Prima Latina for 5th Grader and Her Parents...LOL

[PachiSusan]

http://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/latin/prima-latina

 

Both my husband and I are Latin newbies and Melissa has not learned anything but the Agnus Dei at Mass.

 

Are we too old for this - LOL ?? It says 2-4th graders.

 

We want to make it a family thing.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I would look at First Form Latin by Memoria Press. It is also for those new to Latin and great instruction as well as DVDs. Is she 4th or 5th grade?

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I see she is 5th grade. I have my 5th grader doing First Form.

[PachiSusan]

I would look at First Form Latin by Memoria Press. It is also for those new to Latin and great instruction as well as DVDs. Is she 4th or 5th grade?

 

 

THis is for next year when she will be a fifth grader. We are going to start it mid summer just before we start 5th grade.

[PachiSusan]

I would suggest Latina Christiana 1 if you do not want to do First Form. Prima covers a lot of basic grammar.

 

Why wouldn't I want to do Prima Latina and basic grammar if we're starting from scratch?

[PollyOR]

I have Prima Latina and even though I like it I have found Lively Latin to be a better fit. Lively Latin Big Book One is great for someone (me :) ) who has no Latin background. There are short video lessons online and classical or ecclesiastical audio clips for the vocabulary.

[crazyforlatin]

LC at the minimum, if not FFL. I have PL and LC but we ended up with GSwL, but that was already suggested in your other post. GSwL does not have any prayers.

 

It's a delightful journey to learn any language with your child. I've had a lot of fun the last several years.

[PachiSusan]

LC at the minimum, if not FFL. I have PL and LC but we ended up with GSwL, but that was already suggested in your other post. GSwL does not have any prayers.

 

It's a delightful journey to learn any language with your child. I've had a lot of fun the last several years.

 

I took a look at GSWL and downloaded the sample in the nook book and it seemed beyond simple. You learned "nauta". sailor. No context, no grammar, no reason why they used that word. Is it always that simple?

[wapiti]

 

 

I took a look at GSWL and downloaded the sample in the nook book and it seemed beyond simple. You learned "nauta". sailor. No context, no grammar, no reason why they used that word. Is it always that simple?

 

 

That's lesson 1. GSWL is all grammar and translation. See the FAQs http://www.gettingstartedwithlatin.com/faq.php

 

IMO, you can't go wrong with GSWL. can't go wrong. :) (what to follow it with is another question. We used Henle, First Form has its advantages, and I've been intrigued with Latin for the New Millenium, though that may be better for later in middle school, I don't know)

[daybreaking]

I just checked the memoria press website and found this:

 

"If you feel uncomfortable about starting Latin or want a gentle approach, you may consider Prima Latina for students as old as 5th Grade."

 

Here's the link:

 

My student is in X grade. Should I use Latina Christiana or Prima Latina?

[Tranquility7]

GSWL is a GREAT introduction. Seriously, *great*! Yes, it is very easy to start out with - you can easily do several lessons in each of your first few sessions. It starts off crazy easy, but by the end of it you learn:

- 24 first declension nouns (all five cases + infinitive)

- 15 second declension nouns (all five cases + infinitive)

- 2 irregular verbs

- 16 first conjugation verbs (present tense)

- 5 second conjugation verbs (present tense)

- 1 pronoun

- 4 conjunctions

- 5 adjectives

- 7 prepositions

 

... and using all of those different vocab words and their various forms, you have translated a LOT of sentences (usually 10 per lesson, so 1000+ by the end of lesson 134).

 

Because it only teaches a small amount of vocab, the grammar concepts are really cemented well, because the vocab is pretty quick and easy to learn.

 

DS and I spent a year on GSWL - actually, we spent about two months on the first third, and the rest of the year on the other two thirds. With an older child, it will go faster than that. But the reason we loved it was that it really taught the grammar concepts totally *in context*. It taught the grammar incrementally, and then immediately used the concepts in sentences to translate. Then the next time it introduced a similar word (same declension or conjugation), it immediately applied the previously learned grammar to the new word in new sentences. The translations were challenging by the end, for sure, but we got a GREAT grasp of basic Latin grammar.

 

Now that we are finished with GSWL, we are reading through Lingua Latina together. It is hard, but we are having such a fun time! We read it aloud and discuss it and read it aloud again... and again... We have done maybe a chapter a month since starting in January (so we are in chapter 3 now). We read through our current chapter a couple of times a week, and discuss it (mostly in Latin, thanks to the included questions!) and do our Pensum exercises and vocab review. Every now and then we read through a previous chapter for review, too (also to see how easy it has become for us :coolgleamA: ). Had we not gotten the Latin grammar basics in GSWL first, Lingua Latina would have been *far* too confusing and overwhelming for us.

