Can anyone tell me about Lively Latin BB 2?

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Ds (4th grade) is reviewing LL1 and will be ready for LL2 soon. I would like to hear from anyone who has used/is using BB2 before I buy it.

 

How does BB2 compare to BB1? Do you recommend BB2 or something else to follow BB1?

 

What about typing errors? I'm learning Latin along with ds, and I depend on correct answer keys to help me.

 

Ds has really enjoyed BB1.

 

I would appreciate any words of experience! Thanks! :001_smile:

[Sweet Home Alabama]

:bigear: Bumping back up...

[Woodland Mist Academy]

When we were studying Latin as a language, as opposed to just vocabulary, we used LL 1 and 2. We enjoyed it, but if we ever decide to pick up Latin again we will use a different approach.

 

There were errors in my edition, but they may have been corrected.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

When we were studying Latin as a language, as opposed to just vocabulary, we used LL 1 and 2. We enjoyed it, but if we ever decide to pick up Latin again we will use a different approach.

 

There were errors in my edition, but they may have been corrected.

 

Thank you! Would you please tell me how you would approach Latin differently? Would you use anything different from BB2?

[Mom-ninja.]

bumping for you as I'd also like to know

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I felt some explanations could have been better or made earlier. The supplements made me realize how simpler some of it could have been.

Instead of supplements, we probably should have switched programs.

 

Also, if we were to do it over again, I would do the history and art sections at a separate time. In LL1 they were a fun addition, but in LL2 we would have been better off sticking to the Latin during Latin time and doing the history and art at a different time during the day.

 

I recently heard about the Dowling Method. If we decide to pick up Latin again I will look further into that.

 

The other programs I would consider for us if we decide to study Latin again would be Wheelock and Latin Prep.

 

Take all this with a pinch of salt (or a bucketful). There are many on the board much more qualified to discuss Latin choices. I am woefully unqualified to answer Latin questions except those regarding our experience with LL 2. :)

 

Hopefully someone else will chime in.

Edited September 12, 2012 by Hilltop Academy

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I felt some explanations could have been better or made earlier. The supplements made me realize how simpler some of it could have been.

Instead of supplements, we probably should have switched programs.

 

Also, if we were to do it over again, I would do the history and art sections at a separate time. In LL1 they were a fun addition, but in LL2 we would have been better off sticking to the Latin during Latin time and doing the history and art at a different time during the day.

 

I recently heard about the Dowling Method. If we decide to pick up Latin again I will look further into that.

 

The other programs I would consider would be Wheelock and Latin Prep.

 

Take all this with a pinch of salt (or a bucketful). There are many on the board much more qualified to discuss Latin choices. I am woefully unqualified to answer Latin questions except those regarding our experience with LL 2. :)

 

Hopefully someone else will chime in.

 

 

 

Thank you so much for replying. I've read posts about Latin Prep. It is well loved here, yet I've read consistently that it is better for an older student at least 5th grade. I'm not sure about Wheelock. I'll do another search on that.

 

Ds and I have really enjoyed BB1. Since he's in 4th, it may be just as well to continue with BB2 before considering anything else that may go too fast.

 

I know I read about many errors in the early editions of BB1, but they were mostly corrected before I bought my copy last year. I hope BB2 is also (mostly) error-free. I've only read a few posts where a different program was chosen instead of BB2, but I have not heard anything that would keep me from going ahead with it.

 

Hoping to hear more... Anyone else???:bigear:

 

I really appreciate your help! Thank you!

[Woodland Mist Academy]

You're welcome. :)

 

Here's a bump for you.

[Rivka]

I can't imagine doing Wheelock's with a fifth grader. That's a college level text, and it goes mighty fast. It's what I'm using for myself, and I find it challenging (in a good way).

 

We completely love Lively Latin 1. I am just assuming that we'll go on to Book 2 afterwards - we have four chapters to go in Book 1. I think the explanations are very clear, and my daughter thinks it lives up to the "lively" in its name.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I probably should have clarified that. I didn't mean Wheelock's for a fifth grader. I meant if we were going to start Latin again someday I would look at Wheelock's. :)

[Chrysalis Academy]

OP, I'm not sure if this will be helpful, but here was our experience.

 

We did BBLL1 in 4th grade. DD really liked it (loves learning Latin). After a lot of research, I opted to go with Latin Prep for 5th grade, rather than doing BBLL2.

 

My main reasons were:

1) LL introduces a lot of chants for memorization *way* before explaining what they are for. For my dd, it was hard for her to map this memorized chant onto a concept - declining nouns, for example - that she learned later. It was like she had the chant in her head, but when she needed to learn to actually use it, she had to learn it all over again in context. So I felt like the large amount of time we spent memorizing chants was basically wasted. Latin Prep teaches you something (to memorize) as it is teaching you to use it - we learn it better that way.

2) LL had *way* too many errors/typos. This was a big deal for me, not because I am being picky, but because, um, I don't know Latin! Other books with typos I can pick them out and correct them easily, usually, but I really, really need my Latin TM to be correct.

3) The history, etc. - though DD loved this part of LL, I found that it took up too much time. We're doing separate history, and doing it with Latin as well just made for a history-heavy day; in the interests of paring things down and focusing on the most important things, this "extra" history had to go (we also use MCT, and get a lot of Roman history in Caesar's English).

 

Given all the "extras" - memorizing chants before you need them, history, details of Roman army organization, etc. Latin was taking up too much time. With Latin Prep, we are able to spend 30 min 3 or 4 days a week, and move much more quickly than we did with LL, because Latin time is really, really focused on Latin grammar, vocabulary, and translations, not on all the other stuff.

