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Latin for Children: Primer A Text
SKU
020108
ISBN
9781600510007
Grade 3-5
Classical
Neutral
Medium Teacher Involvement
Multi-Sensory
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Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Other
Other methodologies
Religious Content
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.
Our Price
$29.95 $29.95 $25.95
Rainbow Savings: $4.00
- Consumable student worktext has 32 weekly chapters
- Learn verbs and nouns, predicates and nominatives
- For our Package with streamed video lessons – see LCPAST
- History Reader and Activity Book sold separately
Description
Primers (texts) are divided into a handful of different units, with a total of 32 lessons per book. Primer A starts right at the beginning. Each lesson introduces new vocabulary words alongside a Latin concept, starting with verbs and nouns in the first unit and moving on to linking verbs, adjectives, more verb forms, predicates and nominatives, and a bunch of other concepts. The lessons are short at four pages each, except for the periodic reviews which generally have a couple more pages. The lessons begin with a vocabulary list, a chant, and then a discussion/explanation of the target concept. The last two pages hold a variety of short exercises practicing the grammar concept using the vocabulary words.
Publisher's Description of Latin for Children: Primer A Text
Designed, revised, and continually sharpened since 2001, the award-winning Latin for Children curriculum continues to be a strong, inviting, and creative program designed to introduce students as young as fourth graders to Latin. It incorporates elements that will engage students of every learning style. When used as a whole, this series trains students in grammar, vocabulary, and English derivatives in a lively, interactive way that is perfectly suited to students in the grammar stage. The Latin for Children series is taught directly to the child and is a perfect choice for teachers and parents, including those who will be learning along with their students.
Latin for Children Primer A (Student Edition) is easy to use, incremental, and filled with clear grammatical explanations written expressly for the student. Exercises, quizzes, and a useful reference section are also included. Lessons teach mnemonic aids (songs, chants) that enable students to learn vocabulary and grammar with ease and delight. There are clear explanations of grammar in every chapter, written at the student's level. Guidance is given for both classical and ecclesiastical pronunciations.
What's in the New Revised Edition?
Latin for Children Primer A, now printed in full color, has been enhanced with beautiful illustrations as well as images and paintings of ancient Roman culture. An adventure story, Along the Appian Way, has also been added. Students will follow Marcus and Julia as they look for dropped coins or maybe even greater treasures—until an accidental run-in with an official messenger brings them more adventure than they bargained for! The chapter-by-chapter Latin grammar sequence remains the same as previous versions. Students will love studying Latin even more as they use this newly revised and improved edition.
- Workbook format, 32 chapters (proposed teaching timeline is 1 chapter a week), perfect-bound book
- Clear explanations of grammar in every chapter, written directly to the student
- Weekly worksheets and quizzes included
- Students learn 240 high-frequency Latin words
- Classical and/or ecclesiastical pronunciation
- Professional, classical layout and design
- Widely used Latin series among classical schools, charter schools, homeschools & co-ops
- Yearly revision of each text based on critical feedback of our customers
- Primers B and C are a succession upon the previous book. They are intended to be taught sequentially beginning with Primer A (target grade: 4th), one book per school year.
See our Support tab above for schedule recommendations and the many free resources available.
Note: The old editions of the primer and answer key are not compatible with this newly revised edition (though the grammar is taught in the same sequence). The DVD or streaming video, however, will still work with previous editions of the text. The Activity Book and History Reader are also still compatible with either version.
This is a consumable item.
Category Description for Latin for Children (Gr. 3-5+)
Latin for Children is an engaging program that can help you teach your children Latin effectively, even without having background or experience with Latin. It’s a friendly beginner Latin for students between about 3rd grade and 6th grade. There are 3 levels, A, B, and C, each covering a traditional school year. This is an excellent lead-in to high school Latin.
- Primer A (Level 1), Primer B (Level 2) and Primer C (Level 3) are consumable student worktexts.
- Each with a total of 32 weekly lessons per book.
- Each lesson introduces new vocabulary words alongside a Latin concept, starting with verbs and nouns in the first unit and moving on to linking verbs, adjectives, more verb forms, predicates and nominatives, and a bunch of other concepts.
- Lessons are short at four pages each, except for the periodic reviews which generally have a couple more pages.
- Lessons begin with a vocabulary list, a chant, and then a discussion/explanation of the target concept.
- The last two pages hold a variety of short exercises practicing the grammar concept using the vocabulary words.
- Primers B and C build on the skills learned in Primer A, progressing through more vocabulary words and more advanced grammatical concepts.
- Lessons become longer in the later levels, but they follow the same straight-forward format.
