Easy Latin

[SheWhoWaits]

I want to start Latin with my ds next year. He will be in 9th grade, but he's always kind of struggled with language mechanics (grammar and spelling), so I want a program that goes easy and slow without seeming babyish. He would never get into chanting endings, so Latin Primer is out. I used an old Latin book that I found at a thrift store for my older ds, but it moves way too fast for this one. Any suggestions?

[Karenciavo]

Learning the endings is very important, so when you say he would never get into chanting endings, do you mean because it seems babyish or something else?

[SheWhoWaits]

Yes, he will think it is babyish.

[Cadam]

learning the endings is key. My 10 yo doesn't like chanting either but it is required around here. I suppose there are other ways to learn endings (copywork or flash cards) but every language student has to learn endings!

[5wolfcubs]

Well, there is the Dowling Method (http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~wcd/Latin.htm) -- instead of chanting, you write...you write a lot. My 13yo doesn't like the chanting part either, but she chose it over writing each declension 200 times. :)

[cajun.classical]

I want to start Latin with my ds next year. He will be in 9th grade, but he's always kind of struggled with language mechanics (grammar and spelling), so I want a program that goes easy and slow without seeming babyish. He would never get into chanting endings, so Latin Primer is out. I used an old Latin book that I found at a thrift store for my older ds, but it moves way too fast for this one. Any suggestions?

I agree. You can't succeed in Latin without mastering those endings. Chanting is a quick and easy way to do that. However, you can write it out daily if he prefers. I use some homemade worksheets. In addition to chanting, my dc write out the declensions and conjugations daily.

For a ninth grader, I'd recommend Henle. Get the syllabus from Mother of Divine Grace. It's got two tracks and he could follow whichever pacing is more comfortable for him. Memoria Press has a syllabus as well and it moves very slowly; great for middle school, but might be too slow for a high schooler.

[MomOfOneFunOne]

http://www.pullins.com/txt/LinguaLatina.htm
How about Lingua Latina?

[Catherine]

It's cheap, very direct, not time-consuming, no need to chant endings forever. Yes, he will need to learn them, but it is very reasonable in this book. It is secular, though offers both classical and ecclesiatic pronunciation download from its website. I love this book! After he finishes it, move on to another, like Cambridge, Henle, Oxford or Wheelocks. Hope this helps!

[SheWhoWaits]

To all those who think chanting is necessary, my 15 yo learned the endings without ever chanting OR writing them out 200 times each. He learned them by seeing them over and over as he translated. But, as I said, the book I used for him moves way too fast for my 13 yo. My goals for him are lower in this area because he is still struggling with English grammar. Thanks to those of you who suggested alternatives. I'll be looking into those. I also found a chart which was quite helpful. Here's the link in case anyone is interested. http://www.homeschoolchristian.com/Reviews/LatinComparison.html