2nd grade Latin woes with Prima Latina

[lorisuewho]

PL is not going well for us. We are using the DVDs and Quizlet for extra practice. My son dreads it. It feels like work, and I'm really not one who tries to make anything fun but this is hard. I didn't want to do Song School because we had done SL Greek and that wasn't a good match for me.

 

I don't know if we should press through since I despise quitting, or if I should switch courses because age 8 is too soon to hate Latin. Or should we just stop and start over again with it next year when I would include my other D's.

[mama25angels]

I would stop for now and try again later and take it really slow.

[Heidi]

I think it would be more enjoyable if you were able to combine children. My two oldest are combined. We did PL last year and CL this year. They compete when we do flash cards, which makes it a little more enjoyable. I can't imagine drilling each child separately.

[KrissiK]

I wouldn't start it with my second grader. We always start in 3rd grade and that seems a real good fit. Plus, if you start in third, then do Latina Christiana in 4th, and First Form in 5th.... I can't imagine my 4th grader doing First Form. It's quite a leap. The way we are doing it seems to me to be the perfect sequence and age. I think PL and LC gave an excellent foundation for First Form. And my fifth grader has a better English grammar foundation,, too. Those verb tenses are confusing.

[lorisuewho]

Thank you so much for your thoughts. I think I will stop and try again next year in 3rd grade and maybe combine the boys. It probably would be more fun to drill together.

[SevenDaisies]

We also did PL in 3rd and are doing LC1 in 4th with plans for FF next year. I plan to combine to my young ones - my oldest is too far ahead to combine them all. I agree with the others. Start again next year and combine.

[8filltheheart]

I would stop.   There is absolutely no need to start Latin in 2nd grade.   Real understanding of Latin requires a solid understanding of grammar.   Holding off until 4th-5th will not hinder Latin studies in the least.   Dreading Latin, otoh, is irreparable.

[LLMom]

I agree 2nd grade is a bit young, especially for most boys.  Whenever you start or continue, add in Latin games to make it fun and something to look forward to. 

[lorisuewho]

I'm just going to put it away and evaluate this summer whether I want to start it next school year with the boys or even hold off another year. I admit, even I myself, have a bit of a distaste for it because of our rocky start this school year. I should have asked around more before just doing what was recommended by MP.

[Soror]

I started PL last year but shelved it shortly after starting. I really like MP and they have such lovely articles about education but in reality I really dislike their programs, they are so incredibly BORING and life-sucking. I'm sure they work for some but they don't for us and I have to keep that in mind and not be lured by their lovely talk.

 

My current plan is to officially start GSWL next year, although ds has done some on his own this year. I decided I wanted him to have a stronger grammar base and we were putting a lot of work into other areas of LA this year so our schedule was full enough as it was.

[nansk]

I started PL last year but shelved it shortly after starting. I really like MP and they have such lovely articles about education but in reality I really dislike their programs, they are so incredibly BORING and life-sucking. I'm sure they work for some but they don't for us and I have to keep that in mind and not be lured by their lovely talk.

 

You said it!

 

[lorisuewho]

I heard Martin Cothran speak at convention last year and he was awesome. Obviously he has studied rhetoric. That is my best excuse on how I was lured to these months of misery where I refused to give up on Prima Latina.

[Tracy]

I did PL orally with dd8 last year.  She would have withered away if I had made her do the worksheets.  She did really enjoy it orally.  I have put Latin away for later, as I am thinking it will be a better fit for my ds5 when he is old enough.  In the meantime, I am looking at a modern language program that can be studied for conversation instead of for reading,writing and translating.  (Currently looking at Pimsleur and Michel Thomas programs.)  We will save formal language studies for when she can better handle the drudgery of written work.

[garddwr]

I did PL orally with dd8 last year.  She would have withered away if I had made her do the worksheets.  She did really enjoy it orally.  I have put Latin away for later, as I am thinking it will be a better fit for my ds5 when he is old enough.  In the meantime, I am looking at a modern language program that can be studied for conversation instead of for reading,writing and translating.  (Currently looking at Pimsleur and Michel Thomas programs.)  We will save formal language studies for when she can better handle the drudgery of written work.

