Okay - narrowed latin down to 2 choices

[HollyDay]

Latin Alive

Latin Road to English Grammar.

 

The advantage to LREG:

1. I like the way it presents latin

2. only need 1 program for grammar and latin - streamlines both subjects

3. ease of teaching

Disadvantages:

1. possibly boring.

2. need all 3 books to get 2 latin and 2 language arts credits

3. price

 

Latin Alive:

Advantages:

1. looks fun

2. appears well presented

3. lots of reading

4. company said each book could count as high school credit

5. possibly lighter than LRTEG

Disadvantages:

1. does not look as easy to teach

2. program not complete yet

3. dvds estimated at $100

4. possibly lighter than LRTEG

 

Please help me chose!!!!

[Kristen in NC]

:lurk5:

[HollyDay]

Anyone??

[Sumiller]

Latin Alive

Latin Road to English Grammar.

 

The advantage to LREG:

1. I like the way it presents latin

2. only need 1 program for grammar and latin - streamlines both subjects

3. ease of teaching

Disadvantages:

1. possibly boring.

2. need all 3 books to get 2 latin and 2 language arts credits

3. price

 

Latin Alive:

Advantages:

1. looks fun

2. appears well presented

3. lots of reading

4. company said each book could count as high school credit

5. possibly lighter than LRTEG

Disadvantages:

1. does not look as easy to teach

2. program not complete yet

3. dvds estimated at $100

4. possibly lighter than LRTEG

 

Please help me chose!!!!

 

I can only offer some insight into LTREG.

 

First, this is not a program for your child to do independently. You will need to learn along with your child. It does take time but I believe it was worth it.

 

Second, I am just finishing up LRTEG vol 1 with my ds15 and let me say that it was anything but boring. I thought it was a good challenge without being overwhelming to both of us and since I had zero background in Latin, I definitely needed the handholding of LRTEG. Also, I wouldn't attempt it without the teaching DVD's.

 

Third, I wouldn't really consider it for the grammar component. My son had a solid foundation with Shurley and that allowed LRTEG to reinforce it using another language but I think if he hadn't had that foundation, he might have gotten confused or frustrated when it covered the dative, accusative and ablative cases because I really don't think he would've known exactly what the job of the indirect, direct object or object of prep was.

 

Am I making any sense?

 

I only know that years ago when I tried to teach my dd Latin neither of us had a great grammar base and we were overwhelmed and gave up (I was using Memoria's Latina Christiana). So if your child has a strong grammar knowledge this program will definitely reinforce it but if not, I'm not convinced it will do the job of teaching it well.

 

Also, because of the cost and because I now feel more confident in Latin, we are switching to Wheelock's for the remainder of his Latin.

 

I hope this helps your decision making,

[Melissa in CA]

One of the reason's I chose LRTEG for my older two boys was the idea that I, too, could streamline and not have to use an English Grammar course. Personally, I didn't feel the program did a very thorough job of presenting English Grammar. I was very disappointed. We only made it mid-way through the first volume though, so perhaps it got more thorough later in the book.

 

Also, LRTEG is meant for YOU to learn alongside your dc. Meaning that you are supposed to do everything your child does, vocab, assignments, everything. I didn't do this as I did not have time, and frankly it was a mistake because then I could not in any way help them when they got stuck because I did not know Latin either! The answer key only gave the answers, not the whys. So, I could tell them their sentence translation was wrong, but not WHY it was wrong, or what they did wrong. It was extremely frustrating. I decided to buy the DVDs to help us, and we jumped back several chapters to see if we missed some key concept...but even that didn't help. We were total Latin Losers. :tongue_smilie:

 

Sooo...if YOU want to learn Latin too, then I say give LRTEG a try! :D Otherwise, look elsewhere.

[Sumiller]

One of the reason's I chose LRTEG for my older two boys was the idea that I, too, could streamline and not have to use an English Grammar course. Personally, I didn't feel the program did a very thorough job of presenting English Grammar. I was very disappointed. We only made it mid-way through the first volume though, so perhaps it got more thorough later in the book.

 

Also, LRTEG is meant for YOU to learn alongside your dc. Meaning that you are supposed to do everything your child does, vocab, assignments, everything. I didn't do this as I did not have time, and frankly it was a mistake because then I could not in any way help them when they got stuck because I did not know Latin either! The answer key only gave the answers, not the whys. So, I could tell them their sentence translation was wrong, but not WHY it was wrong, or what they did wrong. It was extremely frustrating. I decided to buy the DVDs to help us, and we jumped back several chapters to see if we missed some key concept...but even that didn't help. We were total Latin Losers. :tongue_smilie:

 

Sooo...if YOU want to learn Latin too, then I say give LRTEG a try! :D Otherwise, look elsewhere.

 

Melissa,

 

Part of the problem with not knowing WHY something was wrong could have been because it wasn't necessarily wrong. In Latin, although there are definitely better or more acceptable ways to order the words, because the endings determine the job (subject, DO, OP, IO, etc) you have some discretion as to the order. This took my ds and me a few lessons to figure out because we would have the right words with the right endings but some in a different order and I would assume we were wrong until I went back and watched the DVD again and caught her comment where she states that in the ans key she is only going to show one option. Boy did I feel dumb. . but my ds got a good laugh watching me pull my graying hair out by the roots while trying to figure out how we got something different!

 

Again, I definitely wouldn't have had success with this program if I wasn't doing it alongside my ds.

[HollyDay]

Thanks ladies. I am going to give Latin Road a shot. I wish to use it with both my 8th and 5th graders. But, I do not think my 5th grader will do well with it. She HATES latin. Totally, completely. And right now, I am not sure it is a battle I want to fight. I already have Abeka 5 Language Arts for her. Perhaps she will surprise me and like what she sees big sister doing. But, I am prepared if she does not.