plain jane Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 When is the "best" (subjective, I know, but humor me ;)) age to start Primer A? Grade 2? Grade 3? Will I need to do some Latin work with my child prior to LfC A? I was thinking of doing Prima Latina first but was wondering if this is necessary? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narrow Gate Academy Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I would wait to start Primer A in 3rd grade. Some of the grammar would be above the level of a typical 2nd grader. It isn't really necessary to do any other program before LfC A. If you really wanted to start Latin in 2nd, you might take a look at Song School Latin by Classical Academic Press. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Prima Latina isn't necessary, and I would wait until 3rd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie in Oh Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 :iagree: 3rd Grade is soon enough and the grammar even then can be tough. Now don't look at my signature line and comment that I have a 2nd grader doing it. ;) Only because of her 4th grade sister started, 7 yo can keep up, and it keeps me from running so many levels at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted February 18, 2011 Author Share Posted February 18, 2011 Now don't look at my signature line and comment that I have a 2nd grader doing it. ;) Only because of her 4th grade sister started, 7 yo can keep up, and it keeps me from running so many levels at once. :lol::lol: Good point! :lol: Actually, I think I was leaning more towards "permission" to wait one more year to start another child in Latin rather than a reason to start sooner. ;) Gives me one more year of a bit more sanity. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 :lol::lol: Good point! :lol: Actually, I think I was leaning more towards "permission" to wait one more year to start another child in Latin rather than a reason to start sooner. ;) Gives me one more year of a bit more sanity. :tongue_smilie: Heck, if you want permission to wait, I'd wait until 4th to start it :D. It's doable in 3rd, but would be easier in 4th, especially if you spend 3rd grade focusing on English grammar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennismomkelly Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Heck, if you want permission to wait, I'd wait until 4th to start it :D. It's doable in 3rd, but would be easier in 4th, especially if you spend 3rd grade focusing on English grammar. :iagree: We started it in 3rd but I ended up shelving it and we picked it back up in 4th. We're loving Latin now instead of just doing it to get it done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SewLittleTime Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 We started LfC A in 3rd. We are taking it slow and probably won't finish the book until next Dec. well into ds' 4th grade year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeidiKC Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 We started this year in 5th, and I'm VERY glad we didn't start in 3rd. I don't think he would have understood as much as he does now because of all the grammar. Yes, he could have done it, but I think the understanding is much better in 5th grade, or even maybe 4th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveBaby Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Heck, if you want permission to wait, I'd wait until 4th to start it :D. It's doable in 3rd, but would be easier in 4th, especially if you spend 3rd grade focusing on English grammar. :iagree::iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jlynn Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 We started LfC A in 3rd grade and I wish we had waited at least one more year. As it was, we slowed it down a bit and took 2 weeks to do 1 week's worth of material. We loved our time with LfC by the way. Their dvds are such fun :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truebluexf Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 So what you're saying is, since I have a young 2nd grader next year...is I should wait one more year, even though my oldest will be in 4th? I'm so wanting to get a language going. We haven't started SSL yet this year, and La Clase Divertida is a flop so I feel like I'm failing all around LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Um. I use it with my (looks around furtively) 6th grader. I know many folks use Latin Alive at that point, but I needed something less intense. So we use LFC A,B,C in grades 6, 7, and 8 (although with dd10 I may pick up LFCA next year in 5th grade. . . . ). Hopefully I'll get a review of it on my blog this weekend. . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeidiKC Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 So what you're saying is, since I have a young 2nd grader next year...is I should wait one more year, even though my oldest will be in 4th? I'm so wanting to get a language going. We haven't started SSL yet this year, and La Clase Divertida is a flop so I feel like I'm failing all around LOL! Yes, I'd wait until at least 4th and maybe even 5th! We will use LfC for 5th, 6th & 7th. (And my 5th grader is very bright/fast learner and I'm still glad we didn't start in 3rd). My younger son will be in 2nd next year and there is no WAY he'd be able to do LfC next year! I'm very glad we waited until 5th grade to start LfC. What about just starting with SSL next year when they are 4th/2nd, and then doing LfC A when they are 5th/3rd? I still think LfC would be hard for a 3rd grader (even though I know that's what lots of people do), but it would at least make it a little easier if they'd had an introduction to Latin the year before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paintedlady Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Heck, if