older ones, so I'm trying to be careful with curricula choices.

 

Your comment that LfC is a lot is not surprising. How long-on average- do you all take for LfC?

[Karis]

I don't see LFC as a lot. It's fine for me. But I have my 2nd/3rd grader doing Song School Latin not LFC - that'll come later and I'll also enroll her in an on-line class (Veritas Press Scholars Academy) so she grasps it firmly.

 

Grammar/ sentence patterns etc... need to be fully "down" IMO before I have her do LFC.

 

 

Tues. & Thurs. Span. & Latin days in our home.

 

oldest LFC - On-line class/ 1 on 1 with me

youngest - Song School Latin w/ me 20 minutes tops (she has the CD/ on-line tutorial w/ videos, games, worksheets, etc...) but time with ME is 15 - 20 min.

 

I have them both review vocab. w/ Headventure (They watch the videos indep. and sep.)

 

takes 15 minutes to review the declensions and conjugations. I have them review vocab. maybe 3-4 times a week. I do quick reps - oral & written. Youngest still learning the declensions/ conjugations, but it's fine. She's enjoying it.

My oldest, too.

 

But it sounds like you really like LL.

[Karis]

know Grammar & be able to understand sentence patterns.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

From Karis:

But it sounds like you really like LL.

 

 

Yes, Karis, I like LL better. Yet, I became concerned when I read comments about the errors in the LL text and directions that led moms to wonder, "Why is the author asking us to do that???"

 

If LL is unclear, confusing, full of errors I probably need to find something else. LfC has a huge following with reviews that are very positive. It is known to be clear, well-organized, and well-loved by those who use it. With such a reputation, I have had to research it.

 

I just feel like my ds would enjoy the color and simplicity of LL compared to LfC. He is only going to be in 3rd. I am most concerned about preserving his love of school and love of Latin more than I am to find the most academic program for 3rd grade. I think LL would preserve the love more than LfC would.

 

After Catherine Drown's response to me today, I feel better about LL. She said that LL in now 98% correct and what errors are left would not keep anyone from learning Latin. So, now my pendulum is swinging back towards LL.

 

I'm still all ears, however, about LfC. Nothing is completely decided at this point.

[Halcyon]

:bigear:

 

LL looks like it couldl work well for my younger, as wel, but I like the way LFC is laid out. Choices choices....

[Jayne J]

Really? Really?! I was all set to order LfC A and here you go telling me that LL is largely corrected. Didja hafta? :lol:

 

Serioulsly though, the chants are a big factor in my (wavering) decision to use LfC. Any chance there is a seperate chant based supplement that I could use along with LL?

[Annie Laurie]

I think it depends on the kid, (if they'll think it's fun or not). My ds10 loves it. It is definitely his style and he loves the dvds. My other kids are just so-son on it. Ds10 has an amazing memory but I think it moves too fast for my other kids and may try a different program with them. But my ds10 does think it's a lot of fun.

[Karenciavo]

We use LFC, I tried another program this year and went back, I've used it with all three of my boys. They all really enjoy(ed) LFC, ds8 loves headventure, but all three hate the dvd and the audio. I guess silly things annoy them, I wonder where they get that from

[JudoMom]

Thanks, Wendy!

 

Let us all know what you think about LL since you might be able to offer a comparison.

 

I didn't like LL. It seemed very random to me, and I didn't think there was enough practice. I constantly felt like I didn't know where we were going, even though I had several chapters printed out. I know a lot of people love it, but it just didn't fly here.

 

I do like LfC. It's very systematic. There is enough practice, and the chants are fabulous.

[Halcyon]

I didn't like LL. It seemed very random to me, and I didn't think there was enough practice. I constantly felt like I didn't know where we were going, even though I had several chapters printed out. I know a lot of people love it, but it just didn't fly here.

 

I do like LfC. It's very systematic. There is enough practice, and the chants are fabulous.

 

Since I almost always find that what JudoMom likes, I like, I think I've found my answer :lol:

[MyLittleWonders]

Your comment that LfC is a lot is not surprising. How long-on average- do you all take for LfC?

