If your kids loved Minimus...

[Runningmom80]

what did you move to when they were done? 

 

(I searched but didn't see a thread like this.)

There is a follow-on, "Minimus Secundus"

[Momling]

I assume you have done Minimus Secundus? I think Latin Prep is a great next step. But -- I see you have a 7 yr old. In order to translate Latin, you need to be able to handle the intricacies of the case system and some verb tenses and noun declensions that English doesn't have. It requires a certain way of thinking about language and a resilience and background in grammar. It's not really until middle school that I would attempt Latin Prep.

 

Alternatives that focus more on vocab and less on grammar are Song School Latin, Lively Latin (we used this) or something like "Learning Latin through Mythology" and/or other readers. Another possibility is to do the Exploratory Latin exam. You can get their materials and focus on learning the vocabulary.

 

In reality, the effort spent on a year of Latin at early elementary age can be covered in a few weeks at middle school age. It's great to get a taste for a language like Latin in early elementary, but to really dig in and learn it, I'd wait until the right developmental point --- it'll be so much easier and more efficient!

[nansk]

... the effort spent on a year of Latin at age early elementary can be covered in a few weeks at middle school age.  It's great to get a taste for a language like Latin in early elementary, but to really dig in and learn it, I'd wait until the right developmental point --- it'll be so much easier and more efficient!  

 

I realized exactly this. We are holding off on Latin until dd has an excellent understanding of grammar.

You may also be able to achieve this by teaching Russian or German or another highly inflected language via immersion first.

 

Other interesting beginner books to cover with Minimus are Getting Started With Latin and I Speak Latin.

 

[Runningmom80]

We are just on Minimus, not Secondus. I'm hesitant to shell out the money for Secondus, wondering if we should move on to something more "complete."

 

He's currently doing grammar island, and pretty good with grammar, if that helps the suggestions at all.

 

 

Thanks for the replies!

[gracesteacher]

We are doing a mix of SongSchool Latin Minimus and Classical conversation's Latin in our co op class.  We are using the vocabulary  to write stories. 

[Elisabet1]

Cambridge Latin. They have an older series for after Minimus.

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

We are doing a combination of Getting Started with Latin and the Minimus series.  I think our next step will be Visual Latin and Cambridge Latin.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

Do you need the teacher guide with Minimus?

[Runningmom80]

Do you need the teacher guide with Minimus?

I find it really helpful. I'm sure it can be done without it, all of the vocab is in the book.

[Steven]

After Song School Latin and Minimus we moved on to I Speak Latin. My daughter really loved it, and I loved it because unlike the other two books, we actually learned Latin in a systematic but fun way. It does not focus on memorizing grammar rules and tables of endings, but on actually using the language. For vocabulary, the students are to make flash cards drawing pictures of the item or action, and writing the Latin word on the reverse. We opted to take pictures and had them printed cheaply at Costco. 

 

After I Speak Latin, we moved on to a more ambitious course, Lingua Latina per se Illustrata, pars 1: Familia Romana. The author of I speak Latin recommends this book as a follow on for older children, but I decided my daughter was ready for it. He does recommend some of the other books that are often discussed here as follow ons for younger students. I wish the author had a part 2 to his own book. 

 

The only draw back to I Speak Latin is that it would have been more fun with more than one child. So we recruited about a dozen of my daughter's stuff animals, gave them Latin names, and "taught" them Latin along with my daughter. 

[Mom in High Heels]

Depending on the age of your kids, I'd say Cambridge Latin, which is based around Caecilius, whose home was found in Pompeii, and then moves on to his son.  We really like it.  It is a bit more complicated than Minimus, and is a bit "racier."  By that I mean that it talks about a beautiful slave pleasing the Caecilius, but not by Matella (his wife).   There is quite a bit of slave talk.  It doesn't bother us, but I know some people are sensitive to it.  There is a load of info on Pompeii and how the people lived and some lovely photos.