As classical homeschoolers, we study Latin through 10th grade. Why, you ask? Quite simply because I have seen the benefits of learning this language in our other subjects and in our testing. It was like Christmas in April and I was pleased as punch to find out we were selected to review the Latina Christiana I Complete Set from one of my favorite curriculum providers, Memoria Press. I’ve had my eye on this program for a few months to use with Montana, my rising third grader and I was ecstatic when we were selected to review.
Founded in 1994 by Cheryl Lowe, Memoria Press is a family-run publishing company that strives to provide easy to use classical curriculum for private and homeschool families. Written from a Christian worldview the company helps to provide three things: simplicity, quality and affordability.
Student book: The student book contains 25 lessons plus 5 review lessons which are spread out over 30 weeks.
Each two page lesson is presented the same way each week with a Latin Saying, Vocabulary, Grammar Forms, Translation, and Derivatives. There are 10 vocabulary words for each week, and include the Latin words and the corresponding English words. Maps of the Roman Empire and Ancient Italy are included along with 86 history questions to tie into history and culture of Rome and the Middle Ages when Latin was the dominate language spoken.
Teacher’s Manual: Is the perfect companion for the teacher who has never studied Latin before. This is a soft cover spiral book with 158 pages. It lays completely flat for ease of teaching. This book is the exact copy of the student book with lots of helpful information for the teacher, including the answers.
It also includes an Appendix which has all of the Prayers and Songs with both English and the pronunciation for each Latin word broken down, including a helpful table of Noun, Verb, and Pronoun forms in chart form. An extensive Index and Glossary provide helpful things to remember and a Latin-English Derivatives section broken up by lessons. Musical notes are also included for each song.
Pronunciation CD: A CD that provides you the opportunity to hear the words, phrases, and songs used throughout the program.
Instructional DVD: This 5- DVD set is a huge asset to the program. Leigh Lowe goes over the lesson and gives you important parts of Latin history. Each lesson runs about 3 0 minutes in length.
Flashcards: These perforated cards are printed on heavy cardstock and have Latin on one side and the English on the other. They are numbered and include derivatives, conjugations, and declensions.
In addition to the items listed above, I purchased the following four products to use along with the program. These items are completely optional and are supplemental to help your students master the grammar and vocabulary.
Latina Christiana I Year pace lesson plans
Latina Christiana Review Worksheets/Answer Key
Ludere Latine I: Latin Word Games
Why study Latin you ask? Memoria Press gives three really encouraging answers to why Latin should be considered the one master subject.
1. Latin teaches English better than English teaches English.
2. The mental discipline Latin instills in students makes it the ideal foreign language to study.
3. Latin is the ideal tool for the transmission of cultural literacy.
I read an article in my Winter 2014 Memoria Press magazine, The Classical Teacher, over last Christmas break about why Latin is not an Option. It spoke to me as a classical homeschooler and convicted me at the same time because I know that I have not put the best effort forward in seeing that our Latin studies for my younger girls gets done. Sigh! But, you know what? It’s a new year and today starts a new week of learning and making new habits! That’s why I was so excited to be chosen for this review. It has jump started our Latin studies again and gotten us back on track.
I primarily used this Latin curriculum with Montana, my rising third grader. We followed the teaching guidelines outlined in the Teacher’s Manual and followed the 5 day plan listed in our year pace plans. We started each day with Recitations, Table Blessings, and Music for each lesson, building upon each week.
We began each week by watching the DVD instruction first so that we could hear the correct pronunciation for the words. Throughout the day we would review and test our knowledge when we came about a derivative. Because life got busy during this review period and we needed a little extra time to really learn the vocabulary, we ended up spending two weeks on our lessons. Which is totally fine for me because I want Montana to master the vocabulary and language.
Overall, we LOVE this Latin curriculum and can’t wait to continue on with it over the rest of the summer and into our next school year. Montana frequently asks to do her Latin studies first and that makes me overjoyed that she does not see learning this language as a chore but as something fun and exciting! I love this program because it gives me a refresher as I am teaching my older girls Latin also. We both especially enjoy the songs and saying the prayers in Latin.
Do I think you should check out this Latin curriculum? YES!!! It’s perfect for the beginner student and for the Mom/teacher who does not have a Latin background. I think you will be pleasantly surprised how much you learn and love the program. Be sure to see what my CrewMates thought of the Latina Christiana I Complete Set and the other two products being reviewed, Famous Men of Rome Set and The Book of the Ancient Romans Set by clicking the banner below.
Company ~ Memoria Press
Product ~ Latina Christiana I Complete Set
Price ~ $98.90
Ages ~ 3rd grade and up
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