I give up on Spanish

[choirfarm]

Ok.. tried SOS Spanish I with my middle child, he's done Rosetta STone before, backed up and went to SOS Secondary Spanish this year. He has hit the third unit and is failing and doesn't understand anything. I think he has just done it all on computer and hasn't taken any notes. He just isn't a good self study person. My oldest will easily take copious notes, make out schedules for himself, flashcards, etc. This one really likes to talk it over. I have absolutely no Spanish background. I don't have a clue and can't figure it out.

 

He has convinced himself that he will never get Spanish and if he takes it in the fall at CC, he will fail. He is 13 and in 8th grade. He really doesn't want to do any foreign language, but I told him if he did Latin at least he wouldn't have to speak it!! Plus, I took 2 years in high school. I loved Latin.

 

For my second teaching job, a ps teacher dropped dead mowing his lawn. He taught 3 English classes and 2 Latin classes. We had just moved there for dh to do his residency. I taught the English classes, and they hired a retired Latin teacher to do the other classes. However, she was gone a lot and wasn't the best teacher. So I helped those classes quite a bit. Latin I was easy. I helped them all year. I could help Latin II until about 2nd semester, then they were too advanced for me to help without studying. I hadn't had Latin the 6 years before, so obviously my teacher in hs was awesome!!! She taught 5 completly full Latin classes every year, took a trip to Rome every spring break, and we had an fun Latin club that had parties and such. I remember playing great games and taking some big exam and doing well on it. All of the National Merit scholars came out of her classes as well. (We normally had 5 or 6 semi-finalists and 10 to 15 commended every year.)

 

So.. I'm looking at Latin programs. Is there a program with a fun teacher on DVD that teaches the concepts? Then I can help him to reinforce or reteach as needed. Most of what I have seen seems to be dry textbooks with rote copying and such. I'm not sure that would fly with him. I remember Latin being fun. Is there such a program??

 

Christine

Edited January 17, 2011 by choirfarm

[elegantlion]

We're using Latin Alive. It's a grammar based text which adds short readings in Latin after a few chapters. The DVDs have made a world of difference as the teacher actually teaches through the chapter.

[choirfarm]

That is definitely a possiblity. I actually doing their Latin for Children with my daughter. I didn't realize they had a high school program. ( I got Primers A and B for a dollar for each piece when a homeschool/education store decided to quit selling homeschool stuff. I got activity books, workbooks and teachers manuals for two levels for about 6 bucks!

 

Christine