 

I cannot tell you how happy I am with how our Latin studies are going, and it all started with GSWL :)

[crazyforlatin]

Like wapiti says, you cannot go wrong with GSwL. I've used it successfully with a young child who is now using Henle and sometimes uses LNM. GSwL is gentle, incremental, cheap, and efficient. The author is readily available to answer questions. The MP3s of the lessons are free on his website.

 

I don't want to contradict MP, but PL is not going to get you where you think you want for a 5th grader by the end of the book. If you happen to find a cheap, used PL, then buy it, but if I were you, I would not get the entire set.

[PachiSusan]

This is really cute:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Minimus-Pupils-Book-Starting-Latin/dp/0521659604/ref=pd_sim_b_2

 

Could this be something fun to have in addition to Latin studies or is this an honest to goodness cute text book?

[crazyforlatin]

This is really cute:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Minimus-Pupils-Book-Starting-Latin/dp/0521659604/ref=pd_sim_b_2

 

Could this be something fun to have in addition to Latin studies or is this an honest to goodness cute text book?

 

 

Yes, in fact, did I just link that to your other post? LOL. I'm on the iPad, so I'm just responding to what comes in through my email.

 

Your daughter will enjoy it, but I suggest starting with some basic concepts, and then Minimus will be enjoyable. I have the sequel, but none of the CDs or TMs. This is closer to immersion than to a grammar approach, but some kids do better this way. It was just not the right book to use without any previous knowledge for us. I don't see it as just a cute textbook. There is grammar, many vocabulary words, and history.

[Tranquility7]

This is really cute:

 

http://www.amazon.co.../ref=pd_sim_b_2

 

Could this be something fun to have in addition to Latin studies or is this an honest to goodness cute text book?

 

 

Ahh, Minimus! Mine is loaned out for the moment, but I plan to do it with DS once we get it back. I think of Minimus as the elementary school version of Lingua Latina.

 

Minimus is a "fun" book, but could certainly be academically beneficial if used properly. If just read passively and figured out, it can be fun, but might not stick with your DC long-term. I'm hoping to make it both fun and effective by reading through it with DS and incorporating all the new vocab into our vocab review. There is a fair amt of vocab in it, and I think the more vocab you know the better off you are no matter what Latin program you use down the road. BUT I like to learn that vocab *after* some basic grammar - which is why I still recommend starting with GSWL, *then* to a program like Minimus or Lingua Latina for reading (which requires both *using* the grammar that has already been learned, as well as learning a bunch of new vocab along the way (and some new grammar as well, but the grammar learned in GSWL is a great start to that)).

 

By the way, if you end up doing Minimus or Lingua Latina someday, I *highly* recommend the audio recordings for both. I know Latin pronunciation "shouldn't" matter that much, but in our experience, hearing it pronounced properly and reading it aloud yourself are both a huge help in reading fluency.

[PachiSusan]

Ok, here's the deal: I am okay with it if she is not at the level of a 5th grader and the end of her first year of studying Latin. This will be something new for her. Even if she's a little behind according to the schedule, would it be hurtful for her to start with PL? I downloaded the first lesson and even that was something she didn't know. We can move faster through it if she finds it's too easy, right? I would HATE to start too hard and squelch the enthusiasm of learning.

 

I showed her GSWL and she turned her nose up and said, "That's for a baby". I tried to tell her that it got harder as time went by, but she was unimpressed. I shouldn't have shown it to her, eh?? LOL

 

I don't want to summarily dismiss anything but I am seeing that each program has it's benefits and strong points. I can see how people Latin hop now. LOL

[Tranquility7]

Your daughter will enjoy it, but I suggest starting with some basic concepts, and then Minimus will be enjoyable. I have the sequel, but none of the CDs or TMs. This is closer to immersion than to a grammar approach, but some kids do better this way. It was just not the right book to use without any previous knowledge for us. I don't see it as just a cute textbook. There is grammar, many vocabulary words, and history.

