Online Second and Third Year Latin Class for Catholic Homeschoolers Spring 2012

Second Year Latin, semester 2

Description: Using Benjamin D'ooge's "Latin for Beginners" as our grammar textbook, we continue learning how to compose, translate, and speak Latin. Composition assignments are created by the instructor to add an element of fun to the learning experience. Students write about a variety of topics that are dear to them, such as family and friends. The instructor carefully chooses primary texts from ancient authors, medieval saints, and Church documents for translation exercises. The spoken element comes in the form of memorized Church prayers for recitation. Students continue learning more prayers of the Catholic Church and several hymns. In addition the these prayers and hymns, students also memorize some Latin poems and prose sections which are all chose carefully to aid in the comprehension of Latin grammar. There are homework assignments, quizzes, memorization activities, a long composition, and two exams for this course each semester.

Instructor: Alecia Rolling, M.A.

Age Range: 7th-12th grade

Live Class Time: 9:00 am ET Wednesdays

Course Information Packet: Second Year Latin, semester 2

Pre-requisite(s): Second Year Latin, semester 1 or equivalent. Contact us for placement.

N.B. Second and Third Year Latin students are in the same class this semester. Third Year Latin students have different assignments and will be graded with higher expectations.

SEMESTER 1 WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE AS AN INDEPENDENT STUDY COURSE.

Online First Year Latin Course for Catholic Homeschoolers: Spring 2012

First Year Latin, semester 2

Description: Using Benjamin D'ooge's Latin for Beginners as our grammar textbook, we will begin learning how to compose, translate, and speak Latin. Composition assignments are created by the instructor to add an element of fun to the learning experience. Students write about a variety of topics that are dear to them, such as family and friends. The instructor carefully chooses primary texts from ancient authors, medieval saints, and Church documents for translation exercises. The spoken element comes in the form of memorized Church prayers. Students learn the basic Latin prayers of the Catholic Church that Pope Benedict XVI has said every Catholic should know in Latin. In addition to these prayers, students also memorize some Latin poems and prose sections, all carefully chosen to aid in the comprehension of Latin grammar. There are homework assignments, quizzes, memorization activities, a long composition, and two exams for this course each semester.

Instructor: Alecia Rolling, M.A.

Age Range: 7th-12th grade

Live Class Time: 9:00 am ET Thursdays

Course Information Packet: First Year Latin, semester 2

Pre-requisite(s): First Year Latin, semester 1 or equivalent. Contact us for placement.

SEMESTER 1 WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE AS AN INDEPENDENT STUDY COURSE.

Latin for Beginners by Benjamin D'Ooge

For our own records as well as for your information, we are offering a series of book reviews. Mrs. Rolling is beginning this series with Latin book reviews. If you have other suggestions, please do not hesitate to comment on these posts. It is always exciting to find out about new books!

Latin for Beginners by Benjamin D'Ooge

• Quality: Great! Solid English-Latin and Latin-English exercises.


• Ease of Use for the layman: Difficult


• Age Recommendation: any age so long as the student has studied grammar and the parent has a good handle on grammar


• Price: FREE download of book and answer key at http://www.textkit.com/

Mrs. Rollings Comments: This book was designed for instructors who are trained in Latin, and it was especially designed for the classroom setting. The Answer Key at http://www.textkit.com/ was made in recent years in response to those learning with the book at home. The Answer Key does not include answers to the Reviews in the back of the textbook. The most common frustration people have who tackle this book alone is with the language. What does "copula" mean? What about "predicate nominative"? In the hands of a good Latin instructor or a parent averse in grammar, this book is golden; otherwise, I would suggest other Latin programs.
What I love about the program is that it focuses on the mastery of 600 Latin words in the first two parts. In addition, D'Ooge presents the grammar in such a way that students can beginwriting in Latin from the start! Since my classes focus on composition and real translation, this is a great aspect of the book. Students want to know how to write in the passive voice much earlier than other books present the passive voice, so D'Ooge offers a balance, teaching present, imperfect, and future tenses in the active and passive voices before introducing the perfect tenses.