What are your long term Latin goals?

[Kimber]

I know where I want them to be in high school for Math, Science, Literature, History, Bible, etc. But I'm not sure about Latin. If I pin down Latin long term that should help with what to do today, right?

 

How much Latin do you plan for your own kiddos?

 

Thanks for the info, :cool:

[Beth in Central TX]

Hi Kimber,

 

I don't have any high schoolers yet, but this is my plan for our remaining school years and my self education:

 

2007-08 Finish up LCII (oldest son is currently in 6th grade)

2008-09 Wheelock's Ch 1-10

2009-10 Wheelock's Ch 11-20

2010-11 Wheelock's Ch 21-40

2011-12 Wheelock's Translation & Latin Reader

2012-13 Latin AP-Vergil

2013-14 Latin AP-Horace

 

My ultimate goal is to read & understand Latin as fluently as we read English. To help with this goal, I will also use Lingua Latina as a supplement to Wheelock's.

 

Here is a link to the Latin AP materials mentioned above: http://www.bolchazy.com/index.php?cat=latin&sub=6

 

Take care,

Beth in Central TX

[Moira in MA]

I want my children to understand the world both longitudinally (over time) and latitudinally (over cultures). To that end I have them learning both Latin and Spanish. Yes you can read some of the stuff in translation but it just doesn't have the same clarity, learning the language makes it more real.

 

So far my eldest (15) is in Latin III and at this point is thinking about taking a classics degree. My youngest (13) is just finishing up Latin I. I'm not sure how far she'll want to take it but definitely through Latin II and I hope Latin III. The fun part comes when you finish up the grammar and start to read real authors.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[Jenn in CA]

Basic goal: All of our kids will complete Latin grammar before high school. This is typically covered in high school Latin in 2 years. My students will study Latin grammar in grades 4-8. (back up: My 2 oldest are 8th & 9th grades, and each started Latin in 5th grade. After a couple false starts they're completing Lingua Latina Book 1 which will complete the grammar. So my oldest is a year behind and will complete grammar at the end of 9th.)

 

Advanced Goal: To read Latin authors such as Cicero, Vergil, etc. in high school. This will be their choice. If they prefer they can start another language instead.

 

You have to look at each text to see how many levels it takes to complete grammar study. We really like Lingua Latina. I believe Henle finishes most of the grammar in book 1.

 

Hope this makes sense!

 

Jennifer

[Brenda in MA]

I want my children to understand the world both longitudinally (over time) and latitudinally (over cultures). To that end I have them learning both Latin and Spanish.

 

So far my eldest (15) is in Latin III and at this point is thinking about taking a classics degree. My youngest (13) is just finishing up Latin I.

 

Moira,

 

Are your dds taking Latin I & III through an on-line course? Also, how and when did you introduce Spanish? I have a current 6th grader who is using Henle I now, and I'm trying to figure out exactly how far I want him to go with Latin. I'd like to see him fluent with Latin by the time high school is done, but I'd also like him to learn Spanish, and I'm not sure how to fit it all in.

 

TIA,

Brenda

[74Heaven]

We are only in Henle 1 in 8th and 10th grades (2 students) and A Beka Spanish 1. I have 5 children so did not feel I wanted to take on the teaching of both of these subjects. Both are taking these classes thru co op teachers.

 

however, if I was teaching fewer children, I would feel comfortable with my 2 semesters of college Spanish and LCI and II Latin experience to teach these classes. My instruction would be below the level they receive at co op, but we could do both at home w/o DVDs or online or any thing else.

 

Just letting you know concurrently is doable, however it did mean my older girls are not doing history this year to fit in another Language course.

 

lisaj

[Laura Corin]

 

Thanks for the info, :cool:

 

The boys will do Latin Prep 1, 2, 3 then So You Really Want to Learn Latin 3, before taking the Cambridge on-line GCSE course. The latter will include analysing/translating original texts. We should be finished with that by the time the boys are fifteen or sixteen.

 

Once they are sixteen, they get to choose their subjects, with an eye on university entrance.

 

Laura

[Jane in NC]

 

How much Latin do you plan for your own kiddos?

 

 

 

The goal is AP Vergil. My son is wrapping up grammatical studies this year and could probably take on Vergil next year but we are thinking of doing some transitional work, exposing him to a number of Latin writers next year using the Oxford Reader and some materials from Bolchazy.