We take about 20-30 minutes a day, 4-5 days a week. On Mondays, we tend to watch the DVD lesson and then do the first worksheet of the chapter. Tuesday through Thursday we do other worksheets (we don't do the "quiz" as a quiz but rather as daily work) from the chapter and/or the activity book (we don't do the word searches/cross-word puzzles, but most chapters there is something in there that works for us). On Fridays, we'll often review the DVD lesson (at least the chanting) and now that we are far enough along (we'll start chapter 11 in January), I often make a translation worksheet for the boys to do together. We also tend to do Minimus on Fridays (it's a nice supplement and my boys love the stories).

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I didn't like LL. It seemed very random to me, and I didn't think there was enough practice. I constantly felt like I didn't know where we were going, even though I had several chapters printed out. I know a lot of people love it, but it just didn't fly here.

 

I do like LfC. It's very systematic. There is enough practice, and the chants are fabulous.

 

 

JudoMom, your comment here (and others like it from several other posters) is exactly why I'm considering LfC. I've shown my ds both LfC and LL, and true to form, he liked the colorful pages. He absolutely did not like the *funny* looking art in LfC ..... from the eyes of a 7 year old.

 

I do see the organization in LfC, and I LOVE that they consider changes that need to be made yearly! That is awesome. I think CAP is striving to make a great product.

 

It seems an easy choice to start with LL because it is more visually appealing, but a harder (almost impossible) thing to predict is how I'll feel in the end. IOW.... from hindsight, what would I think if I could look back and do it all over again. Would I choose LL or LfC?

 

You know, not to be flippant at all, but it's just Latin!:tongue_smilie: We kind of stumbled into it when we tried Song School Latin in 1st grade. I can't even remember now why we started!:lol: But he loved it! Now, I just want him to continue to love the subjects he studies.

 

Sometimes it's nearly impossible to make a curriculum choice b/c you never know if something will work or not.

 

I'm not ready to say we'll definitely do LL yet because there are SO many who use LfC...... and for good reason. We'll finish Getting Started with Latin this year which should be a very good prep for whatever we decide to do next.

[SilverMoon]

One more LFC perk I haven't seen mentioned yet is the little free extras CAP sends out fairly frequently. We have their Latin word a day Advent calendar on our wall right now. Last month it was a little Thanksgiving Day set. That had an ebook on Headventure Land, a printable version, a key, and a couple worksheets to go with it. Not too long ago they released coloring pages for SSL. These come across their email newsletter and their Facebook page.

 

I don't bother to schedule Headventure Land videos. On HL practice days I have my kids play at least 2-3 rounds on the appropriate level of FlashDash, then let them loose on the site for 20 minutes or so. Sometimes they pick up words before we get to them in our books, but I'm ok with that. :)

[Sweet Home Alabama]

One more LFC perk I haven't seen mentioned yet is the little free extras CAP sends out fairly frequently. We have their Latin word a day Advent calendar on our wall right now. Last month it was a little Thanksgiving Day set. That had an ebook on Headventure Land, a printable version, a key, and a couple worksheets to go with it. Not too long ago they released coloring pages for SSL. These come across their email newsletter and their Facebook page.

 

I don't bother to schedule Headventure Land videos. On HL practice days I have my kids play at least 2-3 rounds on the appropriate level of FlashDash, then let them loose on the site for 20 minutes or so. Sometimes they pick up words before we get to them in our books, but I'm ok with that. :)

 

Thanks, Silvermoon! CAP certainly seems to work hard to please their customers.

[MyLittleWonders]

CAP is a wonderful company and personally, I've been nothing but pleased with their customer service. :)

[HeidiKC]

We love LfCA, including the DVD! The ridiculous skits after some of the lessons crack us up! And we find the instructor funny, not so much because he is SO funny, but he's a tad nerdy and sort of tries to be funny once in a while. He is charming! But my son is in 5th grade - I'm not sure a 3rd grader would appreciate the nerdy humor thing. I also love watching the DVD because it is a very easy way to keep me learning the lessons. I plan to have my son re-watch the lessons over the summer, without doing any work.

 

I don't think the chant part of the DVD is that helpful (since we already have the CD, and I play that every morning), but it's the grammar instruction that is helpful.

