Latin

[MotherOfBoys]

Ok I'm ready to ask, I think, because I've done all the research I can (search forums, googled, read wtm, etc) and I still can't figure out what to do next year for Latin.

 

My son has done Climbing to Good English 1 and 2 so next year I thought of taking a break and just doing WWE2 workbook and Spelling Workout C. I'm going to require these in cursive to cover handwriting. I realized our schedule is really bare next year compared to this year. We were done with "extras" for this year in Feb. Shouldn't First grade have a little more or at least the same amount of work as Kindergarten? Oh, and I'm trying to add more fun things next year. We are a reading constantly, few school projects, and lots of lego time type homeschool right now.

 

Then I started looking into Song School Latin. It looks fun and can be done in one or two lessons a week. It covers Ecclesiastical and my younger son could be included probably. I like the fun dvd sample they had online. I would get the dvds and the workbook but nothing else. ($48) I know both boys would love this but is it pointless, like one blogger said, and expensive latin?

 

I always thought we would do Prima Latina but I'm hearing it's all repeated in Latina Christiana 1 and isn't as fun. So why waste the money? But Prima covers grammar which I would like some grammar because we will be doing no grammar next year, as of right now.

 

Looking ahead, I have read LC1 has longer and faster talking (dvds) lessons than LfC.

 

I thought it would help to know where we want to go with latin  and why. My son does want to be a preacher right now but also a construction worker :) I would like the Eccle for church, our pastor uses latin and greek in his sermons. I like the vocab and grammar benefits of learning latin along with the church reasons.

 

So the question is: With an accelerated 6yr old(next year) would you do prima latina, song school latin, or nothing it's too young?

(I live in Michigan and don't have strict state requirements (6yrs is considered school age though).)

 

If you choose no latin, then would you do Rod and Staff 2 or 3 or nothing to fill the LA? I have no problem holding off on English grammar for two more years at least (3rd or 4th grade).

 

If you choose SSL would you do 1 or 2 or both? Then go to LC1 in second grade and continue with First Form? Stop and do Greek somewhere in the middle? Does greek confuse the student if it's done while studying latin and English grammar?

 

I have about 2 hours a week at least to do Latin or Grammar. I can also shuffle some things and do it 5 days a week.

 

What would you do?

[Forget-Me-Not]

No, LC1 definitely builds on Prima Latina. There is a lot of review, but it goes through the material at a much faster pace. Beyond that I can't say because Memoria Press Latin wasn't a good fit for us ;)

That being said, I don't start my kids on Latin until 3rd grade. That seems to be the point at which they can write a lot without me having to scribe for them, but more importantly, I feel like they need a good foundation in English grammar before starting Latin. PL starts early with parts of speech like nouns and verbs.

If you must start at 6, I'd go with something light and vocabulary focused. Personally, I would spend a couple of years getting them established in English grammar. I like First Language Lessons. I feel like a good grammar base has been not only helpful, but essential, as we've worked into more advanced Latin.

[SarahW]

I don't know who called SSL pointless and expensive, but I don't agree. At all.

 

You don't need the DVD's with it, just the book, which comes with the CD. So it's ~$20. You can do the videos on headadventureland for free with it, It's quite self-explanatory, even if you don't know any Latin.

 

It doesn't cover grammar as much as I'd like (CP is halfway through FLL2 right now, so he can handle more grammar), but there is some in it.

 

We spend about 2 days on each lesson of SSL. So depending on how you schedule it, it can take less than a year.

 

CP likes singing, and likes the songs. And the free videos. He's a big fan of the whole thing, really. But if your kid is meh about singing, and wants more grammar, LfC would probably be better.

 

SSL1 & 2 covers nearly all you need to know for the Exploratory Latin Exam, too. So there is that.

 

LC1 does not presuppose any Latin knowledge, and PL is not a pre-req. But LC1 needs to be taught from the TM, and it is not scripted. Just the student book is not enough, by far. So if you go with LC you have to consider your own commitment to learning and/or teaching Latin.

[MotherOfBoys]

I don't scribe for my son anymore. He can do it. I didn't know you needed English grammar for Latin. I thought Latin grammar could come first. I'll do rod n staff grammar if that's the case. We've done grammar already, just not a lot.

 

The boys love to sing. (Plus to song school) I want to learn Latin along with them and hate scripted curriculum so LC 1 is doable.

 

Thank you!

[Joyful_Journey]

I would go with SSL for next year.  My 3rd grade dd loves, loves, loves the program.  I had attempted PL and LC1 with my oldest dd when she was in 3rd and it was a total bust.  My younger dd regards SSL as her favorite school subject.  After SSL2 you can then move on to LFC, LL, or LC.  In the meantime, SSL gives your kids a fun intro to Latin!

[MotherOfBoys]

Thank you!

[Critterfixer]

My guys did Prima Latina in third grade, and I am so glad I did it before we did LC1! It really helped because they were already used to the grammar and the amount of memorization involved. Doing First Form Latin now. 

I won't say it was fun. But it was fun in that the boys could do well with it, and enjoyed being able to succeed at something. I think if I had skipped and gone straight to LC 1 they would have felt overwhelmed, but there was enough that they already knew to help them along.