DD doing Latin Primer - should she move to Latina Christiana next?

[Dawn]

She's in fourth grade and doing great with Latin Primer, but I don't feel comfy continuing with LP since it is so non teacher friendly (even with the DVDs, though without them there is NO way I could do it).

LC seems so similar in terms of the level - I almost feel like she'd just be repeating most of the stuff she's learning in Latin Primer.

Since I'm Latin inept though :o.....I don't know....

Help? :rolleyes::)

[Herding Cats in NC]

We've been doing Latin Primer here as well, and I absolutely agree with you! We'll finish it, but I won't continue with the series. I am going to use Latin Prep Book 1 (by Galore Park) next year for ds10 (he's in 4th grade now). It looks like fun and a lot more teacher - and student - friendly. Laura in China has posted reviews of Latin Prep on these boards - if you do a search you should be able to find them.

[cajun.classical]

She's in fourth grade and doing great with Latin Primer, but I don't feel comfy continuing with LP since it is so non teacher friendly (even with the DVDs, though without them there is NO way I could do it).

LC seems so similar in terms of the level - I almost feel like she'd just be repeating most of the stuff she's learning in Latin Primer.

Since I'm Latin inept though :o.....I don't know....

Help? :rolleyes::)

Someone posted this very question on the Memoria Press Forums. It may have been you. I can't find the post now, but I remember Martin Cothran saying that a student completing Latin Primer could go into Latina Christiana 2, but he recommended learning the vocabulary from LC1 because it is assumed in LC2. The first several lessons of LC2 review the vocab of LC1. You could spend some extra time drilling the vocab at the beginning of the book.

Good luck. We love Latina Christiana. And my recommendation for anyone teaching Latin is to read the articles on the Memoria Press website about Latin instruction and Latin recitation. These have transformed my Latin instruction.

[Dawn]

Thanks for the Memoria Press site recommendation - I'll make sure to read up on it. I'm so unmotivated to learn alongside her since it's all done for her on DVD. :o But I know I need to do it.

I have the LC1 books and DVDs borrowed from a friend :D so I can do the first several lessons if we decide to go into LC2. I'm almost wondering if I should just stop with LP now (we're set to start Chapter 16) and start up with LC1 from the beginning so that we can be all set to do LC2 at the end of August.

hmmmm

[Beth in SW WA]

This non-Latin mom LOVES the LC dvd's. We are doing LC 1 & 2 this year -- and loving it. Leigh Lowe, who teaches the lessons on the dvd, is just super. Some folks here don't enjoy the videos much -- but we sure do.

Good luck :)

[Holly IN]

I find this thread very interesting. We are in Latin Primer. It is ok but very boring. I have wanted to drop Latin Primer to go with Latina Christina but do not know if I should because pronunciations are different. Aren't they different in pronunciations?

Thanks

Holly

[Dawn]

I find this thread very interesting. We are in Latin Primer. It is ok but very boring. I have wanted to drop Latin Primer to go with Latina Christina but do not know if I should because pronunciations are different. Aren't they different in pronunciations?

Thanks

Holly

I believe LP is "classic" and LC is "ecclesiastical" for pronounciations.

My understanding is that no one knows HOW Latin sounded so either is fine. LOL

I did see similar vocab words in LC that are also in LP. I need to compare them more closely...

[Holly IN]

So it really doesn't matter if we did Latin primer 1 first then go to LC2 after that?

Holly

[elegantlion]

I just wanted to say thank you to the posters in this thread. You have now confirmed my choice for Latin programs next year. :D

[Dawn]

I just wanted to say thank you to the posters in this thread. You have now confirmed my choice for Latin programs next year. :D

DO tell! :) LC?

[Dawn]

So it really doesn't matter if we did Latin primer 1 first then go to LC2 after that?

Holly

Good question.....

[Dawn]

This is an older review by SWB

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/J01Latina.html

What I'm unclear on is the list below by grade levels - are the programs recommended (for example, Latina Christiana 1 for advanced fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh graders) for a child beginning Latin or is it a sort of step by step Latin plan (first Primer, then LC1 then Latin Road etc)?

[Janis in DE]

We are just finishing Latin Primer II. I almost quit Latin Primer last year, but I am glad we stuck with it for one more year. LPII got much better. I was really confused at the end of last year because I wasn't understanding how declenetions worked. That all becomes more clear in LPII. I am glad we stuck with it one more year. Not knowing Latin I was glad to have the DVDs. I now feel confindent enough to use Latin Prep I with my daughter next year. She will be in 6th grade. My daughter did find it dry and is looking forward to Latin Prep, which is is recommended for about 6th grade.

