Song School Latin

[AnnaM]

Any thoughts? It is kind of expensive but I looked at it at the book fair and it looked pretty good. The older ones looked great. Anyone with any experience?

[Shannon in TN]

My experience is that it's kinda "fluffy" - more like a vocabulary list and not so much grammar. But I was using it with my 3rd grader just to get her feet wet with a foreign language, so that was fine by me. She hated the songs, so we really didn't use the cd all that much.

 

She enjoyed the online games some, but again, it was more flashcard vocabulary than anything else. It's labeled as K-3 but I think it's geared more for the K end.

[kchara]

I would say it's definitely geared more towards K/1st, perhaps 2nd. We really enjoyed it, and it gave us a good introduction to Latin, and an interest in the subject, which I think is sort of the point. The book is around $23, and the CD comes with the book, and that's all you really need. I hardly cracked my TM, and the flashcards/memory game didn't go over as well as I'd hoped here. The workbook is all you really need.

[Marie in Oh]

It is geared young, so a K'er or 1st grader could easily do it, but that leaves you a 1st or 2nd grader who are almost always not ready for LfC A. 3rd grade is absolutely the earliest I would use LfC A with-- my dd 9 is finishing it this week and the propositions are kicking her you know what. So, when a K or 1st grader uses SSL (very appropriate) you have this latin gap year or years where they don't have enough formal grammar to keep going. In my opinion, it could be skipped and just wait for LfC A, or another program. I really think that it is a bit of a waste. Fun, yes, but not much help in the long term.

[Amie]

FYI: it is much cheaper at Amazon, and I'm told that contains all you really need.

[kchara]

I am filling in the gap year with Getting Started with Latin. It's working well for my DS at the moment. We're not transitioning into LfC, though, we're going onto The Latin Road eventually. But, if you are going into LfC, GSWL would still be a nice choice for the gap year. It's gentle (one vocab word a day at first, we're only a week or two into it), and it starts them on basic grammar pretty quickly, but not so much that it would overwhelm a second grader.

[Dinsfamily]

I've really liked it for my 1st grader. We're moving onto Prima Latina for 2nd grade. I didn't think it was expensive at all since I just bought the student workbook.

 

ETA: evidently, they're currently writing SSL2.

[mrsrevmeg]

My son loved it. It is a very gentle (or fluffy, as some like to call it) approach to Latin. He learned words/phrases but not grammar. He liked to use his Latin words all.the.time. He even named his goldfish Piscus. (then after it died he got Piscus 2, P3, etc) I think the determining factor as to whether or not you will like it is to ask what you are looking for. Do you want something that teaches basic grammar, or do you want something to introduce your child to Latin and get them comfortable with the language before they start tackling the grammar rules? For what it is worth, if you have a child who likes to sing, the songs are very catchy. :D

[Suzanne115]

My daughter used it in second grade. She loved it and it made her excited about Latin. Fluffy or not, it met our goals.

 

Suzanne

[AnnaM]

Thanks everyone! I think I have decided to give it a try! My girls are 1st and 2nd grade and we definitely enjoy singing. Since this is going to be our first try with latin I wanted something that eases us into it and this sounds like it could be it!

[happyhappyjoyjoy]

It was to cheezy for me. We decided to do French first anyway.:)

[twoxcell]

All my kids love it! All you need to buy is the workbook that comes with the CD. I have never used the TM.

[Karis]

was great for my 2 nd grader. There's a SSL 2 in the works.

 

There's a gap between SSL and LFC A so that may fill it. We love the activities on Headventure. We'll do Prima Latina before switching to something else. Prob LFC though since I have the entire three sets already.

 

but dd also got whatever she picked up from her brother's latin instruction and CC - declensions/ conjugations etc...

 

we do Latin 2 days a week.

[Dmmetler]

My language loving DD did it at 5 1/2, and loved it, but the next step was tricky. She's doing Minimus Secundus now, along with LfC A chants, but I don't feel that she's really "gotten" LfC A yet. I'm hoping for SSL 2 while she's young enough to enjoy it, and then to dive into LfC starting at age 8 or so.

[Hedgehog]

Love, love, LOVE SSL. My dc are variously humming or singing all day anyway! I'm actually using it with ds5 and dd9, and although it IS too young for dd9 she's is enjoying it anyway. In fact even dd3 will sing along. I'm not sure what she understands of what she's singing, but hey, it won't do her any harm!

Edited May 13, 2011 by Hedgehog

[Zoo Keeper]

My seven year old went from SSL last year (when he was 6) to doing Getting Started with Latin combined with Minimus this year. He has done just over half of GSwL and finished Minimus; he loved SSL last year, and has had no problem transitioning to a "bigger" program. Yes, SSL will seem "fluffy" if you want your 5-7 year olds doing meaty translation and rattling off lists of nouns and verbs; but my guys had fun and got the idea that learning this new language is a good thing. Misson accomplished. ;) Save the "meat" for later.

 

I will say that Andrew Campbell's I Can Speak Latin looks very very tempting for a bridge after SSL; it is hands on and fun, and scripted enough to be not intimidating for new teacher (or students). I'm currently trying to convince my husband that yes, I do need this for the younger guys...:)

[Deniseibase]

I have a dd age 11 who just finished LfCA, and a ds age 5 who just spent the year watching the LfC DVDs with his big sis and does the chants right along with her. Plus, he LOVES music, so I am getting Song School Latin for him in the fall, and figure we will probably use it for fun for a couple years. He will enjoy it and it will start getting him familiar with Latin, so where's the harm if he just stays with it and doesn't progress in Latin learning until third or fourth grade? Plus, I figure he'll keep watching the DVDs from LfCB, too ;)