Salvete, amici Latinae (that is, hello friends of Latin!), we are now almost into the middle of the month of April, and if you are beginning to plan for the next school year, this is a great time to review a fantastic Latin curriculum from one of my favorite companies, Memoria Press . I love to learn new languages, and I jumped at the opportunity to begin the process of learning Latin, along with my daughters. What a great way to study the roots of the English language. The program was created by Cheryl Lowe, and features a "grammar first" approach, using the trivium model. For those of you that are not familiar with that term, it refers to learning by ways of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. This is supposed to aid students in the greater retention and understanding of the language.
We received the First Form Latin complete set, which is meant for use with students in grades 4-9. It is one in a series of award winning programs. Previous experience in the language is not a prerequisite. While this may be used as a follow up to Prima Latina and Latina Christiana , this can also be used very successfully with the beginning Latin student. In fact, I was encouraged, and even relieved, to read the Introduction page in the teaching manual, which assured prospective teachers and students that it is never too late to learn Latin, and to take it at a pace that is comfortable for the learners, and most of all, enjoy the process.
Now then, this set includes:
- Student Text
- Workbook - Consumable
- Quizzes and Tests - Consumable
- Teacher Manual
- Answer Key
- Pronunciation CD
- DVD set of 3 discs
- Flashcards of vocabulary and phrases
Along with the planning tips, the teacher manual walks you through the techniques in presenting the material. The book explains what to say as you teach, and the reasons behind the proffered methods. This was and is so helpful for me. Each part of the lesson- the reciting, vocabulary, workbook, all of it- is all available for you, including suggested ways to give the quizzes, a syllabus, and games to play with your students, most of which require little to no teacher prep. This section is invaluable to me! I love how Memoria Press sets you up to succeed in your Latin education!
This program has been designed to be divided into 5 parts, or a school week's worth of work. For us, that meant working on the material 4 days a week, especially at first when we were finding a routine. Smaller bites, if you will. You can fit it into three days (at the least) as you move along. Right now, a little bit on most school days is better for us.
Day one: Present the lesson. I, the teacher begin by greeting the girls with, "Salvete, discipuli (Hello, students), and they respond with, Salve, magistra (Hello, teacher). Then there is recitation and review of previous lessons and vocabulary. This includes conjugating verbs, prayers, etc.. Again, teaching guidelines are available. Did I mention how much I love those?!
Day two: Workbook. Self explanatory. This is the student workbook exercises, and can take anywhere from 20 minutes to a half hour, depending on our understanding of the lesson. For us, this isn't completely independent work. I sit with them, and we do it together, at least for now. This could, and probably will change as the girls get older, and gain increasing mastery. The manual encourages the neatest handwriting or cursive as possible as students work. This reflects the purpose of Latin- precise, accurate, and detailed. Even that small aspect is one that I love.
Day three: Oral drill. There are textbook drills and the DVD drills. Do these! It sounds obvious, but these will reveal retention in your students.
Day four: Quiz/Test. Self explanatory, right? As with most subjects, you'll administer these with the skills and abilities of your students in mind. Progress is what is important. Don't forget, "Errare est humanum." (To err is human.) See how easy it can be to impress others with this impressive language? Lol.
There is a fifth, part that is optional, Lingua Angelica , and/or Famous Men of Rome . We haven't used these yet, but they're on the list of what to include in the immediate future. They discuss Christian Latin, and stories about Rome's history, and I know my daughters will love them. And also, I want them, they look fantastic 😍.
It makes me laugh, because the first response that I received when I told my oldest, who is 14 years old, that we would be studying Latin, she said, "Why? Isn't that a dead language?" I had been explaining that no, it isn't, and has so many applications in our modern day, when we opened the student text book, and what did the first introduction page say but, "Forget the old canard, Latin is a dead language. Latin is not dead, it's immortal!" Ha! Our whole family was in stitches!
We used, (and are still using) First Form Latin in the way that I laid out above. We pull out the flashcards with every part of the lesson to reinforce our vocabulary. The DVD's are an important part of our week as well. We do the student text first, and then watch the DVD lesson. The instructor, Glen Moore, does a nice job presenting the lessons. He injects humor into his presentations here and there, and has an all around nice manner about him. There are convenient little visuals that pop up during lessons, and it helps to watch them after our personal book time. I like the reinforcement that happens from being able to go through the lesson again after we've learned it in the book. If there is any part of the material where I don't feel as strong as I would like, I know that we'll be going over it again with his instruction. Oral drills are also found on the third DVD. Watching these, and listening to the pronunciation CD is vital to us, so that we know that we're learning and reciting everything correctly. We also bring the CD with us in the car, as we drive a lot, and it's a great opportunity to reinforce it all.
I am so impressed with this program from Memoria Press . This is one of my favorite parts of our homeschool day. Yes, I do have a natural interest in languages, but it's more than that. I love the organization and detail that went into creating and planning these lessons. With no background in Latin, I am happy for all of the help that I can get. Not only are the days laid out for me, the encouragement that is provided in the text is really great. They want you to succeed, and with all that is included in this set, there is no reason that shouldn't happen.
My youngest is the more enthusiastic of my two as it relates to pretty much anything educational, but even my 14 year old has fun with it, and I think that it's because there is a variety of ways that are used in each lesson. She likes the DVD lessons and the games. I will be the first person to urge you to research this company, and order a set for your homeschool.
Before I close, I also want to include links the other products that Crew members reviewed. If you have a variety of age ranges that you're teaching, looking at some other levels may be helpful.
Traditional Spelling 1 - Grades 1-2
Traditional Spelling II Grades 2-3
Music Appreciation I
Prima Latina Grades 1-3
Latina Christiana Grades 3-5
Second Form Latin Grades 5-10
Third Form Latin Grades 6-11
Fourth Form Latin + Henle I Grades 7-12
There is something for every age level, so check them out today!
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