Roxy Roller Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I am looking to this board to help me find the right Latin program/sequence from people that have BTDT. My DD11 with be in 7th Grade next year, and I have absolutely no experience with Latin, so I am in the dark. We are Christian, so I would prefer something with that worldview, but if something secular would fit our needs, please recommend it. My needs in order of importance: 1) Vocabulary development (Will I need to do a separate vocab program as well?) 2) Preparation for possible career in science/math field 3) Preparation for adding French in high school (We live in Canada, and are a bilingual country.) 4) Reading Latin literature I would appreciate any help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxy Roller Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooblink Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 (edited) Hi Roxy, We've used Memoria Press's Prima Latina and Latina Christiana. Both are Ecclesiastical Latin programs. I thought the content was good, but the kids got bored very quickly and had trouble getting past the DVD instructors thick southern accent. We then tried Latin For Children. Thankfully, I have a friend who let me borrow the program to see if we'd like it. Meh, the teaching DVD's are akin to home movies and hard to understand, not to mention the chants are not something my boys are going to do. Also, it's Classical Latin and I really prefer Ecclesiastical pronunciations. I'm going to buy The Latin Road to English Grammar this week. LRTEG sounds like what you are looking for. You can go to the website, www.thelatinroad.com and view samples. I really like the concept and the video instructor's style. But...we haven't actually used it yet, so the proof will be in the tasting of the pudding, as they say. HTH Edited March 30, 2011 by Gooblink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxy Roller Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Hi Roxy, We've used Memoria Press's Prima Latina and Latina Christiana. Both are Ecclesiastical Latin programs. I thought the content was good, but the kids got bored very quickly and had trouble getting past the DVD instructors thick southern accent. We then tried Latin For Children. Thankfully, I have a friend who let me borrow the program to see if we'd like it. Meh, the teaching DVD's are akin to home movies and hard to understand, not to mention the chants are not something my boys are going to do. Also, it's Classical Latin and I really prefer Ecclesiastical pronunciations. I'm going to buy The Latin Road to English Grammar this week. LRTEG sounds like what you are looking for. You can go to the website, www.thelatinroad.com and view samples. I really like the concept and the video instructor's style. But...we haven't actually used it yet, so the proof will be in the tasting of the pudding, as they say. HTH Thank you for your honest opinion, Cindy. I do not want Latin to equal drudgery for my children. I have looked at LRTEG, but from what I understand it teaches a scaffold for diagramming. I prefer R&S's method. Please correct me if I am wrong and let me know what you think of it when you get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommyThrice Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 We used Latina Christiana I & II. I think 7th grade is about the top-end of this curriculum; but with no Latin experience I would probably still use it, but move through it more quickly. We didn't need the DVDs & I had no Latin experience. It doesn't really matter how you pronounce the words - no one speaks Latin - just pronounce them phonetically, because it will help you with spelling the words. After that we went to Henle Latin with my 6th & 8th graders. Henle focuses more on grammar than vocabulary (compared to Wheelock which is vocabulary focused). But the grammar study is why so many people study Latin in the first place. Henle is a Catholic curriculum. We are not Catholic and had to be a little creative when translating "Mary is the gate to heaven" but we certainly never found anything offensive. It is especially good for boys, because most of the book is taken from Caesar's Gallic Wars. There is lots of "The Romans slaughtered the Gauls" "The Gauls are the slaves of the Romans", and the classic, "there are bodies in the river. If you're kids are not squeamish - or Gauls ;) - they should enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in MA Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Memoria Press has a new program out called First Form Latin. I've heard great things about it, so you might want to give that a look. We use Henle here, and we've been happy with it. Brenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 and the classic, "there are bodies in the river. :lol: We had that translation today in Henle. Oddly, even though outside of Latin dd10 might be sensitive to such things, she didin't bat an eye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 We used Latina Christiana I & II. I think 7th grade is about the top-end of this curriculum; but with no Latin experience I would probably still use it, but move through it more quickly. We didn't need the DVDs & I had no Latin experience. It doesn't really matter how you pronounce the words - no one speaks Latin - just pronounce them phonetically, because it will help you with spelling the words. After that we went to Henle Latin with my 6th & 8th graders. Henle focuses