Latin Help Please!

[runningirl71]

I have been spending what seems like hours and hours researching different Latin programs for next year, and I think I'm getting confused and frustrated!

DD and I are looking to do something different as we are bored to tears with what we are doing. We made it half way through Prima Latina before abandoning it and we are half way through Latin Primer I right now. We are trying hard to make it through, but it just isn't fun or enjoyable for us. I think it is really interesting, but she doesn't.

My goal is for her to be able to read and translate Latin when she gets into highschool. I also teach it to her to strengthen grammar and b/c so much of our language comes from Latin.

I have thought of using Lively Latin or Latin for children next year. But, I've just been reading on this forum many who are pleased with Latin Prep and Ecce Romani. Lingua Latina has also been mentioned. My dd is 10 and has studied about one year of Latin so far. I, myself, am learning along with her and have no previous Latin experience. It would be nice to find a program we can stick with for awhile!

Would someone be willing to give a few recommendations? I guess I am leary buying a whole new program and then it not work for us. There are so many programs out there, there has to be one we can enjoy!

Oh, my daughter does very well with "seatwork" and is motivated to study on her own. I'd appreciate any advice!

Angie, confused in IN

[Beth in Central TX]

I had to go through a couple of programs myself to find something that I could learn from and teach. There are many options out there and many people who do and don't benefit from each one.

Here are a couple of comparison sites:

http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/latincurricula.htm
http://www.homeschoolchristian.com/Reviews/LatinComparison.html

[JudoMom]

I'm not even close to being an expert, but we've enjoyed LfC A this year. We did Prima Latina and it bored me to tears. LfC is "peppier" and the chants are fun and catchy (of course, this is assuming you'll get the DVDs and chant CD).

[Meliss]

I love Latin Prep. I am doing it along with my 10 yo and 11 yo sons. I did PL and LC I partway with them, but I am enjoying Latin Prep far more and it is sticking in my brain better! :) My boys say that they like it better too. We call it "Pagan Latin" because it has a lot of sentences and stories to translate about ancient Roman stories and myths with the gods in contrast to Latina Christiana. We still use the ecclesiastical pronunciation from LC though and the American case order. (We just re-write the declensions in our notebooks in the order with which we are familiar.)

[Stirsmommy]

We are switching out of latin primer I into Latin prep in the next couple of weeks or when ever it arrives. (I figure a week to arrive and a week for me to read it and implement it). Primer was just way too dry for us and I finally realized we needed something to pull us through or we were never going to get anywhere. We looked at sample pages of latin prep and dd really liked them. So did I. I think the sample pages are on galorepark.co.uk
I wish we hadn't wasted so much time trying to make it fit just because I had bought it. But I guess at least I can say that I have learned from my mistake. New latin here we come!

[Pensguys]

We were bored to tears with the Latin programs we had tried before too, but Latin Prep has added some fun into our studies. DS thinks some of the sentences we translate are so funny!

[runningirl71]

Thanks so much for the advice! I love to what others are doing. I'm going to definitely check out Latin Prep. Thanks, Beth, for the links to the comparison sheets! You guys are great! I'm so glad I decided to join this forum! I've been using WTM for 3 years now but just recently joined this online community. I love it!

Another question. I keep forgetting I'm not only going to be teaching my 10 y/o daughter, but also my 12 y/o son. He'll be going into 8th grade next year. Would Latin Prep, or any other program work for both of them? He is very linguistically minded and very good with languages. He also has an easy time with memorization, while my daughter really struggles with it. But, he gets bogged down with "workbook" type learning, which is what my daughter loves. And, he is turning 13 in May and wouldn't want to do anything that seems elementary-ish to him. If you have a teenager or soon to be one, you may know what I mean!:) Anyways, he is in a classical private school this year, that is why I didn't mention him before. But, he won't be going next year and I want to continue on with Latin. He has aspirations to be a lawyer and Latin can ONLY help him pursue that! Who knows if he will actually go into the field . . .but I'm into encouraging him-whatever interests he has! He has done Prima Latina with me in the past (before he went to private school) and now he is in Latin Primer II.

Angie

[runningirl71]

If I were to buy Latin Prep, do I need any other supplemental resources?

[Laura Corin]

You could definitely use Latin Prep with both your children. It's billed as a late elementary/middle school programme, but it would even work for high school if taken faster. For middle school, it's designed to be taken at one book a year, then you can top it off with the final high-school text from the same company:

Latin Prep 1
Latin Prep 2
Latin Prep 3
So You Really Want to Learn Latin III (review and extension - probably not a full year)..