 

:iagree:

Though we are using Lingua Latina now, we are really doing a reading AND grammar approach, not solely reading/immersion, and I plan to approach Minimus the same way when I get around to it. Latin grammar is tricky (esp for those of us with little to no experience in an inflected language) and DS and I *need* some explicit instruction to avoid frustration (for Lingua Latina I use the College Companion). But, I also find programs that emphasize only grammar to be soooo dull!!! So I love a combination of explicit grammar and vocab, with a lot of reading that make that grammar and vocab not only a whole lot easier to understand and remember, but also just a whole lot more interesting and fun.

[crazyforlatin]

 

:iagree:

Though we are using Lingua Latina now, we are really doing a reading AND grammar approach, not solely reading/immersion, and I plan to approach Minimus the same way when I get around to it. Latin grammar is tricky (esp for those of us with little to no experience in an inflected language) and DS and I *need* some explicit instruction to avoid frustration (for Lingua Latina I use the College Companion). But, I also find programs that emphasize only grammar to be soooo dull!!! So I love a combination of explicit grammar and vocab, with a lot of reading that make that grammar and vocab not only a whole lot easier to understand and remember, but also just a whole lot more interesting and fun.

 

 

From what I can see, the College Companion does not have a word-by-word translation of the textbook, correct? I've been thinking about getting a reader. I have several of those as vintage books, but....just not sure. I prefer having an answer key.

[PollyOR]

Since money may be an issue at the moment, I would definitely use Prima Latina if your friend can lend it to you. It will be a great start. The vocabulary your daughter memorizes in PL will be built upon in LC 1 if I remember correctly.

 

You also may want to contact The Book Samaritan with a request.

[JennyCook]

We are using PL and my kids love it. We do it as a family and keep it simple and fun. They love the practical Latin it teaches. It's fun for them to throw in a Latin word, like saying "please stand" in Latin before we do the pledge or "let's pray" in Latin before we pray. We a going slow with it but its been fun. My 5th grader loves it. I haven't tried anything else though so I have nothing to compare it to. I do it with my 5th, 4th and 1st grader.

[Holly]

We are also using PL as a family. My oldest is in 5th. We do the entire lesson orally as a family (even the 3yo), then my older two do some of the written lessons. They are all enjoying it.

[mom2att]

I would definitely go with PL. I skipped it with my oldest, who started with LCI in 3rd grade. When it was time for my boys to do Latin, I had one in 5th and one in 3rd. I was also slated to teach it at co-op. Though I had gone through LCI, LCII, and part of Henle with my oldest, I was still very new to Latin, and all of the kids in the class were 3rd - 5th grade with no Latin. So I went with Prima Latina with great success. It is a gentle, but solid introduction, and if you continue with the Memoria Press materials they really build upon each other. And my 5th grader, who was "old" for Prima, has really thrived and is really gobbling up Latin. After Prima last year, we have continued with LCI at co-op this year, and plan on moving to First Form in the coming year. I have no regrets about starting with PL, even for the older kids.

[Jayne J]

We did PL in 2nd and LC1 in third. PL was essentially the first half or so of LC slowed down. The vocab and grammar were all covered again in LC1. So if you have access to a loaner of PL, I'd start there and then when/if you move on to LC your daughter will have lots of confidence. If you would have to buy PL, I'd just start with LC1 and move at a slower pace if needed. I would definately NOT start with First Form without doing PL or LC first until the child was older--6th grade maybe. It moves fast, and has tons and tons of writing if you do all the workbook assignments (we do some orally to save sweat and time).

 

We also have Minimus. Ds loves it, and if I had more Latin then I would say it could be a gentle intro, but since I started out with him, I really didn't feel able to pull out the grammar and explain it. The vocab is good, and it is a fun change of pace. If the budget is tight, don't get the TM or CD. I regret spending the money, since the TM doesn't have the teaching aids I needed to really use the program to its fullest potential. There are some fun worksheets in the TM, but not much else that I found really helpful. Ds just reads the text for fun.

[mumto2]

We started with Prima. It was a good year. Yes, Latna Christiana and first form repeat things taught in prima but repetition is not a bad thing. Dd has repeated basic latin several times, just did the first five chapters in Wheelocks for fun, because we keep buying new text books cheap on Amazon. She always starts at the beganning and picks up something "important" along the way. Her favorite format is MP, she has done first start french also. If you already have Prima and everybody is enthused it is perfect for you!

[mumto2]

Minimus does flow into Cambridge. We have used and enjoyed those too. Cambridge is a great program just very expensive if you need everything. Dd has all the student books (cheap used). Ds did Cambridge latin 1 last year and sort of liked it -- dd provided the answer key.