- Each level introduces students to 240 of the most frequently occurring words in an engaging, easy manner with plenty of practice to help them retain what they've learned.
- Helpful glossaries are included in the back of each Primer.
- The Answer Key contains copies of the student exercises from the Primers, but with answers provided in bold font (includes only the pages with answers). A suggested weekly teaching schedule is also included at the beginning.
- Audio Chants help students memorize grammar and vocabulary. All 240 vocabulary words at each level are chanted and sung. Audio CDs are included in the DVD/CD sets (with both classical and ecclesiastical pronunciations).
- Digital chants are available in either Classical or Ecclesiastical pronunciation.
- Activity Books offer additional practice with crosswords, puzzles, codes, mazes and more.
- Libellus de Historia is a Latin History Reader specific to each level and offers a selection of stories about history, which are keyed to the vocabulary and grammar learned at each level. The stories are written in Latin, and each story includes a glossary, notes, and follow-up questions (in Latin). Reader A shares stories from Greek and Roman history, while Reader B covers Medieval history and Reader C covers the Age of Exploration through 1815.
- Instructional Videos There are DVD/CD Sets for each level, which show the author teaching the lessons to young students, explaining the grammatical concepts in a clear, easy to understand manner. Boys and girls in the elementary and middle grades perform the chants, while the text from the book is displayed on the screen. This helps your child learn them as well as the correct pronunciation. Each DVD set holds five or more hours of instruction, on 2-3 DVDs.
- Test Packets are available as a PDF download. The complete answer keys for the tests are also included. This includes weekly chapter tests, unit tests, and even unit study guides. This license is for 1-3 students and is valid for 1 year.
- Clash Cards are available for Levels A and B. Each card contains two vocabulary words on each side of the card (divided into "day" and "night" words), with Latin on one side and the English translation on the other. Each set contains 240 vocabulary words that students can use to quiz themselves, or they can practice their vocabulary skills with other students by playing different variations of the Clash Game (instructions for three levels of play are included).
Details
| Product Format: | Softcover Book |
|---|---|
| Grades: | 3-5 |
| Brand: | Classical Academic Press |
| ISBN: | 9781600510007 |
| Length in Inches: | 11 |
| Width in Inches: | 8.5 |
| Height in Inches: | 0.75 |
| Weight in Pounds: | 1.75 |
| Ages: | 8+ |
| Edition: | Large Type; Illustrated |
| Publication Date: | 2009 |
Videos
Reviews
3 Ratings
3 Reviews
Rated 5 out of 5
Apr 13, 2017
Excellent!
We love Latin for Children. We have used the program for seven of our children and they have been successful. It is great for middle school age kids just before they take Spanish. So very great!
Rated 5 out of 5
Nov 25, 2009
My eight-year-old sons and I finished up with this text (version 32) in Sept 2009 and have now moved on to Primer B (they were seven when we started) While other reviewers on various sites have mentioned significant typos and other errors in Primer A this version is virtually free of errors (I found three grammatically incorrect English sentences and two more Latin vocabulary omissions which were mentioned on the publishers website)I spent a significant amount of time researching Latin programs and have been extremely pleased with this text I wanted to give my sons a solid foundation in classical Latin (as opposed to an ecclesiastical emphasis) and this program fits the bill Latin for Children is a traditional grammar (ie parts to whole) approach that is incremental and systematic rigorous but not overwhelming for the elementary-aged child (it should be noted that while this text is for children it is perfectly appropriate to use with older students and adultsthere is nothing cutesy or childish about this book) Not only will your child learn Latin grammar he/she will also develop a strong English vocabulary based on Latin derivatives and understand English grammar as never before This after all is one of the main reasons for studying Latin While many modern Latin texts emphasize a reading or living language/ whole to parts approach these methods while fun at some level miss the mark Such programs should be used as supplements to a thorough grammar-based program not the other way around Unlike learning a modern foreign language where the primary goal is to develop speaking fluency the purpose of Latin study is to train the mind and develop mental discipline to learn about the structure of language itself and to access the culture of Rome which has profoundly influenced Western thought Rote repetition reviewthe only real way to learn an inflected no-longer spoken languageare emphasized in this program If you think this sounds boring think again My sons have loved learning all the chants of the first and second declensions principle parts of verbs and their conjugations prepositions and their cases etc What is more the learning has stuck and they are able to make many connections to all the other subjects they are studying Cost also played a significant role in my selection of this program While the program offers a DVD CD Answer Key and various other aids we kept costs down by using only the primer and the accompanying Libellus de Historia: Latin History Reader This book made the language come alive by providing extra translation practice; it also helped my sons learn about various Roman emperors historical events cultural figures and some Christian mythology There are also a lot of free resources on the Classical Academic Press website If you have had any exposure to Latin (I had only two years in high school many many years ago!) you probably can get by without the extrasI have two critiques of the primer text: the vocabulary lists often seemed disparate I realize this is done because these words are all in the same declension or conjugation but I wish they had been grouped around a particular topic or theme; a short reading passage (in Latin or English) about that topic would enhance the learning of the vocabulary and make it more meaningful I also wish the text provided more practice with English to Latin translation though at this level it is fairly easy to make up some exercises of your own