 

I also really love all the Latin-English and English-Latin translations in Latin Prep. There is a lot more translation work than in LL, and we are really learning a lot more, much more efficiently.

 

So, anyway, now you've heard from someone in the same boat who went a different direction . . . granted, my dd is "officially" a 5th grader, but she's young, only 9, and so for LP is going very well. We're thrilled with the change.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

OP, I'm not sure if this will be helpful, but here was our experience.

 

We did BBLL1 in 4th grade. DD really liked it (loves learning Latin). After a lot of research, I opted to go with Latin Prep for 5th grade, rather than doing BBLL2.

 

My main reasons were:

1) LL introduces a lot of chants for memorization *way* before explaining what they are for. For my dd, it was hard for her to map this memorized chant onto a concept - declining nouns, for example - that she learned later. It was like she had the chant in her head, but when she needed to learn to actually use it, she had to learn it all over again in context. So I felt like the large amount of time we spent memorizing chants was basically wasted. Latin Prep teaches you something (to memorize) as it is teaching you to use it - we learn it better that way.

2) LL had *way* too many errors/typos. This was a big deal for me, not because I am being picky, but because, um, I don't know Latin! Other books with typos I can pick them out and correct them easily, usually, but I really, really need my Latin TM to be correct.

3) The history, etc. - though DD loved this part of LL, I found that it took up too much time. We're doing separate history, and doing it with Latin as well just made for a history-heavy day; in the interests of paring things down and focusing on the most important things, this "extra" history had to go (we also use MCT, and get a lot of Roman history in Caesar's English).

 

Given all the "extras" - memorizing chants before you need them, history, details of Roman army organization, etc. Latin was taking up too much time. With Latin Prep, we are able to spend 30 min 3 or 4 days a week, and move much more quickly than we did with LL, because Latin time is really, really focused on Latin grammar, vocabulary, and translations, not on all the other stuff.

 

I also really love all the Latin-English and English-Latin translations in Latin Prep. There is a lot more translation work than in LL, and we are really learning a lot more, much more efficiently.

 

So, anyway, now you've heard from someone in the same boat who went a different direction . . . granted, my dd is "officially" a 5th grader, but she's young, only 9, and so for LP is going very well. We're thrilled with the change.

 

Rose, thank you so much for sharing your experience. Ok... how slowly could ds and I work through Latin Prep? I've read that LP moves fast. I certainly wouldn't want to frustrate him.

 

I don't like the expense of LL BB2, and we don't use the history pages. I have no idea if Catherine has had a chance to make corrections in the current version, but I need an accurate key for the same reasons you listed. Time is on my side as we are reviewing, and I think it will take most or all of 1st semester to do that plus finish the last little bit of BB1 that we didn't complete last year. I'm trying to do my research now so that I'll know what to order when we're ready to move on.

 

My concern with LP with a 4th grader is simply that it might be over his head and become frustrating for him. Comments???

[Woodland Mist Academy]

 

My main reasons were:

1) LL introduces a lot of chants for memorization *way* before explaining what they are for. For my dd, it was hard for her to map this memorized chant onto a concept - declining nouns, for example - that she learned later. It was like she had the chant in her head, but when she needed to learn to actually use it, she had to learn it all over again in context. So I felt like the large amount of time we spent memorizing chants was basically wasted. Latin Prep teaches you something (to memorize) as it is teaching you to use it - we learn it better that way.

2) LL had *way* too many errors/typos. This was a big deal for me, not because I am being picky, but because, um, I don't know Latin! Other books with typos I can pick them out and correct them easily, usually, but I really, really need my Latin TM to be correct.

3) The history, etc. - though DD loved this part of LL, I found that it took up too much time. We're doing separate history, and doing it with Latin as well just made for a history-heavy day; in the interests of paring things down and focusing on the most important things, this "extra" history had to go (we also use MCT, and get a lot of Roman history in Caesar's English).

 

Given all the "extras" - memorizing chants before you need them, history, details of Roman army organization, etc. Latin was taking up too much time. With Latin Prep, we are able to spend 30 min 3 or 4 days a week, and move much more quickly than we did with LL, because Latin time is really, really focused on Latin grammar, vocabulary, and translations, not on all the other stuff.

 

We had a similar experience to what you are describing in your 1,2,3 list. Thanks for sharing your experience with Latin Prep. I often wonder what would have happened if we took that path instead.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I am no expert on Latin Prep - we are only on chapter 2! We need Laura Corin to chime in, although mostly I've read her saying that she doesn't suggest LP before 10 years old/5th grade.

 

I can see why, it is more intense than LL. Chapter 1 is review, but then in chapter 2, boom - you are learning and using nominative, vocative, and accusitive case.

 

BUT - it is really clear. The explanations are very easy to understand. The translation exercises - Latin to English, and English to Latin, are so great. We've learned more in 1 1/2 chapters of LP than we did in the whole year of LL, it feels like (that's probably not completely accurate, but close!)

 

And it isn't a race, right? You can go really slowly. With a younger kid, you can use the Workbook for more exercises/practice - this is what we are doing - and you can go slow. We work on Latin about 30 min per day. We review our vocab - you get 20 new words in each LP chapter, so 200 for the whole book, so that's not too many. Then we read through the chapter and do the exercises in the text, then the correlated exercises in the workbook. About once a week, we take a break and read and do the translation exercises in Ecce Romani. I will be perfectly happy if we go through LP 1, 2 & 3, over 4 years, although at the pace we are going we will probably do it in 3. As long as you don't rush the kid, and give them plenty of time to consolidate, I don't see why an interested and motivated child who is handling English grammar instruction well couldn't do LP . . .

 

Again, I'm a total newbie with the program, so please take my words with a grain of salt! But I'm really, really glad we made the jump over to LP. Miss P loves it.