 

 

[Tranquility7]

From what I can see, the College Companion does not have a word-by-word translation of the textbook, correct? I've been thinking about getting a reader. I have several of those as vintage books, but....just not sure. I prefer having an answer key.

 

No, it doesn't translate the passage, but it does give translations of all the words individually (as well as explicit grammar info).

[2_girls_mommy]

I would start w/LCI for a beginning 5th grader. It is gentle enough (much more so than First Form!) but with much more info and grammar than is covered in PL. You will still learn all of the songs and prayers w/LCI, and you can read the Roman History alongside it and have a great year. PL will give some info before starting LCI, so it wouldn't hurt. But I personally would want a bit more for a beginner.

[PachiSusan]

Thank you all for your perspectives. DH and I went through the choices and both of us feel that even though it's lower in grade level, it's a better fit, so we will be doing Prima Latina first, with the Minimus book as well. Melissa saw the sneak preview pages of Minimus and really liked it a lot and said she would be interested in doing the book along with the regular book. I am haunting eBay now for Minimus at a cheaper price, and I have a lead on a PL for a little cheaper than full price. The free one didn't work out.

[Sahamamama]

Prima is so painfully simple, I think you'd all be bored with it. Latina Christiana I would be a better starting point, perhaps? On the other hand, there's no harm in starting with Prima, if it gets your feet wet. Cheryl Lowe says that, when in doubt, start with the lowest level course and work up. Of course, that could be a marketing strategy? :leaving:

 

My 2nd grader is doing PL this year and her reaction to lessons has been, "That's it?" That was easy." I suppose this is good. She tells everyone she loves Latin, ha ha, and then proceeds to say The Sanctus in a British accent. :lol:

 

Gloooooorrrrrrrrrrria Patrrrrrrri et Filiooooooo et Spirrrrrrrrrrritui Sanctooooooooo....

 

What a nut.

[PachiSusan]

Prima is so painfully simple, I think you'd all be bored with it. Latina Christiana I would be a better starting point, perhaps? On the other hand, there's no harm in starting with Prima, if it gets your feet wet. Cheryl Lowe says that, when in doubt, start with the lowest level course and work up. Of course, that could be a marketing strategy? :leaving:

 

My 2nd grader is doing PL this year and her reaction to lessons has been, "That's it?" That was easy." I suppose this is good. She tells everyone she loves Latin, ha ha, and then proceeds to say The Sanctus in a British accent. :lol:

 

Gloooooorrrrrrrrrrria Patrrrrrrri et Filiooooooo et Spirrrrrrrrrrritui Sanctooooooooo....

 

What a nut.

 

 

Maybe. That's something to think about. I showed Melissa lesson one of Prima Latina and Lesson One of Latina Christiana and her eyes bugged out at LC. It was like jumping in with no prior knowledge. She felt overwhelmed immediately. Conversely, GSWL made her turn up her nose and call it Baby Latin. I think PL is a good compromise. It may be too easy for her, but I'd rather it be too easy and work through it faster than to be too hard and have her fight it all the way, kwim?

[Sahamamama]

Ok, here's the deal: I am okay with it if she is not at the level of a 5th grader and the end of her first year of studying Latin. This will be something new for her. Even if she's a little behind according to the schedule, would it be hurtful for her to start with PL? I downloaded the first lesson and even that was something she didn't know. We can move faster through it if she finds it's too easy, right? I would HATE to start too hard and squelch the enthusiasm of learning.

 

No, in fact I think it could be a great "Introductory Course."

 

I would simply go to MP's website, and buy Prima Latina, Latina Christiana I, Book of Roots, and Lingua Angelica. Yeah, I'd get it all. (Actually, I did, hey!)

 

Start 5th Grade with Prima, doing maybe two lessons a week. "Sell" it to her as the Introductory Course, not Baby Latin. ;) Let her know that it can move along faster than one lesson per week. She sets the pace. There are 25 lessons, 5 reviews... so, give or take a week, you would finish PL in half a school year, which is very doable.

 

Move right on into Latina Christiana I.

 

We planned out Prima to last all this year, and the pace is okay for a 2nd grader, but even for her, it's a bit too slow. We could be doing more than one lesson a week. Instead, we are filling it out with some songs from Lingua Angelica and the enjoyment of plenty of review. I'm okay with going slowly, taking our time with the vocabulary, talking about the words/derivatives, going back over the grammar concepts, drawing in more grammar from FLL 3 (which I like better for grammar!), and reciting our Latin prayers and sayings. It's okay to enjoy Prima.

