Back in June, I wrote about the curriculum we would be using to homeschool our three boys this year. I mentioned we would be learning Latin using the textbook Getting Started with Latin: Beginning Latin for Homeschoolers and Self-Taught Students of Any Age by William E. Linney. Now that we've actually been using the book, I can give a review.
The idea of Linney's technique is to offer lessons in very short doses and to slowly build on what is learned. At the very beginning we were doing more than one lesson a day since the content was super simple. We quickly cut back to one lesson a day once the information increased.
I have loved learning Latin while teaching the boys this wonderful language. I love to listen to my seven-year-old repeat his Latin exercises using perfect pronunciation. We have had some wonderful teachable moments when one of the boys has come across a common word in the English language and realized it derives from Latin.
So, why do I love this book so much?
• short, simple lessons
• exercises with almost all lessons that help build on what has been learned
• free pronunciation downloads available on Linney's site
• free online quizzes to match the lessons
Even if you are not a homeschooling family, I recommend trying out this book just for a fun, family activity. Each lesson only takes a few minutes and can easily fit into busy schedules. What a great tool to give your children - to learn ways to figure out the meaning of words by looking at the roots.
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I looked into this as well this summer when I was researching Latin programs. It looked like a great introduction to Latin, but it wasn't exactly what we were looking for since my son already took a year of Latin in the 5th grade.
ReplyDeleteOnce you're done with Linney's curriculum, you might like to look into Cambridge Latin Course if you plan to continue Latin study. My 7th grade son and I absolutely adore the curriculum. It's not grammar-based, like Latina Christiana; instead it's reading-based, so the student learns vocabulary in context which my son has really enjoyed.
Hope you continue to enjoy Linney!
Thanks for the recommendation! I love the idea of a reading-based curriculum. I've had so much fun learning Latin.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. :)
I really appreciate the Latin curriculum reviews as I hope to get a start in that next year and will begin considering curriculums throughout this year.
ReplyDeleteHope your studies go smoothly.