We had the opportunity to review Latina Christiana I Complete Set by Memoria Press.
Latin is one of those subjects you always meant to do, but somehow never got around to it. A good example is, I actually own a copy of Prima Latina by Memoria Press that I purchased a few years ago to use with my oldest son. Well, we never got around to starting the study.
When the opportunity to review Latina Christiana I came up, I wanted to be selected, but did not pursue the desire with much interest. The level of the Latin program did not seem like a good fit at the time even though I knew Latin was something we should be studying. Well, as always, the items I have been able to review for the crew have been ones that my children and I needed just at that time.
Latina Christiana I is geared towards children in the third grade and older. Although Memoria Press has other levels of Latin Curriculum that are geared towards older students, this curriculum may also be used by children in higher grade levels. The pace of completion would be different. There was mention third graders may have difficulty mastering the vocabulary and grammar; a fifth grader would be able to master all of the lessons and a high school student would be able to complete the course in one semester.
Those points were extremely important to me, because that is one of the reasons I was hesitant to use the curriculum. Lily is in the fifth grade and River is in the sixth grade and I wanted a Latin curriculum that would be manageable and not too elementary for either one of them. After having the physical product in hand, I was able to determine the curriculum would work well for both of them and they would finally be able to begin their formal study of Latin.
The Latina Christiana I Complete Set comes with a student book, teacher manual, pronunciation CD, instructional DVDs and flashcards.
The books are well constructed. Although the student book does not have perforated sheets, the book opens well enough for the student to write in the book without having to pull at the sides as they are writing. I like that the teacher manual is spiral bound.
One of the pluses about using the curriculum is that the parent does not have to know Latin or teach it to the student. DVD instruction by Latin teacher Leigh Lowe takes the pressure off of the parent and teaches the student Latin. This was great for someone like me who is familiar with Latin, but never studied it in school. I was able to learn something along with my children.
A good suggestion was to have a dedicated binder for the work your child completes during their study. The sections: notes, exercises, history questions and quizzes and tests.
Since this was completely new for all of us, we studied Latin five days a week. On Monday, River and Lily watched the video lesson. They would write the new words that were presented.
On Tuesday, I gave them the option of watching the DVD again for review, and they would listen to the pronunciation CD. They used the flashcards to practice the new words.
On Wednesday, they completed the student book and practiced with the flashcards.
Thursday was more review.
Friday was review and then they took their quiz.
Some of the sheets used by the student are reproducible, but if you have more than one student using the program, each student should have his own student book. I purchased a book for River to use.Another benefit of the curriculum is the student may also learn some history. This may done using Famous Men of Rome, which was also reviewed by other crew members.
So far, Latina Christiana I has worked well for us. I think the fact we are learning something new and we are doing it together adds to the enjoyment. If you are looking for an introductory curriculum for learning Latin, Latina Christiana I is definitely one to consider. I was really pleased that I have been able to finally get my children going on learning Latin and to find a program that may be completed by multiple grade levels.
I plan to have them continue through the fall working through the book until completion. Once they are finished, I will move them into First Form.
If you are wondering why anyone should study Latin, read an explanation by Cheryl Lowe.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
Latina Christiana I Complete Set is available for $98.90.
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You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members.