 

For a 5th grader, you could not only add-in the songs from Lingua Angelica (just the songs), but perhaps some derivatives from Book of Roots. At least, I've looked over plenty of those pages, and they seem more on a 5th grade level to me. I got it for my own study, but we'll use it later, too (notebook paper for answers).

 

HTH.

 

We did get the DVDs for Prima, and they were nice at first for the hand-holding. We don't really use them much now. My daughter likes to listen to them on 1.5x or 2x speed. ;)

[PachiSusan]

Oh no - she said "Getting Started with Latin" was the Baby Latin. She liked Prima Latina and wanted to start with that.

 

I can't buy all of them at once - we're on a really tight budget. I hope to be able to be out of that financial crunch soon!

 

No, in fact I think it could be a great "Introductory Course."

 

I would simply go to MP's website, and buy Prima Latina, Latina Christiana I, Book of Roots, and Lingua Angelica. Yeah, I'd get it all. (Actually, I did, hey!)

 

Start 5th Grade with Prima, doing maybe two lessons a week. "Sell" it to her as the Introductory Course, not Baby Latin. ;) Let her know that it can move along faster than one lesson per week. She sets the pace. There are 25 lessons, 5 reviews... so, give or take a week, you would finish PL in half a school year, which is very doable.

 

Move right on into Latina Christiana I.

 

We planned out Prima to last all this year, and the pace is okay for a 2nd grader, but even for her, it's a bit too slow. We could be doing more than one lesson a week. Instead, we are filling it out with some songs from Lingua Angelica and the enjoyment of plenty of review. I'm okay with going slowly, taking our time with the vocabulary, talking about the words/derivatives, going back over the grammar concepts, drawing in more grammar from FLL 3 (which I like better for grammar!), and reciting our Latin prayers and sayings. It's okay to enjoy Prima.

 

For a 5th grader, you could not only add-in the songs from Lingua Angelica (just the songs), but perhaps some derivatives from Book of Roots. At least, I've looked over plenty of those pages, and they seem more on a 5th grade level to me. I got it for my own study, but we'll use it later, too (notebook paper for answers).

 

HTH.

 

We did get the DVDs for Prima, and they were nice at first for the hand-holding. We don't really use them much now. My daughter likes to listen to them on 1.5x or 2x speed. ;)

[Mama2two]

I have a an almost 9 year old and 7 year old doing Prima Latina. We love it and have been so impressed with all of the MP products. We are looking forward to doing Latin Christina next year If I remember correctly from your other posts, you are Catholic, right? Learning the prayers is one thing we love about Prima Latina. My kids are so excited now when we have one of the prayers in Latin at Mass.

 

I think you could start with any of the levels- Prima Latina, Latin Christina or First Form. I think really just depends on how quickly you want to move. Prima Latina is very basic-- vocabulary, prayers and some very, very basic grammar. You could move pretty quickly through PL with a fifth grader, if you wanted too. I don't think she would think it is babyish at all, I just think she would be able to handle more.

 

If you are nervous about jumping into First Form (which although an introductory class I understand to move a lot more quickly than Latin Christina) then Latin Christina may be a good start. Although I don't know if Latin Christina has the prayers that have been such a wonderful part of our Latin study this year.

 

I am excited to getting to First Form because Lingua Angelica is built into their lesson plans as a supplement and it looks wonderful. I may just get the CD to listen to the music! MP would probably recommend Latin Christina or First Form. You may want to consider getting some advice on the Memoria Press forum, they have outstanding customer service and may be able to give you some good advice.

[Mama2two]

Why wouldn't I want to do Prima Latina and basic grammar if we're starting from scratch?

 

 

Prima Latina doesn't really cover a lot of Latin grammar. We have really loved it for third grade, but It is mostly vocabulary and prayers. I does have a nice review of very basic English grammar (for example, it reviews the definition of verb and when learning some latin verbs for vocabulary you learn that most Latin verbs end in "o"). I am learning along with my children, but I believe that is just the first person ending of the verbs (which it doesn't get into and explain at this level)

 

From my understanding the rest of the level have much, much more grammar. So, much in fact that MP doesn't think that you need a full blown grammar curriculum (they used to use R&S). They are now creating their own "lighter" grammar for students doing Latin so that students can spend more time on writing, etc...

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

How much english grammar has your child been exposed to? If you have done a fair amount, then I would still look closely at First Form or maybe LC. You could do First Form very slowly. The explanations and teaching are super, super clear in the book and DVD.