About studying Latin ahead of your kids...

[mo2]

My dd won't start Latin for at least a couple of years yet (she's struggling with learning to read, so to avoid any unnecessary stress/confusion, we're putting Latin off for awhile). I want to go ahead and get a jump on this, as I have no Latin background whatsoever. I don't know what program I intend to use with dd, but I'm leaning towards Lively Latin or Latin Prep. (We're secular.) Does anyone have any recommendations on programs for ME, so I can go ahead and start learning Latin myself? Remember, I need to start from the absolute beginning!

 

Thanks.

[Laura Corin]

My dd won't start Latin for at least a couple of years yet (she's struggling with learning to read, so to avoid any unnecessary stress/confusion, we're putting Latin off for awhile). I want to go ahead and get a jump on this, as I have no Latin background whatsoever. I don't know what program I intend to use with dd, but I'm leaning towards Lively Latin or Latin Prep. (We're secular.) Does anyone have any recommendations on programs for ME, so I can go ahead and start learning Latin myself? Remember, I need to start from the absolute beginning!

 

Thanks.

 

The pace is reasonable but not insultingly slow. I don't know anything about Lively Latin. On the other hand, you could just learn alongside her when the time comes.

 

Laura

[MommyThrice]

We started with Prima Latina. If you go ahead now, you might get pretty bored explaining the basics... kinda like teaching that third child how to read! Also, most people learn best as they are explaining to someone else.

 

If I had little ones again and had extra time on my hands, I would spend it catching up on great literature (and making a few notes as you go.) Now that they are older, I can't keep up with their reading.

[Rhondabee]

Because I was thinking, "Oh, yeah, - I just learn along with them." (Maybe a week to six weeks ahead of dc, but not years!)

 

Having this board to come to helps fill in whatever curriculum you might be using, and help you over any "humps" along the way.

 

You just never know what might come up. Maybe you'll decide to do a roots program and/or Spanish instead. I wouldn't prepare years in advance for a subject unless it was something I was personally interested in for myself.

 

If I *really* wanted to learn Latin, I'd sign up for an on-line class.

[Patricia in WA]

I agree with Laura. I also have never seen LL but have used LP for 2 years now. I had no prior Latin experience. I tried Wheelocks before I started Latin formally and that was a huge flop. I tried some other things but nothing has stuck as well as LP. Their explanations are funny but clear. I have never been left wondering why.

 

HTHs,

[abbeyej]

I'm going to back Laura and Patricia on this one -- Latin Prep would be a great place for *you* to start. The explanations are clear and concise, giving you enough information to make sense, but not so much as to overwhelm you. I *did* know some Latin going in, but I think it's the clearest, most approachable text I could recommend to someone else. The grammar and translation work is balanced fabulously well -- most of the other programs I've used or looked at really favor one or the other and there's no balance at all.

 

Also, Lively Latin and Latin Prep are not really equivalent. I would use LL for a younger child -- a reading early-to-middle elementary student. Use Latin Prep for a late elementary or middle school student. (I do have a couple of 3rd graders in my Latin Prep class doing very well -- but they are "academically gifted" and came into the class with some Latin background already.)

 

I agree that it's not worth working through something like Prima Latina ahead of time -- it just doesn't include enough information to be worthwhile to an adult (unless they wanted to cover it in a matter of days). And it's an explicitly "Christian Latin" program anyway, so that won't likely work for you.

 

But I think working through as much of Latin Prep (there are three years) as you can ahead of your kids will give you a *tremendous* leg up in terms of teaching them. And yes, it'll make even more sense to you the second time through as you teach it -- but you'll be a lot better prepared.

 

I recommend getting the workbooks as well as the textbook -- the extra practice really is helpful.