[Dawn]

We are just finishing Latin Primer II. I almost quit Latin Primer last year, but I am glad we stuck with it for one more year. LPII got much better. I was really confused at the end of last year because I wasn't understanding how declenetions worked. That all becomes more clear in LPII. I am glad we stuck with it one more year. Not knowing Latin I was glad to have the DVDs. I now feel confindent enough to use Latin Prep I with my daughter next year. She will be in 6th grade. My daughter did find it dry and is looking forward to Latin Prep, which is is recommended for about 6th grade.


We are JUST about to start the declensions in Chapter 16. I have next week scheduled off and need to use some time to grasp this. My good friend is also doing LP1...is further ahead and said it was very confusing. Even with the DVDs, there is so little direction and explanation for teachers...

Janis, would you mind sharing how you set up your Latin week?

For us, I basically do this:

Mon - Chapter whatever, Chants
Tue - Chapter ", Chants and Part 1
Wed - Chapter ", Chants and Part 2
Thu - Chapter ", Chants and derivatives (I just sit with her and help her with the listed derivatives and she writes them in her book)
Fri - Chants, flash cards and Quiz

[Beth in SW WA]

I just wanted to say thank you to the posters in this thread. You have now confirmed my choice for Latin programs next year. :D

I'm dying to hear your choice! Doesn't it feel good to know what's next? :)

[elegantlion]

It was between LFC and Latin Primer, it will be our first year of Latin. I was looking for classical pronunciation. I had just about decided on LFC, but this clinched it, as I don't like "boring". ;)

Thanks again.

[Janis in DE]

"Janis, would you mind sharing how you set up your Latin week?"

Your schedule looks great. I don't spend nearly as much time on chants. Though I now understand why they learn all those chants. So many of the chants are the endings. Let me see if I can make a little bit of sense for you what I had trouble understanding last year. Endings are everything in Latin. With nouns the endings tell you what part of speech the noun is. If it is in the Nomative Case then it is either the subject of the sentence or a predicate nomative and if it is singular or plural. If it is in the Accusative Case then it is a direct object. Most of LPII deals with these two cases, but I now understand how the language works. You must know the ending to know if the Shepard loves the sheep or the Sheep loves the shephard. It can make a lot of difference in the translation.Verb endings tell you if it is in First Person, Second Person and so forth and if it is singular or plural or past, future or present. Learning the Chants are like learning the multiplication tables. Eventually they should just know the nomnitive ending and not have to run through the chant to figure it out. Just like they should know 7X7=49 and not have to do the 7 tables. Now if you would decide to go to Latin Prep they use a different case order. This could cause some confusion with chants learned. Some moms just change the case order in the Latin Prep book. There is also a Yahoo group to help with questions about Latin Prep. I hope this helps. There is translation in Latin Primer II which I think makes it more interesting. Now Latin Prep starts with translation the first lesson and more forward quickly with them reading Latin and answering questions of what they read.

[cajun.classical]

This is an older review by SWB

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/J01Latina.html

What I'm unclear on is the list below by grade levels - are the programs recommended (for example, Latina Christiana 1 for advanced fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh graders) for a child beginning Latin or is it a sort of step by step Latin plan (first Primer, then LC1 then Latin Road etc)?

The grade levels are recommendations for a child just starting out. She's not laying out a step by step plan. Each of those books have their own sequence. I've used LC with a third grader and with a fourth grader (as well as having taught these in a classical school to grades 3-5). LC works with a third grader, however I did do lots of the early lessons orally and with lots of hand-holding. But halfway through the year, she does it all independently and does the written work as well. The fourth grader was able to handle the writing element from the beginning.

I would not recommend LC for seventh or above. It just moves way too slowly. It designed as a gentle introduction for younger children. I would start a 7th grader in Henle directly.

[Holly IN]

hhmmmm
more questions...


Sorry for hijacking here...

We have been doing Latin Primer 1 for about 1 1/2 years. We are taking it very very slowly. My oldest is now a 7th grader. My other son is a 4th grader.

So basing on this thread...I shouldn't use Latina Christina after LP1 because of my oldest age? Just go into Henle?

Or should I just stick it out for LP2?

Thanks
Holly

[Susan in SoCal]

but my personal opinion is that the Latin Primer series would drive an older student batty - lots of memorization without a whole lot of "whys." After all, it's designed to begin with a 3rd grader (by a publishing house that puts great store in trivium theory - MEMORIZE when younger, give explanations when older, etc.)

I would think a 7th grade student would crave the "whys" and translation work. Latin Primer will not provide this (well, not til the 3rd level, anyway).

Here are texts I've used and like for older students:

Henle
Latin Book One (out of print, but available free online)
Latin Prep

There are, of course, other curricula that are good. These are just the ones I've used and like and can firsthand recommend.

[Holly IN]

Is Latin Prep teacher friendly?

Thanks again-
Holly

[Susan in SoCal]

The explanations are very good. But the pace is pretty quick.

Are you planning to learn alongside your daughter? If so, LPrep is a good text to learn from.