Looking for Latin curriculum for 7yo

[EKS]

I want to start Latin with my younger son who will be 7.75 yo next fall and starting 2nd grade. He is bright and works a solid two years ahead of grade level, with the exception of writing, where he is at grade level, or only slightly above.

 

I am looking for a program that progresses logically, that doesn't have too much writing, and most importantly, is secular.

 

At the moment I'm considering Minimus and Lively Latin. Are there others? Does anyone have any experience they'd like to share about these two?

 

Thanks!

[WABeth]

I am planning Song School Latin for next year with my then 7.75 2nd grader. I don't have it in my hands yet but I like the looks of the samples. My older dd has been using LfC for 2 years now and although the company is not completely secular we have had no problems using LfC. In fact LfC has worked great for my dd which is one of the reasons I am going to use SSL with my younger. It should, hopefully allow an easy transition to LfC.

[frogpond1]

and if you want more after it then start Prima Latina.

[Mandarinmom]

I have just received our set. I was so anxious to buy it, due to wonderful reviews on this forum. Unfortunately I am very dissapointed, and will be returning it tomorrow. The content is good for pre-K, or K. My daughter is almost 6, and she likes it, it is very easy and she likes songs and activities. However, the songs are hard to follow and hard to correlate the disc and book. It is really too easy for 6 y.o. I am checking on Lively Latin now, it looks like more advanced, and also Latin prep by Galore park.

[StephanieF]

Re song school latin-we like it!

It does depend on what you are looking for. It is very good for my 5 yr old and even my 9 and 11 yr old enjoy the songs-although I wouldn't buy it for them. For younger children you can listen to the sons and learn vocab that way and for older ones who want to write they can write the words and learn the spelling. However I agree there isn't any grammar if that is what you want. It is designed as a vocab intro for young children I think not as a sit down and work your way through sentences and learn grammar.

I agree that it takes a while to understand the songs but as I said before my 5 yr old can sing them.

My 5 yr old wouldn't sit down and write sentences in latin-we haven't got there in English yet! However he is getting some vocab and having fun. It probably depends on how advanced your child is but for my 5 yr old who is a first grade reader it is perfect. I need to spend time with him learning to read and write in English first.

I am desperate to try LL but am trying to be patient and hold off until he will really benefit! It sounds as if the OP's son is a bit old for SSS though, have you looked at the sample on the LL site? I have downloaded a free trial but haven't opened it yet. Am hoping that that will help me make exactly the same decision as you are making!

 

I too am torn between Minimus and LL as I think that they both offer different things. I have seen Minimus and may use it and the readers as a supplement to LL as it looks fun to read. That way perhaps I won't buy the teacher's manual but I would if I was using it as my main curric.

Stephanie

[buddhabelly]

Minimus is a lot of fun. It's not very grammar-intensive, though, so if that is important to you then I would looke elsewhere.

 

No reason why you couldn't do BOTH of those programs you mentioned. Especially if you happen to be studying ancient Rome this year. Minimus is based on real archeological evidence excavated from the site at Vindolanda. It even includes photographs of the letters you are translating. Way cool.

 

We did both Minimus and Latin for Children A when my child was 7 (and was also accellerated like yours). Latin for Children A is not extremely writing-intensive, so it was fine for an advanced 7yo.

 

They didn't have Lively Latin yet, though. So that might be something to look at. Drew at Latin Centered Curriculum can tell you more about Lively Latin. He uses it with his "just" 7yo.

 

Lingua Latina is also great for reading practice. I wouldn't start it until you've done 6 months or a year of something else first, though.

 

Have fun!

 

Julie

[Zelda]

My 9yo is loving Lively Latin.

[Jen500]

We started Lively Latin when my boys were 8, and they love it. One ds struggles more with writing, and the writing portions just take him a bit longer than my other ds. I don't think there's a large amount of writing (we're just in Lesson 7). You could do some of it orally, there's not a lot of writing in each exercise, and there is some picture drawing. And go at your own pace. It's secular, which appeals to us, and the history sections make the program more interesting.

[Julesnpebbles@suddenlink.]

My son is advanced but he enjoyed Prima Latina and then Latina Christiana. After this we might move into Latin for Children. But Prima Latina is not complicated and set the basics down well.

