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Latin for rising 5th grader


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I can't believe I'm asking this as I used to be a Latin teacher! (In my defense I've never taught below 7th grade.) This will be a supplement, not a full-fledged part of our school kwim. I want something that's fun, challenging, and easy to either pick up or put to the side. (I don't ask for much, do I haha).

 

I think my favorite is Cambridge for the student/school that is "serious". Ecce Romani is great but lacks a little in Grammar. The kids I taught always liked Latin Is Fun and it did the job. I, myself, learned from Wheelock in college and Jenny's in high school.

 

Would Minimus be too young for my child? My rising 7th grader may join us as well ... we haven't decided yet. She struggles in school and I don't want to add to her laundry list kwim.

 

My goal is not to create a scholar. My goal is to give my ydd a challenge and expand both my dd's horizons.

 

Ugh, so many choices!

 

TIA!

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fun, easy to pick up, yet substantial introduction, lots of grammar and translation: GSWL

 

 

 

This! We love GSWL. We're only about 2 weeks away from finishing it and I'm really pleased with how well it has worked. I'll be sad to move on to something else. We have Minimus too and well be adding that along with Latin Prep 1.

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I'm using Cambridge with my 3rd grader. I know it's written for more like 7th grade but the stories are engaging. He is good with language and a history fanatic so that probably helps. But I think you can make it as rigorous as you want. We don't do the workbook or write out any assignments at this point. It's just an oral activity we do together. He's learning plenty. Dh is really good with Latin and quizzes him sometimes.

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I'm using Cambridge with my 3rd grader. I know it's written for more like 7th grade but the stories are engaging. He is good with language and a history fanatic so that probably helps. But I think you can make it as rigorous as you want. We don't do the workbook or write out any assignments at this point. It's just an oral activity we do together. He's learning plenty. Dh is really good with Latin and quizzes him sometimes.

 

The Cambridge web site is a treasure! Makes it fun and interactive! I bought LL 1-2 and I think I may do it from 5-7, then Cambridge from 8-12. There are 5 levels, so for now I suppose this is what is intended? Going to investigate...

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Well, since you used to be a Latin teacher, maybe take a look at Lingua Latina? My 5th grade dd and I are taking a class together using that program this year and it has been challenging and interesting. We have learned so much! The place where we are taking the class breaks Latin 1 up over 2 or 3 years, depending on the age of the child beginning. Latin 2 and up are done in one year.

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Pastel, funny you should mention LL ... I used to use it as a supplement.

 

 

The class we are taking has a workbook to go along with the text and I feel it is a very complete and challenging program. This http://www.amazon.co.../ref=pd_sim_b_1#_ is very similar to what we use, except ours has some additional explanations. I also own the College Companion (which I'm sure I'd use a lot more if we weren't taking the class). Anyway, we take a few weeks to cover each chapter and it's concepts and learn the vocabulary, using the workbook sections as a guide. There are also tests at the end of each chapter in the text. We use those for practice and then take an another chapter test which may have been designed by our teacher. Not sure. The course description said we would be spending 45 minutes a day at home working on assignments. Some days this is true, other days it is considerably less.

 

I have no Latin background, so before this class became available to us, I was all set to use First Form Latin by Memoria Press. 5th grade is a good time to start that.

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I would take a look at Galore Park's Latin Prep. It is as relaxed or rigorous as you make it. It has 10 chapters in book 1 and we are on chapter 4. We are taking it slow and steady. My 5th grade son picked it over the other programs. He finds it funny, and enjoys it. My Dad who teaches him Latin likes it as even though there are silly cartoons etc... it is a solid latin program.

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Our child's school uses Cambridge which is interesting but I do not care for the apparent lack of grammar instruction. I took 4 years of Latin and it emphasized grammar. I looked at First Form Latin samples by Memoria Press and was pleasantly surprised at the easy to understand yet thorough grammar instruction. I am seriously considering buying it to supplement his Cambridge Latin. The DVDs also looked good.

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Our progression has been Minimus, GSWL, then Latin Prep. My sixth grader is finishing up LP level 1 and will start Level 2 in a couple of weeks. For my older sons, we did Cambridge, and after the first book, I could make no more progress, because 1) I did not know Latin and did not know how to help them beyond a certain point. 2) the grammar instruction was not explicit enough and eventually caught up with us. LP has been a better fit for us.

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