Coffeemama Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Right now, this question refers to First Form Latin, though i know it will come up more frequently as we progress through the grades. I have a very basic handle on Latin. I took one year in high school to help with SAT scores. This was enough to go through Prima Latina with my DD earlier this year, she flew through it... I should have went with something more challenging. I plan to purchase First Form Latin later this month with the DVDs, looks like a good solid program for a fifth grade motivated student. She likes Latin and my plan is for her to continue studying it right through high school. My question is whether I should go through the program myself this summer, complete with watching all the DVDs and writing out all of the exercises or schedule it in the fall in a way that allows me to sit with her and learn together. If she were an only child, I'm pretty sure I'd go this route, but I also have a first and third grader.:confused: Any advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I'm pondering this in math. By seeing the progression and the understanding, I believe learning together with ds would be the way to go. I still have two other kiddos to teach, so the girls would be getting taught after I have self educated along ds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplemama Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I would say it depends on how comfortable you are with learning a foreign language and how good your English grammar skills are. I took 4 years of Latin, in high school, which was a LONG time ago...but I also have what I like to think is a knack for learning languages. I spent 15 months in Pakistan and came home able to speak a language, on a basic functional level, that was VERY different from English. I basically just stay a lesson ahead of my kids to refresh my memory and get the vocabulary down. You might want to look through the book and memorize the forms for the verbs and the nouns covered in the book again and see if that is sufficient preparation. You could also order a workbook for yourself and go through the lessons a week ahead of time. That way the material is fresh when you are going to teach it to your child. One suggestion: do the recitation spelled out in the TM with your kids. The more I recite the forms, the better I am at remembering them when it comes time to help my kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I always intend to go over these programs first (German for dd, Greek for ds, Latin for both) and I start off well and then... Well, I'm a hsing mom, I have no time for this ;) We're doing alright with learning at the same time. I've had to re-learn Algebra next to dd as well and it's going alright. Sometimes the kids leave me in the dust (in both Greek and German they're about half a year ahead of me, it takes me longer to learn these things anymore), but they seem to be doing well all the same :p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I found it stressful learning alongside my son. If I didn't understand something immediately, then I had a restless child sitting next to me, waiting to be spoon fed. Seldom. did he work hard enough to figure out what I didn't understand and then teach me. That said, the temptation to wait till the very last minute is surely tempting! Every time I studied ahead, I was so very thankful that I had. Very, very thankful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeemama Posted June 9, 2011 Author Share Posted June 9, 2011 I basically just stay a lesson ahead of my kids to refresh my memory and get the vocabulary down. You might want to look through the book and memorize the forms for the verbs and the nouns covered in the book again and see if that is sufficient preparation. You could also order a workbook for yourself and go through the lessons a week ahead of time. That way the material is fresh when you are going to teach it to your child. One suggestion: do the recitation spelled out in the TM with your kids. The more I recite the forms, the better I am at remembering them when it comes time to help my kids. Doing the recitations together sounds like a wonderful idea! Thank you! I'm worried that if I try to do a lesson at a time to stay a week ahead, we'll both fall behind... I always intend to go over these programs first (German for dd, Greek for ds, Latin for both) and I start off well and then... Well, I'm a hsing mom, I have no time for this ;) Sometimes the kids leave me in the dust (in both Greek and German they're about half a year ahead of me, it takes me longer to learn these things anymore), but they seem to be doing well all the same :p This is what concerns me...my dd seems to pick things up faster than i do and i don't want to hold her back. But for something like Latin, it would be nice to be a bit ahead if possible. My son learns the vocabulary more quickly than I do. I could wing it with the very elementary Latin stuff, but as we were getting deeper in I sure wish I had been able to learn ahead. In fact we dropped Latin partly because I felt like I couldn't give it the attention it needed.:iagree: I think that my choices are either to do the whole program in the summer (when theoretically I have more time;)...or maybe let her take off using the DVDs on her own. Is that possible for a subject like Latin for an independent learner or is that being irresponsible on my part?:confused: :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I can't help with the specific program you're considering but I will share our experience from this year. Dd chose French as a foreign language (I let her choose to give her some say in our first year of homeschooling). I took a bagazillion years of German in jr high, high school and college and knew no French besides culinary and ballet terms :lol: Dd and I began to study French this year, using Galore Park's So You Really Want to Learn French program (books and audio cd). It was very successful--I'm better at grammar than she is but her spoken and written vocabulary retention is amazing. We both struggle with accents and practice with Big Sister (when she's not laughing at us). Granted, I just have one homeschooling student so we can take the time to master the material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I think self-educating beforehand is ideal, but learning along side is perfectly fine too. I took Latin in high school (I see several of us TWTMer's have...I wonder if that taste of Latin ignites something that draws towards Classical Ed for our own dc, but I digress...) Anywho...I know (remember...somewhere in the dusty storage of my pre-baby brain) enough to get the ball rolling, but I *will* go through Wheelock's myself before my oldest is ready for that level. I'd like to self-educate in several areas, but realistically...I'll be doing plenty of learning along side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Definitely get a head start, AT LEAST, with First Form. There are a lot of pieces and it is taking me a little while to figure out how to do it smoothly. DD is using PL, I'm self-eding with First Form, great program. Definitely get the DVDs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeemama Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 Definitely get a head start, AT LEAST, with First Form. There are a lot of pieces and it is taking me a little while to figure out how to do it smoothly. DD is using PL, I'm self-eding with First Form, great program. Definitely get the DVDs! A good compromise would be to get a head start. I don't think you necessarily have to do the entire thing ahead. Maybe that wouldn't even be ideal either. You might forget stuff (I know I would). Thank you everyone! I'll order it next week, get a head start this summer, and I'll be sure to do the recitations (daily?) with my DD. I'll aim to get through where she'll be at Christmas break....and then I can go another month ahead and see how it's going. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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