Calling all Latin Pro's... First Form Latin vs MCT vocabulary

[hollyandab]

Hello All,

 

Okay, I've decided that if I use Latin, I'm going with First Form Latin for my 6th grade boys. However, I was also considering MCT vocab. I don't think I want to do them both...(or do I???) :confused: So, my question for all of you great Latin pro's is, should I start out with MCT stems and hold off on Latin, do just MCT vocab and never do Latin, or would it be more beneficial in the long-run to study Latin and not use MCT vocab? Overkill to do both? (please tell me yes!!) If Latin is really tough, I can see myself being more consistent with a root word study...but, I don't want to short-change my boys if Latin is really important... Ohhhhhhh the guilt and fear of failure!!!! :ack2:

 

Thank you for your expertise!!!

 

Holly in KY :willy_nilly:

Mama to 11yo twin boys :D:D

TOGers

[ChiknGirl]

:bigear:

[Caitilin]

Latin is NOT so tough. :D That is the first thing.

 

I adore MCT, and I think the vocab is the weakest element of the curriculum, particularly if your household uses a relatively elevated vocabulary and your family reads/hears good books often. As I grew up in such a household, the point of vocab study has always been fairly lost on me; when I had to study it in school, I always found that I knew all the words anyway. If this is an area in which your family needs more help, then, yes, I think it is a good plan to do vocab study, and I think MCT's is as good as anything else. :D

[amyco]

First Form Latin is great! Your dc will learn some great vocabulary words, as derivatives. But it's not a root study program. We've decided to use MCT vocab (Caesar's English) this year because I wanted a root word study too. If you absolutely have to choose one, choose Latin. But I'd do both. :D

[Cindyg]

MCT vocab warning: The author doesn't include the definitions of the words; he just gives you an enormous word list. I suppose it's supposed to be obvious what each word means if you know the roots. It is obvious if the word is simple and you already know it (which is a lot of the words). It is not obvious if the word is new (to the student).

 

I was hoping for etymology notes on the words or interesting tidbits. Instead, nothing. It almost makes the program useless.

 

In my opinion, of course.

[crazyforlatin]

From what I've seen, I like First Form Latin because it follows the format of Henle, which I am using, and 6th grade is a good age to start First Form. You can't use MCT Vocab in place of a real study of Latin. In fact, I can't remember exactly, but I don't think MCT Vocab is even a grammar-intensive book, just a root book, right? I think for us I would use it only because I have it and really more as a course where DD could say, "Oh, I know that word!"

 

ETA: In fact, sorry, but I don't think it's even a real root-word book, although it does give a few definitions and I do like that the font is huge.

Edited June 24, 2011 by crazyforlatin

[hollyandab]

So....it sounds like most of you agree that studying Latin would be of a greater benefit than vocab/root study. Okay. I can do it, right? :confused: I think I freaked myself out when I watched the sample video on First Form Latin, lesson 8. Seemed like it should have been lesson 80! Ack! And do you all agree that First Form would be better than Latin for Children? I am definitely going outside of the Abeka, straight-forward, no frills education I received as a kid. I can't believe I'm getting ready to tackle chemistry and Latin for my 6th graders when I never had any of this stuff!!

 

Thanks for your advice! I greatly appreciate it!

 

Holly in KY

Mama to 11yo twin boys:D:D

TOGers

[janainaz]

It depends on what your goals are for learning Latin. *For me*, I would much rather simplify, stick with one curriculum, and call it a day. I think trying to involve more than one would get confusing and tiresome.

[janainaz]

So....it sounds like most of you agree that studying Latin would be of a greater benefit than vocab/root study. Okay. I can do it, right? :confused: I think I freaked myself out when I watched the sample video on First Form Latin, lesson 8. Seemed like it should have been lesson 80! Ack! And do you all agree that First Form would be better than Latin for Children? I am definitely going outside of the Abeka, straight-forward, no frills education I received as a kid. I can't believe I'm getting ready to tackle chemistry and Latin for my 6th graders when I never had any of this stuff!!

 

Thanks for your advice! I greatly appreciate it!