 

I had thought that he would also have four years of French, but I think he may hang up this second language after two years. He prefers Latin and seems to have his hands full with the rest of his studies.

[Excelsior! Academy]

Our long term goal is to have each child be able to read Latin authors like Virgil, etc. in their original language.

[Nan in Mass]

We have a horizontal and vertical goal, also. I want mine to be able to read Latin and speak a modern language. They don't have to be fluent before they leave me. If they have the basics, they can aquire the fluency later just by reading (or speaking). I've made them promise to read a book a year, even if it is just an Astrix, in their other languages as adults, so they won't lose them. Then, any time in the future that they want to revive the language, they just have to read a few more books, dictionary in hand, and the fluency will come.

-Nan

[Kimber]

Thanks everyone, most of these options are new to me. I'm just not sure what to do. I appreciate the feedback. I've got a lot to think about. Where I grew up, no one studied Latin, and I only started it because SWB said to do it. I am very glad that we did start as early as we did.

 

Thank you for the feedback, I'll be looking into all of these options for my 9 and 8 year olds. They grow so fast. My 9 year old will be 10 in a few months and starting 5th after completing LC1. I'd like to start her on her our new track--whatever that will be--for next year.

 

Thanks again, :)

[Moira in MA]

Brenda

 

I handle Latin I & II myself (Henle First and Second Year with Lingua Latina for reading) but at that point hand it over to someone who knows more than just the grammar. My eldest is taking Latin III with Scholars Online and is really enjoying it. She went in knowing that she'd have less vocabulary than the continuing students (who used Wheelock's) but she's handling that very well and is confident in her grammar.

 

We started Spanish very early with La Clase Divertida levels I, 2 & 3 and Rosetta Stone. Since then we've used Buen Viaje -- eldest wanted a 'real' text book. Once she got that out of her system we started a combination of Rosetta Stone, Madrigal's Magical Keys, Breaking the Barrier and easy readers. I really wish there were high interest - low vocabulary books in Spanish like there are in English. That would be a great help. Blaine Ray has a few easy readers but they're not what I'd call high interest.

 

Keeping 2 languages going can be tough, but if you can do even a little every day you make progress. My eldest will be adding Ancient Greek in the Fall. Not sure how she'll handle it all, but she's determined.

 

HTH

[Brenda in MA]

When you do Latin I & II, do you completely finish the Henle 1 book before beginning Latin II? I thought I've heard of some folks doing Henle 1 up through unit 7 or 8 and then moving to Henle 2.

 

We will probably proceed as you've described. I'd like to see my son transition to an on-line course eventually, but I don't think he'll be ready for that very soon (he's only 11 yo now). Ds is just finishing unit 3 in Henle, and it's going pretty well at home. I need to get Lingua Latina soon. Did you have a particular schedule for using LL?

 

Brenda

[Gwen in VA]

Our long-term goal is AP Latin Vergil. Dd is reaping the benefits of getting a 5 on the exam -- she entered college with her language distribution fulfilled!

 

We do Prima Latina and Latina Christiana 1 at home and then switch over to an online course. We have used both Scholars online and Regina Coeli, and both are excellent.

[profmom]

Beth, good to see you! :) Will you remind me why you decided on Wheelock's over Henle or other choices like Latin in the Christian Trivium? Will you be teaching a beginning Wheelock's class in the fall? B is taking LCII at co-op this year.

[Moira in MA]

I plan to keep going with Latin First Year through the current school year. Next year we'll move to Second Year and work it as if we'd stopped after Unit 7. So there will be some initial grammar review to remind her of what she's managed to forget. Does that make sense? This worked well for my elder dd.

 

Lingua Latina is added in whenever the Henle lesson is short. She'll read a paragraph or two at a time. The goal is to have her reading below her level of grammar understanding so she's just enjoying the stories. When the readings start to add new grammatical concepts, we go back over some of the old ground. It works well to augment vocabulary, reading fluency and also Roman life beyond Caesar <grin>. My eldest dd is still reading from book 1 even though she's in Latin III.

 

HTH

[Beth in Central TX]

Beth, good to see you! :) Will you remind me why you decided on Wheelock's over Henle or other choices like Latin in the Christian Trivium? Will you be teaching a beginning Wheelock's class in the fall? B is taking LCII at co-op this year.