 

I am waiting on Latin as well, I favoring studying a conversational language first as the formal study of Latin seems better suited to the abilities of a more mature student. I'll put in a plug for Michel Thomas--we have three of his programs (Spanish, Arabic, and Mandarin) and I really like them. I've used Pimsleur myself in the past, but was somewhat turned off by the first few lessons that seemed to be focused on how to order beer...(maybe that was just the language I was studying though).

[Tracy]

I'll put in a plug for Michel Thomas--we have three of his programs (Spanish, Arabic, and Mandarin) and I really like them. I've used Pimsleur myself in the past, but was somewhat turned off by the first few lessons that seemed to be focused on how to order beer...(maybe that was just the language I was studying though).

 

So as not to hijack the OP's thread, I would love to hear more about your experiences with these program in this thread, as I have had not responses yet.  

[Holly]

My DC love it, but we skip most of the writing.  We listen to the CD, review with flashcards, and do the lessons aloud together.  I do have my older DC copy the new words and prayer during the week.  Can you skip the writing portions?

[FairProspects]

PL was a disaster for us. GSWL is so much better because it incorporates grammar and is more logical. Latin should be more than just drill and kill, IMHO.

[RootAnn]

I think I owned PL for two full years before finding time to start it with my dd#1 & dd#2. DD#2 was only in 2nd at the time and she did it all orally. She made it through almost all of LC before I let her drop Latin as she was holding dd#1 back and really struggling. She had a year off and restarted PL with dd#3 this year. It has been very easy to get done this year and both girls are doing great with it. HOWEVER, dd#3 is "advanced" and she's heard the other two batting around Latin prayers for years. I don't plan on starting PL this early with ds#1.

 

We are not using the DVDs. I'm okay with things not being completely solid before moving on because this is an introductory program and everything will be reintroduced and reviewed in LC.

[nansk]

I am waiting on Latin as well, I favoring studying a conversational language first as the formal study of Latin seems better suited to the abilities of a more mature student.

Exactly. Before starting Latin, the student should have a very good understanding of English grammar. Otherwise, they are either only memorizing, or are stuck at the level of translating "The farmer gave the money to the sailor."

 

I plan to start Latin in 6th or 7th grade using a good, high school level program. Before that, we will focus on mastering English grammar incl. diagramming.

[marlowefamily]

Agreeing with above posts that 2nd grade is too early.

 

However, we've found prima latina perfectly fine in 3rd grade if handled carefully:

a) It is absolutely our last priority, it gets touched usually only about 3 times/month for maybe 90 minutes at a time.

b) We always start with watching the DVD (ordered separately), this makes it much more fun for the younger children as they find the presentation interesting (if repetitive)

c) Have the child practise vocabulary and do the workbook mostly on his own, it's a puzzle, he can re-read pages or watch the lesson on the dvd

d) when he completes the lesson, give him encouragement and then have him _teach_ you the words and grammar he has learned

e) In other subjects, especially science, when encountering new words always discuss where knowing latin and greek would be helpful to understanding the word.

f) Don't push, get the child started but prima latina is easy enough that if you are relaxed and consistent, the child will do a 'good enough' job introducing himself to the language.  I only help when he asks me to.

[RootAnn]

I used the DVDs the first time through with my kids. They were necessary for *me*. My kids disliked the presentation (although the teacher looks just like my sister, ironically enough). Oldest doesn't mind the First Form guy who talks fast. 

 

If we had to watch the DVDs this time through, the kids would rebel. It goes much better with my quick-and-easy introduction.

[ALB]

Well, I guess I'm in the minority but I'll reply just in case it is helpful to some reader out there.  We are really enjoying PL in second grade (but I do have an extremely "literate" girl who takes to grammar, spelling, and languages).  Latin is a focus of our day.  We do it as often as we do math and language arts.  I think that it would actually be more difficult for her if we did it less often, but this way there is constant, continual review and she finds it pretty easy to remember.  We do play games quite a bit, and we are moving pretty slowly through the course.  We'll move on to LC when we finish, but my plan is to take that very slowly as well, maybe even spreading it out over 2 years.  

 

I may wait until 3rd grade with my ds if he doesn't seem as ready in 2nd.  I agree that Latin requires a fairly thorough knowledge of English grammar, but you can also take advantage of the opportunities for teaching and reinforcing that grammar through your Latin studies.