Henle Latin - learn along with my 6th grader, or just facilitate?

[Noreen Claire]

DS11 has had three years of slow, gentle Latin with Little Latin Readers, from 3rd-5th grade. We took the first half of 6th grade off from Latin because I was teaching three courses online and just couldn't fit it in the day. So, we've just started Henle Latin after Christmas. I am using the Memoria Press teacher's book for scheduling and correcting answers. (He's doing the exercises orally, because writing would slow it way, way down.) 

When we worked before, it was simple enough that I learned the material just by sitting with him, helping him with the workbook, and listening to the audio files. However, we're only three weeks in and I can tell that I am not learning the material like he is the way we are working Henle now. So, my question is this: Should I try to find the time to do the work ahead of him and learn it myself, or will he be okay if I simply just facilitate and correct answers using the book? (We can't do it at the same time, because that would require him writing his answers, will definitely make it take longer for him, and might cause a revolt.) It might also be possible to sign him up for an online course in the fall. 

Can anyone share their decision and/or experience? Thanks!

[2_girls_mommy]

If he is going to continue latin further, I would say you need to learn it, unless you are going to enroll him in an online class with a teacher who knows the material.  If you just facilitate, it would be like handing a kid an Algebra textbook to figure out on his own.  Yes, some kids could read the text and grasp it.  But most need a teacher to work out practice problems with them and to help correct work and to know what they are looking at.  (when you grade Latin translations, there can be different translations that are correct.  You don't want to be counting off because it doesn't look exactly like the book's answer if it is correct, etc.)  He might do fine this year.  I am just thinking about as you get deeper into it.  We went through Henle 3 over the course of high school with my dd for Latin credits of 1-4.  We also prepped for the National Latin Exams each year.  If I wasn't working the material and learning it with her, I would have most definitely needed to pay for an expensive online class to teach it at some point.  

The MP guides for Henle that I have seen (just for Henle I, I don't know if they have them for after that?) are good.  They break it down into lessons similar to their Form series which is an even better program for beginners.  First Form uses their own exercises and uses Henle I as well.  We did First over two years for Latin 1 and 2 in 8th and 9th grades for high school credit it was so good.  And dd scored amazingly on the NLE exams for levels 1 and 2 with it.

[Noreen Claire]

On 1/20/2021 at 10:52 AM, 2_girls_mommy said:

If he is going to continue latin further, I would say you need to learn it, unless you are going to enroll him in an online class with a teacher who knows the material.  If you just facilitate, it would be like handing a kid an Algebra textbook to figure out on his own.  Yes, some kids could read the text and grasp it.  But most need a teacher to work out practice problems with them and to help correct work and to know what they are looking at.  (when you grade Latin translations, there can be different translations that are correct.  You don't want to be counting off because it doesn't look exactly like the book's answer if it is correct, etc.)  He might do fine this year.  I am just thinking about as you get deeper into it.  We went through Henle 3 over the course of high school with my dd for Latin credits of 1-4.  We also prepped for the National Latin Exams each year.  If I wasn't working the material and learning it with her, I would have most definitely needed to pay for an expensive online class to teach it at some point.  

The MP guides for Henle that I have seen (just for Henle I, I don't know if they have them for after that?) are good.  They break it down into lessons similar to their Form series which is an even better program for beginners.  First Form uses their own exercises and uses Henle I as well.  We did First over two years for Latin 1 and 2 in 8th and 9th grades for high school credit it was so good.  And dd scored amazingly on the NLE exams for levels 1 and 2 with it.

Thank you!

[Coco_Clark]

I have not taught using Henle.  We use a pretty eclectic mix mix of Latin for Children, Lingua Latina Familiara, Visual Latin, and National Latin Exam prep.  But, I can't imagine throwing middle school kids into Latin without a teacher that's at least a few lessons ahead.  Once you make the jump from vocab memorization and declensions into heavy translation, you really need to know your stuff in order to help and correct.

Which is time. I know.  So yeah, your choices, ime, are find the time or find a tutor/online class.  

[Noreen Claire]

On 1/21/2021 at 10:31 PM, Coco_Clark said:

I have not taught using Henle.  We use a pretty eclectic mix mix of Latin for Children, Lingua Latina Familiara, Visual Latin, and National Latin Exam prep.  But, I can't imagine throwing middle school kids into Latin without a teacher that's at least a few lessons ahead.  Once you make the jump from vocab memorization and declensions into heavy translation, you really need to know your stuff in order to help and correct.

Which is time. I know.  So yeah, your choices, ime, are find the time or find a tutor/online class.  

Thanks very much. I guess I am going to have to make the time to learn it myself!