Rated 5 out of 5
Oct 28, 2005
We purchased this product last year at a home school convention in Harrisburg PA We had previously tried Rosetta Stone and I'd looked at *every* Latin program out there trying to find one that was both rigorous and easy to teach as neither my husband nor I had studied Latin ourselves This one definitely wins the prize! First of all the program is an excellent value compared with anything out there Secondly the kids (8 and 11) love it Each lesson is presented as a Dad (Latin Professor) teaches his homeschooled daughters Latin in their home-- in the dining room kitchen living room etc and presents all that the children need to know to practice their lesson for the week My kids watch the lesson every day while studying it Even my four year old loves to watch it because it is engaging and even funny at times I find the kids have excellent retention and are learning Latin as it should be learned (as am I!) Vocabulary is reinforced by listening to the CD which we generally do while driving I can't tell you how pleased I was the first time I heard my four year old recite the conjugations of several verbs correctly just from being present while the older two did their lessons Finally this product is well supported By going to the Classical Academic Press Web site (wwwclassicalacademicpresscom)you can gain access to support materials such as tests teaching advice curriculum flow and contact the authors as well as finding out more information as to how this program stacks up to another Latin program In conclusion I have found that this product is adaptable toward many types of learners (experiential visual those who need to see it written those who need repetition and those who need songs etc to help learning) is extremely easy to "teach" (You have a professional in your home doing the job for you so you can learn right along with the kids!) is very affordable and does a wonderful job of actually keeping the kids interested while being academically rigorous I couldn't ask for any more
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Why did you choose this?
I have an eight year old who has never done latin, except for prayers at church. sShould he start with Song School 1 and 2 or would that be too babyish? Would it be better for him to start right away in Lain for children?
I haven't done Song school... check YouTube for samples. I found Latin for Children to be way too much for my 10 yr old who had already been through Getting Started with Latin. I liked the chants on DVD. The DVD class was a bit on the boring side. My kids were interested in the stories but the rest of the workbook was a significant amount of work and too much for kids under 12, in my opinion.
Cathy Duffy says this is written from a Christian perspective, but other sources say it is non-religious, or "not too religious." While I'm a Christian myself, I prefer my materials to not always lead to me having to differentiate between my family's beliefs and those in textbooks.
Can anyone shed light on this aspect of the material? Thank you!
Can anyone shed light on this aspect of the material? Thank you!
Some of the quotes are from the Latin Vulgate, like the first line to memorize is, "In principio erat verbum" which translates, "In the beginning was the Word." Which is the first verse of John chapter 3. I don't remember any more religious content besides famous phrases to memorize but did not use the entire book as my kids were too young for it.
Will the 2017 revised edition student text work with the older edition DVD?
Here are the changes - per the publisher - for the 2017 revised edition.
Primer A: Storyline has been added. The book is in complete color.
Primer A Answer Key: changes are reflective of new book.
Primer A DVD: changing from 3 DVD’s to 8. This is due to extra content, more detail and more time used to spend time teaching
Primer A Chant CD’s: rerecorded with a few pieces of pronunciation being fixed
New & old Text/Answer Keys are not compatible
CD’s are compatible with revision
I have a 8th grader and a 5th grader who have no experience with Latin. Should I start them both on the primer A or would it be too elementary?
I have six kids--all of whom have taken Latin and have gotten gold medals on the National Latin Exam. We typically do Latin for Children A in 6th grade, B in 7th, and C in 8th, followed by Latin Alive 1, 2, and 3 in high school. It may seem like overkill, but I feel it allows them to slowly take on a foreign language and shores up English grammar as well. When it comes to foreign language (like mathematics), review is good. I love Latin for Children and feel it is actually better for an older student who knows about indirect objects and verb tenses and other intricacies of English before diving into the technical language of Latin.
Is this the 2017 edition?
I believe this is the most current one. I bought one a little over a year ago and it is this same one. Don't believe it's changed.
Need it.
Excited to use this with my 4th and 8th graders this year.
required for school
Required by school.