 

The biggest reason I choose Wheelock's over Henle is that I tried to go through Henle on my own, but never got past the first chapter. It was just too dry to keep me interested, and I even wanted to learn Latin! Wheelock's was recommended to me because of all of the supplemental material and on-line helps for the text. In addition, it is the program used by Scholars Online (which may be a future option for us if I'm not able to keep pace with my boys).

 

I purchased the Wheelock's textbook, workbook, audio cds, and the comprehensive guide. I've gone through the first 6 chapters already. It's a great fit for me which means it will be easier for me to teach to the boys. In addition, Wheelock's uses the classical Latin pronunciation and has readings by ancient Roman authors which I think is more in line with our long-term Latin goal of reading classical texts in Latin.

 

I didn't research Latin in the Christian Trivium when I made my decision, but I've since looked at it on-line. I don't think I would have gone with it based on the reasons above. Also, looking at all 4 levels of LitCT, the cost would be almost $500 (not including the 4th level which is still in beta testing). Even with 3 workbooks, I've spent less than $200 on Wheelock's which should cover us for the next 3 of 4 years.

 

Last year I had a Wheelock's Latin class all scheduled out and ready to go, but the interested individuals decided to join the MP Henle on-line class. I don't think I'll get enough local interest to make a class worthwhile next fall.

 

I've think I've gone on long enough. Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with any Latin program as long as you work on it consistently. The bottom line for me is finding the program that I'm excited about so that I can teach it. This goes for all subjects, not just Latin.

 

HTH!

[Brenda in MA]

.

[profmom]

Thanks, Beth. I've been thinking a lot more about high school and long-range plans since we talked last (and you mentioned some of yours)! In this case, one of the main things I need to decide is whether I'm going to try to learn two classical languages, or if I'll stick with Greek and outsource Latin. I hope to have a chance to email you soon. :)

 

Kimber, thanks for starting this thread! I'm reading all the posts with interest as well!

[Sarah CB]

Our goal is to become fluent readers and writers of Latin. I'd like all of the kids to write their Latin AP exams as well. I love what Latin has done for their understanding of the English language but also for their understanding of French and Italian. Dd's Italian teacher has commented that she'll sometimes use French and Latin to figure out new Italian vocabulary.

 

Dd (grade 6) has just started her second semester of High School Latin 1 through Memoria Press.

 

I'm teaching Prima Latina in our co-op and my two younger boys (ages 5 and 7) attend.

 

Sarah

[Beth in Central TX]

The only way that we can continue both Greek & Latin through the high school years is that DH will continue to learn and teach Greek, and I will continue to learn and teach Latin. I couldn't keep up with both languages, not even close. I suppose I'm not a visual learner because for the life of me I can't learn the Greek alphabet symbols (other than the math symbols that I already know).

[MommyThrice]

my goals are a little more realistic. My 12yo son was studying with a Latin tutor & about half-way through Henle Latin I we both decided he was completely lost! I pulled him out and we are now working back through Henle I together. We're skipping through the beginning quickly to find out where he hit his wall. I can tell you - as a warning to all- that my son's problem was GRAMMAR. He had gone through Latina Christiana I and II, so vocabulary and conjugations/declensions weren't a problem; just grammar. We use R&S Grammar at home (which is very thorough.) I think his 12 yo brain just wasn't fully functioning at the logic level yet.

 

Now realistically, I hope to complete Latin I & II, but if we only complete book I, I'll be okay. It is really hard for me to teach myself and keep up with him. Grammar is easy for me, but after 40 the memory goes downhill...

 

As a side note, he is also taking Spanish this year from a native-speaker-friend. He's doing very well and loving it. I knew it would be a cake-walk after Latin! :)

[Jane in NC]

I think his 12 yo brain just wasn't fully functioning at the logic level yet.

 

 

I remember the 12 year old boy brain all too well! My son had days of pure dull-wittedness, forgetting all that had been mastered the day or month before. Whatever plans we have for 12 year old boys need to be adjusted and re-adjusted, it seems.

 

The good news is that they are not 12 forever, although my 15 year old still has his share of days when his brain is frozen or misplaced or something. Through it all, however, he continues to plod forward in Latin.

 

Jane

[MommyThrice]

I'm amazed at how some days math can take 45 minutes, and some days it can take 5 hours. I want to yell, "Snap out of it!"