Latin Placement for 10 and 12 year olds

[gracefulhome]

I have read the MP article "Which Latin Program is Right for Your Student?" but still feel unsure where to place my 2 oldest children.

We have been fairly relaxed in our homeschool approach up to this point. I just finished reading LCC and want to direct our home education a little more. I have lots of questions, but will start with this one.

Where should I place my just turned 12 and 10 year old children?

They both decided they wanted to learn Latin this current school year. I have no experience with Latin at all. They have just completed the Latin's Not So Tough Level 2 workbook this week and loved it. They did all their work independantly. It covered the Latin alphabet and some vocabulary. It taught Classical pronunciation, so they will have to learn the Ecclesiastical pronunciation.

My thought was to keep them together for now and start with Latina Christiana I with them both, and I will learn along with them. Maybe I am underestimating what they can do. They are fast learners.

Thanks,
Mary in CO

[tanya]

Hello.

If you are looking for a gentle introduction to Latin, Latina Christiana I is the perfect place to start. After a year of this, your children will be ready for First Form Latin, a more rigorous Latin grammar. LCI will not be too difficult for you or your children. And if you ever have any questions, you can always contact us. We'll be glad to help you!

Don't worry too much about the pronunciation. The differences aren't all that important. Just find a pronunciation that works for you and your family. The goal in studying Latin is to eventually read the great authors in their native language, so the focus will be on the grammar, not conversation.

Regards,

Tanya Charlton

[gracefulhome]

Thanks, Tanya.

I am looking for a gentle introduction, with more rigor as we go along.

My confident 12 year old asked me today while I was looking at the MP catalog "Don't you think I could just start with Henle? I know quite a lot of Latin.". I replied kindly, "I think we might want to start with something a little less challenging and work our way up to Henle. :-)

So do I understand correctly that you would suggest we skip LC II and go straight from LC I to First Form?

Thanks,
Mary in CO

[tanya]

Mary,

That is correct; you will definitely be ready for FF after LCI. But your 'over-confident' child makes me second-guess myself. If s/he is really excited about Latin and wants to dedicate some serious effort to the study of Latin, I would be tempted to go ahead and let him/her do FF. It starts at the beginning, so s/he would be fine (especially with the help of the dvds).

But, if s/he is overconfident like my 17 year old who thought he made an A on his American history homework and actually received 17 pts. out of 100, then you probably need to sit on him/her a little! You know your child and what s/he is capable of, so I have to leave it up to you. But either course would work.

The best reason to hold the older child back is because I would hesitate to put the 10 year old into FF. And that simplicity in your life of only having 1 Latin course is probably worth it! Your 12 year old could move quickly through LCI, and if you see great excitement and motivation, you could begin FF in the same year. That way, you would only have to buy 1 Latin course until you see how they will do.

Cheers,

Tanya

[gracefulhome]

I wouldn't second guess your original recommendation. That is the plan I will follow, but I will let my 12 year old move more quickly if I see he can handle it.

My 12 year old is definitely like your 17 year old. He is willing to tackle any challenge, but overestimates his ability quite often. : -)

My 10 year old does much better with a slow, steady approach in which she can feel highly successful. She needs to use LC I.

I will have the DVDs to use with my two younger boys to use in the future, so it will be money well spent.

One more question and I hope it is not impolite to ask . . . does Memoria Press ever have a sale or free shipping? I've noticed a few publishers offering sales right now, so I thought I would ask before I plan my order.

I really appreciate your input.

Mary in CO

[tanya]

Mary,

It sounds like you know your children well and know what they need in order to succeed in Latin! I like your plan.

If we can help you at all in the future, please don't hesitate to ask.

Cheers,

Tanya