you want permission to wait, I'd wait until 4th to start it :D. It's doable in 3rd, but would be easier in 4th, especially if you spend 3rd grade focusing on English grammar. :iagree: I agree completely. My kids are doing LfC A this year in 4th & 5th, and the grammar does stretch them a bit. And we've been doing grammar for a few years now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 I'm taking by all the responses here that LfC is more difficult than Latina Christiana, is that correct? Yet, I still don't need to do any Latin prior to LfC Primer A? I like the idea of starting Latin in 3rd (my 1st grader is begging me all the time to start Latin) so maybe I'll go with LC? It's not my favorite program, but if that's all that's really do-able for a 3rd grader it's not a bad place to start. Would LfC be more like FF then? I'm obviously hugely mistaken about this program because I was under the impression it was like LC. :001_huh: :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paintedlady Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I'm taking by all the responses here that LfC is more difficult than Latina Christiana, is that correct? Yet, I still don't need to do any Latin prior to LfC Primer A? I like the idea of starting Latin in 3rd (my 1st grader is begging me all the time to start Latin) so maybe I'll go with LC? It's not my favorite program, but if that's all that's really do-able for a 3rd grader it's not a bad place to start. Would LfC be more like FF then? I'm obviously hugely mistaken about this program because I was under the impression it was like LC. :001_huh: :o Maybe start with something easy like Song School Latin? Latina Christiana makes my eye twitch, so I can't recommend that with a good conscience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 It's doable for a 3rd grader but there is a fair amount of grammar. Here are some sample pages, they are quite representative of what is in the actual book, they should give you an idea: http://www.classicalacademicpress.com/images/samples/lfcA_sample.pdf I like it much better than LC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 We started this year in 5th, and I'm VERY glad we didn't start in 3rd. Well that answers my question because I plan on using it in 5th next year for my ds who is not a grammar whiz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyinMD Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I started LFC A with my 5th grader this year and it's a good fit for her. It is one of dd's favorite subjects to do and I think that is partly due to all of the fun things in the activity book. I think it would have been a struggle with dd to use it for 3rd grade. I bought SSL earlier this year to use with my twins but I'm planning to wait until at least the fall to start it wince we are still working on phonics. I wish there was another level of SSL because I don't think they'd be ready for LFC A once we finish SSL. Maybe I'll have them do Prima Latina although I really disliked Latina Christiana. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Um. I use it with my (looks around furtively) 6th grader. This will make you feel better---I use it with my 7th grader! :blushing: I know many folks use Latin Alive at that point, but I needed something less intense. So we use LFC A,B,C in grades 6, 7, and 8 (although with dd10 I may pick up LFCA next year in 5th grade. . . . ). :iagree: I also needed something less intense, otherwise I'm afraid Latin would not get done. Part of the reason I'm using it with a 7th grader is because I wanted to maximize teaching time and use it with his 3rd grade sister too. I'm agreeing with what others are saying here--it can be done in 3rd, but would probably be better suited for 4th. I'm surprised at how much my DD is getting from LFC A, but she may need to go back through it next year instead of joining her brother for LFC B. I plan to move DS into Wheelock's for 9th. He loves studying Latin. Of course plans have a way of changing! Shannon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truebluexf Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I was able to see it in person, and I did notice a lot of grammar. Given how we tend to go through our extras, though...I doubt we'd finish it in a year anyway. We might still try to tackle it. Maybe SSL first, then LFC A, no matter what grade they are in that point. I'm OK with DD1 not getting everything out of A, or if we do it a couple times a week instead of 5 and take 2 years to go through it, just for the ease of teaching them both at once. I think, anyway... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 It's doable in 3rd, but would be easier in 4th, especially if you spend 3rd grade focusing on English grammar. That's good to hear. I bought LFC A last year, looked through it, watched some of the dvd lessons, and nearly had a heart attack. I couldn't believe how quickly it moved. I keep reading about people whose kids seem to breeze through it when they are 18 months old (ok, not really, but I do read a lot of posts from people who have 2nd and 3rd graders doing it and they seem to gush about it), and I was kinda scratching my head and thinking, "HOW does a 2nd or 3rd grader understand this grammar??" I felt very liberated in November when my former bf, a European, came to stay with us for a week. He knows 7 languages, including Latin, which he studied from 6th grade through university. The first day he was here I shoved my Latin materials at him and asked for his opinion. He looked through LfC A for about half an hour and then asked me incredulously, "You want to use this for dd8 ... NOW???" In his opinion, LfC is a good program that moved VERY quickly, and he recommended not starting it until 6th grade. His suggestion was to focus on English grammar until then. Ok, I am not going to take his advice, because I plan to start Getting Started with Latin next year, when dd is in 4th grade, but I was pleased to know that I wasn't the only one who thought LfC was kinda over the head of a 3rd grader. Incidentally, my former bf also recommended spending about a year working on grammar forms and then adding in a reading program as well. He said that while he agrees that learning Latin grammar-style is an excellent exercise for flexing the brain, it's very discouraging to take Latin for years and years and still not be able to READ it, only to parse it. He recommended learning both. He brought the kids a Latin version of Asterix and Obelix! Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I felt very liberated in November when my former bf, a European, came to stay with us for a week. He knows 7 languages, including Latin, which he studied from 6th grade through university. The first day he was here I shoved my Latin materials at him and asked for his opinion. He looked through LfC A for about half an hour and then asked me incredulously, "You want to use this for dd8 ... NOW???" In his opinion, LfC is a good program that moved VERY quickly, and he recommended not starting it until 6th grade. Tara Tara, you have made my day! I have so often felt silly for using it with a 7th grader! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaqar Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I am using it with my 4th and 2nd grader. I would NOT recommend starting with a 2nd grader, though we are also doing it to simplify things. Also, my second grader is 8 and has been doing grammar with his older brother from the beginning (we started FLL with both of them when the younger was in K and the older in 2nd). It is a stretch for him! My expectations for him are somewhat lower. I agree with everyone else that sees no problem in even starting a year, or two, or several, later! I agree that it moves quickly with a TON of vocabulary and grammar. We have had to slow down a bit and will not be able to finish by the time this baby is due. No worries, we'll hopefully try to keep practicing what we've learned and pick up where we left off next year. We even had a good foundation having done SSL last year (totally easy and fun) and having our declensions and 1st conjugations memorized from CC (that has really helped!). The folks at Classical Academic Press are such fun. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Tara, you have made my day! Sweet! I love making people's days!! :D Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truebluexf Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Oh poo. I was pretty excited to start this next year. :( I already felt like I was "late" for not doing it with DS this year lol. I can see, however, how it would be much better having at least FLL3 under his belt FIRST. I feel like we need to kick things up a notch next year though...guess I have to keep thinking and reading about this one! Has anyone done it and just done it slower like I mentioned above? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paintedlady Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Oh poo. I was pretty excited to start this next year. :( I already felt like I was "late" for not doing it with DS this year lol. I can see, however, how it would be much better having at least FLL3 under his belt FIRST. I feel like we need to kick things up a notch next year though...guess I have to keep thinking and reading about this one! Has anyone done it and just done it slower like I mentioned above? I have a friend who did this with a different Latin program and it worked well. I don't see why it wouldn't for LfC as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I think most of it has to do with the Latin comfort level of the parent, and how big of a work slot you're willing to give LFC. It can work just fine with older kids, but it was written for a third grader to able to begin. It introduces the grammar gently, in my opinion, and has plenty of review to let it sink in. If you're using FLL I'd think you'd be fine doing LFC A in third grade. The only grammar concepts in LFC A that aren't covered in FLL 1/2 are predicate nominatives, which FLL 3 does cover fairly early on. (My FLL 3 is already packed for a move or I'd get an exact lesson number for you.) I've already been through LFC A with my older kids. I plan on starting my current second grader in a few weeks, when he finishes SSL. I do plan to slow it down and stretch a lesson out to 1.5-2 weeks if he needs it, but I'm expecting only the meatier lessons to require that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truebluexf Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 We're doing FLL3 now...predicate nominatives are lesson 34. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 We're doing FLL3 now...predicate nominatives are lesson 34. ;) Thankyou. :001_smile: LFC A is on the shelf beside me; it starts nominative case in lesson 9. Each lesson takes one week to get through at full speed. If you're slowing LFC down a smidgeon, or just don't start it until you've been in FLL 3 for a couple weeks, they'd line up well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in SW WA Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 My girls watch LFC A videos 'for fun' -- as well the PL videos. We listen to SSL and do the workbook orally. They love latin and sing the songs & chants often. They get a bit of latin memory work at CC also. Next year in 3rd, dd will do LC 1 -- via MP online class hopefully. For now, in 1st & 2nd, they receive a general overview and fun exposure. We keep it light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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