 

Now I don't know if I can say it is TONS OF FUN, but I will say that my son definitely enjoys it. When I was asking him about curriculum choices for next year and which he wanted to continue with, I got the strongest YES on LfC for Latin than on any other subject. No, I wouldn't say the book is totally engaging (not bad, though), it's more the DVD that does it for us. But the Activity Book has a lot of fun stuff in it, although I feel that some of it is busywork (word searches, especially). but there is good stuff in there, too.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

We love LfCA, including the DVD! The ridiculous skits after some of the lessons crack us up! And we find the instructor funny, not so much because he is SO funny, but he's a tad nerdy and sort of tries to be funny once in a while. He is charming! But my son is in 5th grade - I'm not sure a 3rd grader would appreciate the nerdy humor thing. I also love watching the DVD because it is a very easy way to keep me learning the lessons. I plan to have my son re-watch the lessons over the summer, without doing any work.

 

I don't think the chant part of the DVD is that helpful (since we already have the CD, and I play that every morning), but it's the grammar instruction that is helpful.

 

Now I don't know if I can say it is TONS OF FUN, but I will say that my son definitely enjoys it. When I was asking him about curriculum choices for next year and which he wanted to continue with, I got the strongest YES on LfC for Latin than on any other subject. No, I wouldn't say the book is totally engaging (not bad, though), it's more the DVD that does it for us. But the Activity Book has a lot of fun stuff in it, although I feel that some of it is busywork (word searches, especially). but there is good stuff in there, too.

 

Thank you, Heidi! I can absolutely see LfC working fine for older elementary, and I can especially appreciate the DVD instruction- especially for the MOM! :001_smile:

[Guest BarbaraDE75]

My son (4th grade this year) really enjoys LFC. As a few others mentioned, he loves the little "shorts" at the end of the DVD lessons. He also likes the chants and the activity book--the LFC activity book is one of the few school things he actually asks to do outside of school time! We also like the Headventure Land website--there's lots of fun stuff there. It has been a great curriculum choice for us.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Thanks ladies!

 

If I decide to use LfC, which package did you all buy??? Mastory or Basic? Which would be best for a first-time user?

[SilverMoon]

We get the mastery. It includes the history reader and activity book; basic has everything but those two parts. The history reader is well worth it, but the activity book will depend on the kid. One of my kids loves it and really needs the extra practice it gives, but the other would rather poke a spork in his eye than do a crossword for school. For the latter I usually print off the very plain practice pages from the free .pdf file. (Found here.)

[walkermamaof4]

two questions:

1. what is flashdance? - found it!

2. if i have 3 kids that will all use lfc-a next year, can we share the books or which should i get 3 of?

 

thanks!

Edited December 13, 2010 by walkermamaof4

[SilverMoon]

two questions:

1. what is flashdance? - found it!

2. if i have 3 kids that will all use lfc-a next year, can we share the books or which should i get 3 of?

 

thanks!

 

Unless you want to use the Primer as a textbook, having them write their answers out on loose-leaf paper, you'll want one for each child. You'll also want an activity book for every child who will use one. Only one history reader and DVD/CD set will be needed.

[Verity]

two questions:

1. what is flashdance? - found it!

2. if i have 3 kids that will all use lfc-a next year, can we share the books or which should i get 3 of?

 

thanks!

 

The workbooks have worksheets and quizzes that you may or may not choose to use. I find the repetition and writing of definitions and so forth very helpful. You will need pages for each student but you could buy one workbook and just copy the worksheets and quizzes. I used LfC A for my oldest last year and middle son is starting it this year. I bought him his own workbook but I'm just copying pages from the Activity Book. My oldest hates wordsearches and mazes and so forth, the middle son is really enjoying it already.

[brennab]

We're entering Primer C in the fall, but my boys started A as 5th & 6th graders. I think had we started in 3rd grade they wouldn't have done as well, but not from a "Latin's boring" standpoint. I think conceptually LFC is geared toward slightly older children.

[brennab]

Oh, I forgot to mention: I think the History Reader is invaluable. That helped my boys tremendously in putting their knowledge into something tangible by translating. Plus, it was a history lesson each week on ancient Rome and the early Church.