[abbeyej]

From what you've said, I think you would be happiest with Lively Latin. Song School Latin is a *very* basic introduction to a handful of easy vocabulary words for the youngest children. Unlike other posters, I think it's pretty easy to use -- but I use it for about 10 minutes a week with my 6yo. It's cute, she likes it, she has learned a few Latin words... And this year I only wanted her to *think* she was learning Latin, lol, and enjoying it. So it's doing what I want. ;o)

 

Next year she'll do a group Minimus class that I teach. I enjoy doing that class a lot, and I bring in a lot of projects and supplements and more explicit grammar instruction... But again, I don't think it's what you're looking for. Minimus is cute, there really *can* be a lot of depth there if you know how to use it, but it doesn't cover much grammar at all, and unless you really want to build your own lessons around it, it tends to work best as a supplement or a just-for-fun intro.

 

Lively Latin will give you complete lessons and explicit grammar and "learn this now"...

 

(BTW, I've also taught Prima Latina and Latina Christiana. While there are things I like about both, I don't think either would be appropriate for the OP in this case.)

Edited November 3, 2008 by abbeyej

[Jenn Robinson]

My 6dd is doing Song School. My 8dd is doing Song School and Prima- she is really enjoying both! :)

[mcconnellboys]

I guess I'll add that I love Minimus and Minimus Secundus for elementary studies (especially for boys - great stories!)

[frogpond1]

a bit frustrating to do LfC B in 4th grade. I prefer LfC B in 5th grade myself and then Latin Alive in 6th. So, I kind of work backwards from this and have found that Song School or Prima or any other really fun Latin items can be done before 4th grade. This is my recipe to prevent burn out for kids. I'm in it for the long run with my kids and I know that there requires a great degree of Logic as you progress in the upper stages of Latin.

 

We do Song School in a day with the 2nd and 3rd graders and then they listen to their songs through the week. The second day of the week we do fun items from this book:http://aclclassics.org/tmrc/catalog.asp?parent=500&category=22&c=

 

It is so much fun playing games, singing songs and really falling in love with the language, versus just chanting vocabulary and paradigms. We do that too, but I never had this much fun when my older kids were younger and we were just doing Prima. I know I will still get to the same place, or even further with these kids too. Singing Old MacDonald in Latin is a blast, and playing animal bingo etc. I suggest adding this book for anyone who is really having fun with Song School and wants to take it a little further.

[mazakaal]

I think Lively Latin would work for a 7yo. Just make sure you take it slowly.

[StephanieF]

Frogpond1 what is the min age for the activity book you suggest? Also do you have the songbook they mention as well?

Thanks

Stephanie

[momtolgd]

We are using Song School Latin with my 8yo ds and 6yo dd this year. I wanted a fun intro to Latin that would make them enjoy it and that could be used for both of them. It serves that purpose very well. They both enjoy the songs and the workbooks.

 

Next year when they are 9 and 7 I am planning on using Lively Latin. I want to keep them together wherever possible, and at their young ages it is working out that they can do Latin together with slightly different expectations of each of them. I don't know how long they can stay at the same pace though.

 

For now we love SSL! :001_smile:

[Laura Corin]

I am checking on Lively Latin now, it looks like more advanced, and also Latin prep by Galore park.

 

Ten is a better age for most children, and it's still a great programme (taken a little faster) up through high school.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

[EKS]

I just ordered Lively Latin. I really appreciate everyone's responses!

[metrodorus]

You could start listening to the Adler course with him - it is entirely audio.

As he is only 7, I would only use parts b and c...this is an immersion course, and he might ( or might not) find it quite entertaining. The course is secular.

http://latinum.mypodcast.com

[frogpond1]

which is grades 3-6, but I'm using it with my 2nd and 3rd graders because they have the time to do all the fun things. This week we were putting together Joe Body Parts. It has all the Latin names for the body parts and you assemble it like a skeleton. We had so much fun. I'd love to own the cd, but money is tight at the moment. We've been singing the songs on our own right now. Last week we were classifying the animals found in common children's books. There is a unit on architecture too. It is quite a fun book. Really it is just a huge spiral bound thing, but it is a very easy way to add fun with my class. It is truely immersion Latin and I like that with these little ones.

[Audrey]

We use Minimus and I recommend it highly! :) It is a great, lively, engaging intro to Latin AND it uses classical pronunciation. *I* was taught proper Classical Latin. AFAIK, there is no other acceptable form. :tongue_smilie:

 

Many of the programs out there use Ecclesiatical pronunciation and are not secular, in the sense that a lot of what you end up learning are often hymns, prayers and such.

Edited November 13, 2008 by Audrey