 

Holly in KY

Mama to 11yo twin boys:D:D

TOGers

 

You can always start with Latina Christiana (it goes before First Form). It's gentle and if you want to take it slow and not overwhelm yourself, just go down one level, or two.

[SnMomof7]

First Form is a GREAT course - I'm doing it myself. The vocabulary words are fairly advanced - especially the 'extra' ones in the teacher's manual. Just learning Latin helps a ton with vocabulary, but you can't beat the brain benefits of learning the grammar. And First Form is grammar-first, systematic, incremental, and intensive. I am loving it :).

[oraetstudia]

MCT vocab warning: The author doesn't include the definitions of the words; he just gives you an enormous word list. I suppose it's supposed to be obvious what each word means if you know the roots. It is obvious if the word is simple and you already know it (which is a lot of the words). It is not obvious if the word is new (to the student).

 

I was hoping for etymology notes on the words or interesting tidbits. Instead, nothing. It almost makes the program useless.

 

In my opinion, of course.

 

This isn't what I saw in Caesar's English. Every word had a brief definition and a long discussion of how it is used in various texts, along with time for you to discuss with your child how different examples pull out different aspects from the meaning. At the end of each chapter is a list of all the words covered thus far for review, but the long list of words was not the main part of the text.

 

Although vocabulary studies and Latin can be related, I found them very different. Also, although in school I always found vocabulary studies to be boring, because I knew all the words and although my oldest (who has done CE1) has a great vocabulary, we really enjoyed CE. There were many words he knew and we flew through those, but there were some he didn't. With all the words, familiar or not, he really liked the discussion of how they were used in literature, what synonyms and antonyms for them might be. He liked the analogies, as well.

 

Finally, one mark of a good book of any sort is how much you want to work with it. We finished CE a month or two ago. I've since found it lying around several times as my son gets it off the shelf to make lists of CE words that he has discovered in reading or rereading some of his favorite books.

[Just Robyn]

MCT vocab warning: The author doesn't include the definitions of the words; he just gives you an enormous word list. I suppose it's supposed to be obvious what each word means if you know the roots. It is obvious if the word is simple and you already know it (which is a lot of the words). It is not obvious if the word is new (to the student).

 

I was hoping for etymology notes on the words or interesting tidbits. Instead, nothing. It almost makes the program useless.

 

In my opinion, of course.

 

This is how I felt about MCT vocab at the Island level. I'm not sure about CE. I bought Dynamic Literacy to use in place of CE because I disliked the Island level vocab. so much (other than as a nice book to read). Personally, I wish the vocab. books would come with a workbook. I do own CE 1 and plan to look through it more thoroughly...eventually.

 

If I had to choose between Latin and vocabulary, I would choose Latin since it helps with vocabulary and comes with other benefits.

 

I have no input about the particular Latin programs you are considering.

[hollyandab]

You can always start with Latina Christiana (it goes before First Form). It's gentle and if you want to take it slow and not overwhelm yourself, just go down one level, or two.

 

 

This is a good idea. I also see that Memoria Press has a root word study that goes along with Latina Christiana. That might be a good combo!

 

And as far as MCT goes, I still think it looks really good...but I think right now I'm leaning towards Latina Christiana with the vocab/root study.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

Holly in KY

Mama to 11yo twin boys :D:D

[nmoira]

This is how I felt about MCT vocab at the Island level.

Building Language covers only a few roots and prefixes and is not representative of the rest of the vocabulary program. I usually recommend skipping Building Langauge, especially if Latin is also being studied.

[janainaz]

This is a good idea. I also see that Memoria Press has a root word study that goes along with Latina Christiana.

 

Oh! Thanks for sharing, I did not know that!

[Cindyg]

MCT vocab warning: The author doesn't include the definitions of the words; he just gives you an enormous word list....

I was hoping for etymology notes on the words or interesting tidbits. Instead, nothing.

 

This isn't what I saw in Caesar's English. Every word had a brief definition and a long discussion of how it is used in various texts, along with time for you to discuss with your child how different examples pull out different aspects from the meaning. At the end of each chapter is a list of all the words covered thus far for review, but the long list of words was not the main part of the text.

 

The book with no definitions is Word Within the Word.