more on grammar than vocabulary (compared to Wheelock which is vocabulary focused). But the grammar study is why so many people study Latin in the first place. Henle is a Catholic curriculum. We are not Catholic and had to be a little creative when translating "Mary is the gate to heaven" but we certainly never found anything offensive. It is especially good for boys, because most of the book is taken from Caesar's Gallic Wars. There is lots of "The Romans slaughtered the Gauls" "The Gauls are the slaves of the Romans", and the classic, "there are bodies in the river. If you're kids are not squeamish - or Gauls ;) - they should enjoy it. I would strongly disagree with the bolded above. IMO, having taught both, Henle is much less grammar oriented than Wheelock. Wheelock teaches grammar from the beginning, the very first lesson, no stand-alone vocabulary lessons, none of that. It spends less time explaining than some texts do, but it IS a college text, so that's to be expected. But the grammar lessons are clear, and ascend much more logically than Henle's in my view. My dds have been working slowly through Wheelock for the last 2 years, so starting in 6th grade, with good success. They are not Latin wizards, but they are learning the grammar, as are their co-op classmates. As ever, YMMV.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abbeygirlsouth Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 We used Latina C. I and II for 6th and 7th grade and it prepared my dc to move on to Wheelock's in 9th grade. I did find Wheelock's much more challenging however, and purchased the comprehensive guide by Grote. It took two years to complete Wheelock's and dc took classes with a classics instructor from a nearby university the last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 When my two oldest came through, there wasn't that many programs available. We used Latin Grammar I and II from Canon Press and then went into Wheelock's. With my younger ones, I heard so many things about so many programs that I just had to try them. We tried Latin Christiana and Henle. I did not like them and found them hard to teach. I went back to the Canon Press books (which I would not try before 6th grade or so) and they are doing great. We will follow them with Wheelock's. So I would recommend the Canon Press books even though I don't hear a lot about them on these boards. They have really done a good job of laying a foundation that allowed my kids to have success with Wheelock's in high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 When my two oldest came through, there wasn't that many programs available. We used Latin Grammar I and II from Canon Press and then went into Wheelock's. With my younger ones, I heard so many things about so many programs that I just had to try them. We tried Latin Christiana and Henle. I did not like them and found them hard to teach. I went back to the Canon Press books (which I would not try before 6th grade or so) and they are doing great. We will follow them with Wheelock's. So I would recommend the Canon Press books even though I don't hear a lot about them on these boards. They have really done a good job of laying a foundation that allowed my kids to have success with Wheelock's in high school. Those are the Matin Latin books, right? Dds did use these, and found them a helpful background.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjbucks1 Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 My oldest son used Latina Christiana I and II, and the first part of Henle. This year we switched to Wheelock's (after chatting with many on this board). I aslo switched my youngest to Latin for Children, as it very much follows Wheelock's, except at slightly slower pace. An above poster said it was classical, but the DVDs can be played with either classical or ecclesiastical pronunciation (I personally think classical is easier). I will say the DVDs are not great, but they get the job done. If your dd can memorize easily, you could work slowly through Wheelock's. Otherwise, I think Latin for Children would be fine. I personally think Wheelock's is easier to implement compared to Henle, but that is just my opinion (I have never taken Latin before). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Ds is using First Form Latin (Memoria Press) now. We'll follow it with Second Form next year and then on to Henle. I have a friend who has used a number of Latin programs (all at the same time): she was a Latin scholar. She likes them all for various reasons and has a good point when she says that they all have something in them that she doesn't want to miss. All the Latin programs out there have certain strengths and approach the teaching from that direction. You just have to decide which characteristic is most important to you and choose that way. :) Do you want ecclesiastical pronunciation or classical? Or does it not matter? Do you want Christian influences or does it not matter? Do you want more grammar? More vocab? More memorization? Traditional approach (textbook/chanting/translation)? Would you prefer something with a story/cartoons or pictures? Do you want books that can be read (Latin translations of Cat in the Hat for example)? Do you want a kit with audio/DVD/cards already prepped for you with a workbook, teacher's manual, and tests? Would you prefer to go simple and just stick with a textbook? Oy -- there are SO many choices! