Another Wheelocks question. Switching programs midstream

[Hoggirl]

Ds has done PL, LCI, LCII, all of LitCT volume I and 10 chapters of LitCT volume II. While there are things that I love about LitCT, I really want to give the Wheelocks a try. Has anyone switched Latin curriculums this late in the game? I feel like we need to start at the beginning, which is fine b/c I think it will solidify concept. But, if you have switched from another program to Wheelocks and done some backtracking did you find that you could go through the beginnning of the Wheelocks book a bit faster? Ds scored a perfect paper on the Intro exam last year, and a 38-40 on the NLE Latin I exam this year.

Any advice on the best way to switch and how I an expect this to go?

[Classical Katharine]

I think you'll find that many of the paradigms and grammar concepts will be familiar at first, but in order to be sure of being able to do all the later work in Wheelock's, you won't be able to just skip W's chapters that cover familiar topics. Your son will need to learn any new vocabulary and you'll want to check the grammar topic coverage in W's for such chapters to see if they present any facts or angles that weren't there in LiCT, even for familiar-seeming topics. If the grammar presentation of a given topic in W's is completely old hat, then you could just have your son learn the new vocabulary in that chapter and translate a subset of the chapter sentences, as a sanity check. (OTOH, if the grammar really IS old hat, then once he learns the new vocab, translating all the chapter sentences should be easy for him and should go quickly.) But the vocabulary will be essential because you won't know where/how often in W's a given word is going to recur.

[Hoggirl]

Part of me feels like we will be "losing" something by back-tracking, but part of me feels like this is a good move. Ds has always done well with Latin, and it has come quite easily to him. I am kind of torn about what to do. He has done well with LitCT (we do it together, but he is far better at it than I), but it feels sort of hodge-podge to me. Sorry. That is rather vague.

One other issue - we have NEVER used the macrons. I am wondering if this has been a BIG mistake on my part.:confused:

[Beth in Central TX]

I've never seen LitCT, but just considering the MP series, the 1st 8 chapters of Wheelock's will be mostly review (not all though). Even though, I would start at the beginning and move quickly through the chapters that he shows mastery over while you pick up the concepts he possibly missed.

Yes, I believe the macrons are important, so you'll need to incorporate those as you review the first part of Wheelock's; the macrons affect pronunciation and determine where you accent the word. In some words, they also differentiate the case of the word.

HTH! (but remember it's from my limited Latin experience...)

[Hoggirl]

I have the MODG syllabus, but I think I am just going to have ds work by time rather than by assignment. I am probably going to have him doing Latin for one hour, three days per week. He wants to keep doing Spanish, which I really feel like is not very beneficial to him since I don't speak it!

At any rate, I have been looking through the Wheelock's, and I am hoping the material is presented differently enough that he will not mind the review. I know he is going to balk at the macrons, but I will just have to dig in my heels. I am also hoping that maybe *I* can get some reinforcement myself. I really wish I could do this stuff as well as he does! ;o)

[latinteach]

I think you'll find that many of the paradigms and grammar concepts will be familiar at first, but in order to be sure of being able to do all the later work in Wheelock's, you won't be able to just skip W's chapters that cover familiar topics. Your son will need to learn any new vocabulary and you'll want to check the grammar topic coverage in W's for such chapters to see if they present any facts or angles that weren't there in LiCT, even for familiar-seeming topics. If the grammar presentation of a given topic in W's is completely old hat, then you could just have your son learn the new vocabulary in that chapter and translate a subset of the chapter sentences, as a sanity check. (OTOH, if the grammar really IS old hat, then once he learns the new vocab, translating all the chapter sentences should be easy for him and should go quickly.) But the vocabulary will be essential because you won't know where/how often in W's a given word is going to recur.

That being said, there are plenty of helps for Wheelock's vocabulary:

Cumulative Chapter Vocabulary Lists for Wheelock's Latin: 6th Edition
ISBN 086516620X

Vocabulary Cards and Grammatical Forms Summary for Wheelock's Latin
ISBN 0865165572

This page lists links to vocabulary and grammar review games:
http://wheelockslatin.com/wheelockslinks.htm