Need Latin advice- start in 4th or delay to 6th?

[siloam]

I have been looking at Lively Latin, and it looks good. I understand it from my Spanish days, but part of me still thinks I should just delay, as Marcia recommends.

The only reason I am thinking of starting it now is so we have more time to cover other languages later instead of waiting till 8th or 9th grade for her to become founded in Latin. If I start now I envision starting Spanish in 7th and then having enough time for her to pick her own language (if she wishes) to learn in late High School.

Now don't I have grandiose plans? Yes I do realize they often change and do not work out, which is why I am questioning basing my decision on that idea alone.

I really am in uncharted waters here, so I have nothing to base a good decision on.

It is probably also important to note that next year I won't be starting anything new due to the fact I add my 4th student, and will have enough going on with that. I could continue to use a program I already started and had a routine with, but I wouldn't start something new.

If I do wait it will be till 6th grade when we start and I have no clue what I would start with (will worry about that then).

Thanks!

Heather

[Southwest Diane]

Heather,

I can see the advantages of waiting to start until 6th, mainly because what is done later tends to be done more quickly. But I don't regret starting my dd when she was 8, and here's why:

1. Latin is a huge help in learning and understand English grammar. When you learn the cases in Latin and what they mean, parsing (or diagramming) a sentence in English becomes a snap, just because they really GET what it all means.

2. Like you, I want her to be free to take a foreign language in high school. For my part, it's because I want it on her high school transcript. She is taking French now (she's 10), and she can either continue with advanced French in high school, or she can start Spanish in high school. After learning Latin and French, Spanish will be a breeze.

3. The old reason, "Latin teaches them to think", is really true. My dd is smart and used to racing through her school work, finishing quickly. Latin forces her to slow down and really think about each word she is translating. It's been good for her.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. For what it's worth, I used Latin for Children A and B, and this year we're using Latin Prep from Galore Park. LFC was great in that we learned the cases in a slow and orderly way, and also all the vocab that we memorized is really paying off now in LP.

Diane

[siloam]

Diane,

Thank you!

I really don't know right now what I will do, other than pray some more. I don't have any $$ to spend anyway...yet.

Can ask you a question? LFC is the second program I was looking at. I know my dd would LOVE the videos, but those videos also make it more expensive. Other than that two things keep me holding back. One is the lack of samples that help me to see how it would work practically. What sample I do remember finding (other than a video) was so far into the program that it looked like Greek. The second thing is the sentiment on WTM that there is no context for the learning...no application. Now given I have NO Latin experience (only some Spanish) I really don't know what that means. I assume there isn't enough translation/reading work. Now that you are doing Latin Prep do you feel LFC had any holes?

There are two things that draw me to Lively Latin. 1. Cost and 2. The samples are well laid out and make sense to me. There are several pages of every component from the begining of the program (where it resembles Spanish enough for me to understand what is going on), so I feel comfortable with it. Isn't funny how just being able to "see it" helps?

Still contemplating...

Heather

[Southwest Diane]

Hi Heather,

Believe me, I know exactly how you feel. I am a very visual learner, and I need to "see" before I buy. Or at least, I try to. That's what I love about the "Go to Egypt" sample here on TOG. Through that I have a good idea of what I'll be getting!

From what I can see, I would give LL a try. But in answer to your question about sample chapters of LFC, here is a link that shows the first few chapters of LFC Book A (I think it's chapters 1, 2, 3, & 5).

LFC Book A sample

The criticisms you've heard about LFC not having enough translation work are indeed justified. However, that is another advantage to starting Latin while the child is in the poll-parrot stage. When my dd was 8 (and 9) she had no problem just memorizing the chants and vocab. She really loved LFC (and still likes it quite a bit), and she particularly loved the DVDs. Oh, and the LFC website has free pages to download with extra worksheets and translation work.

However, by the time she turned 10, the rote memorization with no meaning was starting to feel boring. I had heard good things about Latin Prep, and decided to try it. I love it, but without the background memorization in LFC I think it would have been a bit of a shock, since LP moves so quickly.

So I think it all comes down to your child's learning style and your teaching style, and also of course, how much the programs cost. I've never used Lively Latin, but I see on the WTM board that it's gaining in popularity. If you feel comfortable with the samples you've seen, and it feels like something that will get taught, I'd go for it. If I had to do it over, I would check into it myself. However, 3 years ago I don't think LL was published, and the choices were basically LC and LFC, and for me, LFC won hands down. We tried LC and my dd found it excruciatingly boring, but for some reason found LFC fun. Who knows?

Diane

[siloam]

Diane,

Thanks for the link! I had totally missed that sample.

Well I showed my oldest the samples of LL, LFC and Minimus. She likes Minimus Secundus the best, but I am concerned it might be difficult for her to jump into. She also liked Lively Latin, so it looks like we might do Lively for a year then next year do Minimus Secundus.

By that time we might have enough pronunciation to move onto LP, or they might have put out a CD (hopefully).

Thanks for your help!

[Southwest Diane]

Heather,

Remember the beautiful thing about Latin is that nobody really speaks it--it's all about reading. The last thing on my worry list (about Latin) is the pronunciation! I've done Classical pronunciation with LFC (they also offer Ecclesiastical), but to be honest, some words just sound weird when pronounced classically (too many "w" sounds or something), so while my dd mostly uses classical, she'll sometimes throw in an ecclesiastical pronunciation or two. And who's to know?

[deannatoby]

Why not consider the first Minimus book, which is Minimus: Starting out in Latin? There is an online Yahoo group formed for the program, but most people are on the first Minimus text. We are doing the first Minimus and I like it's approach for my 2nd grader. I think a 4th grader would enjoy it, and it would be a pleasant introduction.

Deanna

[siloam]

Diane,

I am sure by the time we have completed a year my dd will probably do fine without a CD. I am the one who doesn't slow down enough to get pronunciations right. Just not one of my strong points.

Heather

[siloam]

Deanna,

Funny you should mention that, because it is exactly what a friend who is now in MS advised me. The new plan is actually to do 3 days of Lively Latin then one day of Minimus, given they approach Latin in such different ways (or so I am told).

When we have finished that we will either continue with the next level of LL, if it is out, or do LP and MS.

I LOVE having a plan (even if it doesn't work out).

Heather

[deannatoby]

I like Minimus for what it gives us now. It's a mix of conversation and grammar, but presented in a fun way, which is, I think, a plus for us now. I know from our yahoo group that many people follow Minimus with Lively Latin. I haven't seen Lively Latin, but I got the feeling it was just a bit harder. Have you considered just doing Minimus: Starting for a semester and then combining it with Lively Latin after that? The first Minimus book only has 12 chapters, and most to all of it can be done in a semester, depending on your intensity. Again, I have no experience with LL, just echoing what I know other people are doing. I'd love to get your input on what you think about LL and Minimus as you see it now.

Deanna