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloggermom Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 At his age i'd go with Latin Alive! instead of Latin for Children. We signed our son for the Veritas Press Latin Transitions course this fall at Veritas Press Online Scholars Academy. They use the Latin Alive text and recommend it for 6th/7th graders with no Latin experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxy Roller Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 When my two oldest came through, there wasn't that many programs available. We used Latin Grammar I and II from Canon Press and then went into Wheelock's. With my younger ones, I heard so many things about so many programs that I just had to try them. We tried Latin Christiana and Henle. I did not like them and found them hard to teach. I went back to the Canon Press books (which I would not try before 6th grade or so) and they are doing great. We will follow them with Wheelock's. So I would recommend the Canon Press books even though I don't hear a lot about them on these boards. They have really done a good job of laying a foundation that allowed my kids to have success with Wheelock's in high school. So would I start with the Canon Press Latin Primer I or go right into Latin Grammar I with a child who has had no Latin experience? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxy Roller Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 My oldest son used Latina Christiana I and II, and the first part of Henle. This year we switched to Wheelock's (after chatting with many on this board). I aslo switched my youngest to Latin for Children, as it very much follows Wheelock's, except at slightly slower pace. An above poster said it was classical, but the DVDs can be played with either classical or ecclesiastical pronunciation (I personally think classical is easier). I will say the DVDs are not great, but they get the job done. If your dd can memorize easily, you could work slowly through Wheelock's. Otherwise, I think Latin for Children would be fine. I personally think Wheelock's is easier to implement compared to Henle, but that is just my opinion (I have never taken Latin before). I did not know that Latin for Children is a good lead into Wheelock's. I guess that I am going to have to decide on Henle or Wheelock's for high school, so that I know what to use now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxy Roller Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 Ds is using First Form Latin (Memoria Press) now. We'll follow it with Second Form next year and then on to Henle. I have a friend who has used a number of Latin programs (all at the same time): she was a Latin scholar. She likes them all for various reasons and has a good point when she says that they all have something in them that she doesn't want to miss. All the Latin programs out there have certain strengths and approach the teaching from that direction. You just have to decide which characteristic is most important to you and choose that way. :) Do you want ecclesiastical pronunciation or classical? Or does it not matter? Do you want Christian influences or does it not matter? Do you want more grammar? More vocab? More memorization? Traditional approach (textbook/chanting/translation)? Would you prefer something with a story/cartoons or pictures? Do you want books that can be read (Latin translations of Cat in the Hat for example)? Do you want a kit with audio/DVD/cards already prepped for you with a workbook, teacher's manual, and tests? Would you prefer to go simple and just stick with a textbook? Oy -- there are SO many choices! I agree that there are so many choices, and honestly, I don't know enough about Latin to know what I want for sure. I have looked at First Form Latin, and it is a possibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxy Roller Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 At his age i'd go with Latin Alive! instead of Latin for Children. We signed our son for the Veritas Press Latin Transitions course this fall at Veritas Press Online Scholars Academy. They use the Latin Alive text and recommend it for 6th/7th graders with no Latin experience. Thank you for the heads up on Veritas Press. I may have to look into it if I have trouble teaching Latin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Those are the Matin Latin books, right? Dds did use these, and found them a helpful background.:D No, actually Matin Latin is a different Latin program for younger kids. Latin Primer I, II, and III are the Latin texts that come before Latin Grammar. They would not be really necessary for a child starting in 7th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 So would I start with the Canon Press Latin Primer I or go right into Latin Grammar I with a child who has had no Latin experience? Like I said above, I would go right into Latin Grammar with a 7th grader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie in NE Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 I did not know that Latin for Children is a good lead into Wheelock's. I guess that I am going to have to decide on Henle or Wheelock's for high school, so that I know what to use now. We have used LC I and II in the grammar years. I started with Henle Latin with my oldest dd, (we are Catholic), and we both found it terrribly boring. Dd switched to Wheelock with Veritas Press Scholars Online, and she loved it. She also said that it helped to have a "real" teacher! :001_huh: 2nd dd is