First Form Latin and High School Credit

[joyfulhomeschooler]

I was recently informed and then read on the Memoria Press website that First Form Latin is worth 1 high school credit. Our 5th grade son is doing this program this year and we would love for him to be able to obtain this credit officially if possible. How do we go about doing this? Has anyone done it for a child that isn't yet in high school?
 

This question has been posted in the K-8 board as well. I wasn't sure where to ask.

 

[Melissa B]

I find it hard to believe First Form Latin is worth a high school credit. Fourth Form Latin certainly isn't Latin IV material. I could maybe see First and Second Form being 1 credit and Third and Fourth Form being a second credit. Personally, I would only award a Latin I credit for the completion of Fourth Form Latin and consider First through Third Form to be junior high level Latin.

[Reefgazer]

I was reading on the Memoria Press boards about this and read that First and Second Form Latin are each worth 1/2 credit, and Third and Fourth Form Latin are each worth 1 credit, based on the fact the First and Second Form are relatively light on translation.  DD is doing First and Second Form Latin this year and next, and we are awarding 1 high school credit for both combined.

[Space station]

There are 2 approaches to awarding high school credit, by time spent and by material covered.

 

I have a 6th grader and an 8th grader doing FFL this year. My 6th grader can only do one chapter per week in the time allotted for Latin. I do not consider covering that amount of material in that amount of time high school credit worthy. Some middle schools do award high school credit for a year of language completed in 8th grade, but usually not before that. I think I see why when I compare my 8th grader working on the same material.

 

My 8th grader can do 2 chapters a week in the same amount of time that my 6th grader completes one so she will complete FFL, SFL, and the hymn translation courses all this year. If she were in 9th, I would reward that amount of work with a full credit of HS Latin. As it is, I am not planning on it because she wants to take several more years of Latin and has a modern language to study as well. She will have enough high school foreign language credits without awarding them before high school. However, if she needed that credit I would feel comfortable assigning it

 

In your case I would just follow the MP material, but not assign high school credit for it until 8th grade, which would be for 4th form Latin w/ Henle 1. This would compare very well to a regular high school Latin course and it would not look unusual. Your son would still have a year of foreign language credit completed before high school.

 

Just my thoughts!

[Saddlemomma]

I was reading on the Memoria Press boards about this and read that First and Second Form Latin are each worth 1/2 credit, and Third and Fourth Form Latin are each worth 1 credit, based on the fact the First and Second Form are relatively light on translation.  DD is doing First and Second Form Latin this year and next, and we are awarding 1 high school credit for both combined.

 

We started FFL at the beginning of this year, and DD hated it.  We switched over to Visual Latin which DD much prefers. 

 

Now, it's interesting that FFL1 & 2 are considered only 1/2 credit each due to lack of translation.  That's was one of the main reasons I went ahead and switched to using VL full time. In VL, each lesson contains a page and a half of translating the Bible from Latin (starting in Genesis).  In addition, each lesson also includes 20-25 Latin sentences which must be translated into English using the correct verb tense and/or grammar as taught in the lesson.  There are also additional FREE Latin readers available on their website to download which can be incorporated into each weekly lesson for additional translation exercises.  Therefore, I'm wondering if all this translation work would substantiate making each VL program (1 & 2) worth one credit?

[Reefgazer]

I'm no expert in awarding high school credits (DD is in middle school), but that's an interesting idea.  How is the grammar instruction in VL?  DD really likes FFL, though.  I might check out those readers you referenced - thanks for the tip.

We started FFL at the beginning of this year, and DD hated it.  We switched over to Visual Latin which DD much prefers. 

 

Now, it's interesting that FFL1 & 2 are considered only 1/2 credit each due to lack of translation.  That's was one of the main reasons I went ahead and switched to using VL full time. In VL, each lesson contains a page and a half of translating the Bible from Latin (starting in Genesis).  In addition, each lesson also includes 20-25 Latin sentences which must be translated into English using the correct verb tense and/or grammar as taught in the lesson.  There are also additional FREE Latin readers available on their website to download which can be incorporated into each weekly lesson for additional translation exercises.  Therefore, I'm wondering if all this translation work would substantiate making each VL program (1 & 2) worth one credit?

 

[wapiti]

I am stretching my memory a bit here, but IIRC, it takes all four of MP's Forms to cover the grammar contained in Henle I.  Henle I, in the old days, was one credit.  More recently, some schools split Henle I over two years.  So, First Form could represent a quarter credit or no more than a half credit.

 

None of this really matters until you are writing up the transcript late in high school.  I would simply award one credit for having covered the relatively standard content of "Latin 1" prior to high school, no matter how many years(/Forms) it took to cover it in elementary/middle school.  If the student doesn't continue on in Latin following Latin 1, I probably wouldn't bother with the credits at all, as he'd have enough foreign language credits with some other language.

[Saddlemomma]

I'm no expert in awarding high school credits (DD is in middle school), but that's an interesting idea.  How is the grammar instruction in VL?  DD really likes FFL, though.  I might check out those readers you referenced - thanks for the tip.

 

It's actually quite good.  The lessons are broken down into three sections.  So, for instance, lesson 1 would appear like this:

 

Lesson 1A - Grammar: short video instruction and then a grammar worksheet to complete based upon the video lesson w/additional info.

Lesson 1B - Sentences: Short video reviewing lesson. Translation of sentences reinforcing the grammar learned in 1A.

Lesson 1C - Reading/Translation: Short video of Dwane reading the Bible section to be translated.  He pauses after each sentence so students can repeat after him to get the correct pronunciation.  Then students are to go to Lesson 1C worksheet and translate that section of Scripture.  These lessons start off small, with just a few sentences to one small paragraph.  They build into progressively longer sections as you get further into the program.

Quiz - based upon the lesson as a whole.

 

Since you can finish a lesson in 4 days, you could add one of the free Latin readers for additional translation work on the fifth day if you wanted.  If you visit their website, Compass Classroom, you can download the first five lessons of VL for free to try it.  Just remember that the lessons start out easy and build in difficulty.

 

 

 

[joyfulhomeschooler]

Thank you all for your time and input. After reading the responses and knowing our son will go on to do more foreign language in the future, I am not going to do anything except keep plugging away at Latin. I'm not concerned at this point with whether or not FFL is worth a half credit, whole credit, or no credit at all. I was just confused as to how to go about awarding credit if it was worth one. It seems that it is pretty much up to the parents discretion as to award or not to award credit as long as it fits into the requirements for their state. I will try to research more on how this works in the future, but for now we will just enjoy learning a new language. :)