For LCI, how much time for lesson?for memorization?

[karis10]

I'm about to redo my schedule. How much time should I schedule a day for the lessons? Also, should I schedule an extra time during the day for memorization?
thanks,

[abbeyej]

I'd say we spend 15-20 minutes a day on Latin, on average. Memorization is included as part of that... On a typical day we do:

Vocabulary --
One day a week we go through *all* previously learned vocabulary and "sayings" flash cards. If my son gets them right quickly and easily, I move them to another pile, not to be reviewed till the next week. If he misses one or hesitates too long, I hang onto it. When we're done, I put a red rubber band on the cards that are not to be used till next week, and a green rubber band on cards to continue reviewing -- either because they're new this week, or because they've gotten rusty. ;o) On all other days that week, we just go through the green rubber band stack. If he misses one or doesn't know it, I tell him the Latin and English and have him repeat both while looking at the card. Then I put it back at the bottom of the pile and keep going. As he gets cards right, I set them down. Once he has gotten each card right without prompting at least once, they've all been put down, I put the rubber band back, and we're done with vocabulary for the day.

Recitation --
For "recitation" we just recite off all of our grammar paradigms and prayers based on a list of cue words. For instance, my list says, "-o, amo, voco,moneo, -bo, amabo, vocabo, monebo, -bam, amabam, vocabam, monebam, sum, possum, -a -ae, mensa, -us -i, servus, -um -i, donum, ego"...
It looks like a lot, but it takes us about two minutes to recite complete paradigms for each of these. ...

Lesson --
When we're first beginning a new lesson, we use this time to talk about the new concept. Later we do practice exercises. Since my son is young, I usually have him write the answers on separate paper -- this gives him more space, which he needs, and allows me to have him go back and repeat old exercises from time to time as review. I don't have a set pattern for doing the written work in each lesson -- I do what seems necessary to cement the material into his mind. :)

As I said, all this only takes us a few minutes each day. I think it's far better to spend a short time *every* day on Latin than a longer period of time only a couple of times a week. I expect the amount of time we spend each day on Latin to grow as ds gets older and gets to more complex Latin translation. Even with short lessons, we've covered the material in PL and LC in less than a school year. ... We do work on memorization every day, but that's all part of our Latin time -- not separate material. Simply doing the workbook could be done in a single class period one day a week. The daily practice is *vital*, and goes far beyond filling in the workbook pages...

[karis10]

Thanks so much for your reply. I'm waiting for my material to come in the mail. I'm really green at this. I'm understanding that you're saying to shoot for covering one lesson a week and spending the rest of the week---daily---reviewing. That makes sense. I was trying to figure out where to schedule in extra review time daily for more lessons, but your method sounds great, and it also sounds like you are able to move right on thru it with your daily consistancy.
Again, thankyou!

[abbeyej]

Okay, we don't "do the lesson" one day and review the other days. :) We cover new vocab and forms on the first day and discuss the new information for the lesson. On subsequent days, we talk about that information again and do parts of the worksheets. There's not one single time when we sit down and fill in all the worksheets -- we make it last for as long as we do the lesson. ... Since my son is quite young, we do a lot of material orally (which makes it easy to do some translation exercise over again, as extra review) or sometimes do the writing on separate paper (again, making it easy to use the same exercises for review later on). Every day we spend a little time practicing vocabulary, grammar forms and prayers for our "recitation" and every day we work on a little translation and talke about grammar concepts.

I don't know if I've clarified anything, or just made it sound more complex. I actually think LC is very easy to use! :)

[karis10]

Thanks again. I just received the curriculum. It makes sense after actually seeing the books. I am very excited to get started.