A hallmark of a classical education is Latin. Latin maybe a dead language but it remains with us in spirit through our vocabulary. You will find many law and medical terms have been derived from Latin. Having a background in our dearly departed language will help one understand new vocabulary, spell, and encourage a deeper understanding of language. If you teach from a classical approach you surely expected to add Latin into your coursework. However, teaching Latin is beneficial to all students regardless of which method of homeschooling they are under. Don’t be intimidated if you have never taken Latin yourself. Today’s resources and curriculum options are designed to teach both you and the student.
Memoria Press First Form Latin: This course is designed for grades 5 and up. The teacher does not need previous instruction in Latin. The teacher’s book will give you step by step instructions down to specifically what to say for each day’s lesson. The set includes a Teacher Manual, Teacher Manual Workbook and Test Key, Quizzes and Tests, Student Textbook, Student Workbook and a pronunciation CD for $55.00. That is a terrific price for a full year’s study of Latin. The quality of this program is unmatched. This course teaches pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary derivatives and explains common Latin sayings. First Form Latin is well organized, challenging, and prepares you for continuing on with Latin or giving you a basic background. From the site: “”After mastering First Form, the student will have a solid grasp on the six indicative active tenses of the first two verb conjugations, five noun declensions, first and second declension adjectives, and 185 vocabulary words””
Latin’s Not So Tough! By Karen Mohs: I highly recommend this curriculum for anyone still uncertain about teaching Latin. The layout is simple and the content is easily digestible for anyone still intimidated by Latin. While this course does not sacrifice quality it does live of the name Latin’s Not So Tough! This course has six levels in total. Each level contains a student book, answer key, pronunciation CD, quizzes and exams, “Flashcards on a Ring”, and bookmarks! You can purchase the full set for $41.40 or a short set for $30.45. If you ever thought about teaching Latin but dismissed the idea based on uncertainty this is the course for you! Teacher prep is minimal yet you and your child will grasp the heart of Latin which helps in spelling and vocabulary. My 12 year old daughter said upon opening the book, “This looks cool.”
If you want some fun reinforcement for your studies or if you still aren’t convinced teaching Latin is for but you want your kids to have a perfunctory idea of Latin roots than consider Rummy Roots. Rummy Roots is a card game that explores Greek and Latin roots in a fun way. More Roots is another card game by the same company that also makes learning Greek and Latin roots fun. I played this game with my kids before they took a Latin course and they loved it. This cannot replace taking a full course of Latin or Greek but it can give your child some basic Latin and Greek roots in English vocabulary.
Disclosure: I was originally provided with First Form Latin and Latin’s Not So Tough! for reviews for other sites. I purchased the card games on my own.
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