following the same track, and will go from LC II directly into Wheelock's next year in 7th grade. I really liked LC I and II. It seemed to present the material very logically. I will admit, though, that it all became clearer after teaching Henle and Wheelocks. I had no background in Latin, but I do enjoy teaching languages. HTH, Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruth in CA Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 I tried the Latina Christiana, Latin Road to English Grammar, and Cambridge Latin Course. And I found with both my kids that the Cambridge Latin Course has been by far the best fit. It is a reading rather than a grammar based curriculum. One grammar concept is taught per stage and then used throughout the readings that are in the text. The activity masters and the workbook help provide extra practice and there also are books you can get that have extra reading practice. There is a CD that can be purchased so that you can hear Latin spoken. You can also purchase tests for each Stage. One caveat, the tests are multiple-choice. While it helps to know Latin when teaching the Cambridge Latin course, it isn't absolutely necessary if you are willing to learn along with your child. There is a lot of cultural information built into the curriculum as well, so it would fold nicely into discussions of the ancient world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rootsnwings Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 I tried the Latina Christiana, Latin Road to English Grammar, and Cambridge Latin Course. And I found with both my kids that the Cambridge Latin Course has been by far the best fit. It is a reading rather than a grammar based curriculum. One grammar concept is taught per stage and then used throughout the readings that are in the text. The activity masters and the workbook help provide extra practice and there also are books you can get that have extra reading practice. There is a CD that can be purchased so that you can hear Latin spoken. You can also purchase tests for each Stage. One caveat, the tests are multiple-choice. While it helps to know Latin when teaching the Cambridge Latin course, it isn't absolutely necessary if you are willing to learn along with your child. There is a lot of cultural information built into the curriculum as well, so it would fold nicely into discussions of the ancient world. :iagree: We're using Cambridge this year with my DS(10) and he is really loving it and learning a TON!!! You start translating with Cambridge from the very first day so it's very easy for the kids to pick up the vocabulary easily. We dropped our vocabulary and word studies after we started Cambridge because there is such a huge focus on vocabulary acquisition and derivative studies. Another perk for Cambridge is the online support--each chapter has a a few different online activities available and there is an online Latin-English Dictionary for each book in the series. Very helpful and the online subscription only cost about $10 a year. HTH Some!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlockOfSillies Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 My oldest just finished Great Latin Adventure and is looking forward to Level II. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxy Roller Posted April 1, 2011 Author Share Posted April 1, 2011 Like I said above, I would go right into Latin Grammar with a 7th grader. Thank you for clarifying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in MO Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 I would strongly disagree with the bolded above. IMO, having taught both, Henle is much less grammar oriented than Wheelock. Wheelock teaches grammar from the beginning, the very first lesson, no stand-alone vocabulary lessons, none of that. It spends less time explaining than some texts do, but it IS a college text, so that's to be expected. But the grammar lessons are clear, and ascend much more logically than Henle's in my view. My dds have been working slowly through Wheelock for the last 2 years, so starting in 6th grade, with good success. They are not Latin wizards, but they are learning the grammar, as are their co-op classmates. As ever, YMMV.:D :iagree: Henle is much less grammar-oriented than Wheelock's. Henle I is appropriate for about one year of high school Latin, but does not have nearly as much grammar nor vocabulary, for that matter. However, it may be more accessible for high school students and parents who have had no Latin background. From what I've read, completing all of First Form Latin may not be an equivalent substitute for Henle I. I'd do a search on these forums for discussions in that regard. Drew Campbell has written a new spoken Latin program for 3rd through 5th grade (approximately) called "I Speak Latin." You can order it here. But again, if you're looking for high school level Latin, then you'd perhaps want to look at Lingua Latina, if you're interested in a spoken Latin program. Bonam fortunam! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dands Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 Have you heard of Virtual Latin DVD's? http://www.visuallatin.com/ The worksheets are in pdf file wich you can print from same DVD, no books. It is a fun introduction and painless, the goal is for the student to read and translate the Vulgate into English. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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