After that , you'll be ready to read original Latin texts.

As to what to buy: the basic course is just the text book for your child(ren) (they can share) and the answer book for you. There are workbooks in addition to go with the first book and answers to go with those. These are optional, but some people really like to use them. Perhaps you could get a set for your daughter, but not your son? There's also a pronunciation CD in production, but don't hold your breath on that one!

I'm happy to answer any other questions, and you are welcome to join my Galore Park Yahoo group (link in my siggy). Here is the URL for seeing samples of Latin Prep:

http://www.galorepark.co.uk/product/home_schoolers/127/latin-prep-book-1.html

The books are available in the US from www.horriblebooks.com (Ray may have some on hand - otherwise he orders periodically in batches) or direct from the UK with free shipping from www.bookdepository.co.uk. I've used BD several times; service has always been excellent and very swift.

I have no financial connection with Galore Park - I'm just an enthusiast for many of their products.

Laura

[Lorna]

I am using Latin Prep 1 with a twelve year old and it certainly isn't beneath her. It is very well laid out and it concentrates on getting the grammar right instead of simply learning vocabulary. This, in my opinion, is the best way to learn a language so that you don't simply translate but can also write from English to Latin.
We have tried several programmes and this is the best I have seen. We haven't tried Latin For Children however - which also gets very good feed back on this board.

[runningirl71]

Thanks! I'm excited to check out Latin Prep, and I'll sign on to your yahoo group Laura. To me, Latin is one of our most intereting subjects, but I need all the help I can get!

Laura-how long have you been in China? I know that is off topic. I just noticed China in your name. We lived there for almost 10 years, but are now back in the States. DD, 10, was born in the Northeast, close to Russia.

Glad for the help!

angie

[Lizzie in Ma]

We began with LFCA way back when and did ok but dd and I are not good with the methodology that is memorize now,learn to use it later, KWIM?
We agonized 3/4 of the way through LFCB and then found Galore Park. Thank Heavens for these boards!! We are doing LP1 this year for 6th and really clicking with it for the first time. It is hard work for her, she can be mentally lazy, but she is really learning to work with, read and translate well for the first time. With LFC (and I have not seen the newer version mind you) she could chant endings and vocabulary like the dickens but there was so little actually using them in context that she never got it. I was actually quite taken aback at how little she understood Latin after almost 2 years.

Prima Latina with my little one was the same situation as LFC, although we did enjoy memorizing the prayers. I am now doing Lively Latin with her which fits into our LCC style beautifully. She is too young for Galore Park.

[runningirl71]

My dd sounds a lot like yours. I never thought of her as mentally lazy, but she does have a harder time with memorization than her brother. So, I'm hoping Latin Prep may be a good fit for her! Yes! Thank goodness for these boards and all the wonderful people who take time to post! I'm usually just a lurker, but have felt very comfortable to just jump in here!

angie

[Laura Corin]

We've been in China for 3 1/2 years now, but we were in Hong Kong for seven years before that, and previously were in Taiwan for five years and Beijing for one. Calvin was born in London, but Hobbes was born in Hong Kong.

How has the move back been? I'd love to learn from your experience. It's something we are thinking about a lot recently. How has it been for the kids? What worked to ease the transition? What turned out to be a problem that you didn't think would be? And vice versa: what did you dread which turned out to be easy?

I hope you don't mind my picking your brains....

Thanks

Laura

[runningirl71]

We actually lived in China and South Korea, living no longer than 3 years in one place. I think that actually made our transition to America much easier, since the kids were already used to moving. I think the tranisition has been most hard on me, as I went from having full time house help to having none (well . . .actually, the kids DO have chores). THAT is a MAJOR transition. I was used to concentrating on my kids and not having to worry about household stuff so much! Of course, as you know, it takes a lot more energy for a foreign family to live in Asia!

Anyways, I could write TONS on this and I am very willing to share our expericences, but where should I write? Is it okay to just reply to this thread, even though it has nothing to do with Latin??

Angie

[Laura Corin]

It probably makes more sense to take it out of the thread though. You could write directly to my email, if you like:

laurapublic at gmail dot com.

I'm just starting to train myself to deal better with my house, partly in preparation for that kind of transition. I know that will be the hardest thing for me too.

Laura