How many yrs. of HS Latin before taking AP Latin?

[Homeschoolmom3]

So I am debating as to whether to have my son take AP Latin next year or to have him take another Latin Readings course next year.  He took Latin 1 & 2 using Wheelocks and is currently finishing up a Latin Readings class (Latin 3/4) this year.  Should I have him take another year of Latin Readings or would he be ready for AP Latin?  He has done really well this year (high A)  Thanks everyone!

What is he reading now, and how many lines does he prepare per class?

[Homeschoolmom3]

Lately:

 

Perseus and Andromeda

Pyramus and Thisbe

Metamorphoses

 

Not sure about how many per class.

[yvonne]

I would ask the instructor of the Latin class he's currently in. She'll know best how well her students do on the AP after the particular class your son is in. 

 

I just did this for my boys. They're in Latin 3/Readings at Lukeion. They're planning on taking the Latin SAT2 subject exam at the end of this year.

If they continue with Lukeion, they'll take Latin IV/AP next year and then take the Latin AP exam.

[Homeschoolmom3]

I didn't think about the Subject test, his current teacher is getting ready to have a baby so she doesn't respond much to e-mails.  :(  but I am going to try again...  Wow, I noticed your son's load for the school year.  My son is taking Latin 3/4 and is taking a half semester of German this year.  But I am impressed that they are taking 3 languages.  My son wants to take Greek but I figured it would be too much on top of Latin and German and said he could start that after AP Latin.   How have they handled that load?  Thanks for your thoughts!

[G5052]

Yes, it varies.  Locally both the public and private schools do Latin 1-4 and then AP Latin, although the public schools haven't offered AP Latin in awhile even though it is in their catalog.

 

Lukeion does it in four years, but their Latin 3 is similar to what most providers call Latin 4 in terms of the breadth and difficulty of translations.

 

One of mine did Henle 1 in 7th, then Wheelock's in 8th and 9th, Latin 3 with Lukeion in 10th, and then AP Latin with Lukeion in 11th (score of "5").  For him, the toughest part was the writing.  They have to really be able to churn out analysis of the passages.  Translating and analyzing Caesar is easier than dealing with complexity of Latin poetry with Virgil.  He also had four years of gold medals on the National Latin Exam and several perfect papers.

 

My second one does well on Latin, but doesn't have the motivation and ambition.  She has several medals from the National Latin Exam, but has never won a gold.  She'll finish up Wheelock's this year, but I'm reluctant to move her over to Lukeion because she's got other AP work in areas she loves.  So next year she's doing Classical Academic Press's Latin 4 followed by the SAT II.  If she does well, we'll stop Latin then.  If not I'll probably do a 1-semester intensive review and have her take the December SAT II the following year, or I might put her into Lukeion Latin 3 and call it Latin 4 on her transcript.  Or have her do Classic Academic Press's Latin 5 but not do the AP?  We'll see!

[wapiti]

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[Kareni]

My daughter took out of the home Latin classes through AP Latin. (She used Cambridge Latin I through IV before her AP Latin class.)  She took the AP exam after her fourth year of Latin studies.  She also took the SAT Subject exam at about the same time.

 

As regards the Subject test ~

When I asked my daughter what she found most helpful as regards the Subject test, she said taking the sample test in the Official Study Guide for all SAT Subject Tests was quite helpful in showing her what was expected. If your child were to do that, I think that would give you a good idea of how prepared your child currently is. My daughter's Latin instructor recommended Excelability in Advanced Latin by Marianthe Colakis. My daughter also spent some time with the REA SAT Subject Test in Latin book.

The SAT subject test in Latin is only offered twice a year.

Regards,
Kareni

[Homeschoolmom3]

Thanks for your ideas Kareni!  Will look into those...

Lately:

 

Perseus and Andromeda

Pyramus and Thisbe

Metamorphoses

 

Not sure about how many per class.

 

 

Ovid is noticeably easier than Vergil, but if he's consistently preparing 20 to 30 lines for class, and understands a bit about Latin prosody, he can probably handle AP Latin.    I will say, though, that it is a lot of work, and to be careful about not overloading the rest of his schedule.

[Kathy in Richmond]

Ovid is noticeably easier than Vergil, but if he's consistently preparing 20 to 30 lines for class, and understands a bit about Latin prosody, he can probably handle AP Latin.    I will say, though, that it is a lot of work, and to be careful about not overloading the rest of his schedule.

Yes to this. I've taken kids through AP Latin four times. It's one of the most intense APs we did here. You must come in prepared and be ready to work hard.

 

What I look for before starting AP:

(1) completion of a solid Latin grammar with good retention (Wheelocks, Henle 1&2, Artes Latinae, etc)

(2) experience in a Latin 3 type reading course where a variety of authors are read, including some poetry

(3) solid vocabulary, ie, doesn't need to constantly refer to the dictionary when reading Latin

(4) ability to quickly write an analytical essay based on a passage of Latin text. I held one of mine back a year from AP Latin to develop this skill.

 

You can also use the NLE 3/4 tests (several are posted on the NLE website) or the Latin SAT 2 to check for readiness. A solid performance on a combination of those tests preceded AP Latin here. Btw, we used both the Excelability and the REA books that Kareni mentioned above.

 

My dd majored in Classics/Latin at college. After 2 years of AP at home (there used to be 2 different AP Latin exams), she was able to place into the advanced level of courses at her university. Her AP years were excellent prep for the level & amount of work those courses required.

 After 2 years of AP at home (there used to be 2 different AP Latin exams), she was able to place into the advanced level of courses at her university. Her AP years were excellent prep for the level & amount of work those courses required.

 

For all the talk on other threads about how AP exams and classes do not represent college level work, are either much harder than college classes, or much easier, or require too much useless busy work, I have to say that the AP Latin exam, and most classes I've seen that prepare for it, are right on the mark.  Of course, it isn't equivalent to a first semester college class -- more like fourth or fifth semester.

[Homeschoolmom3]

Thank you all for your comments and help..lot to think about...:)