Prima Latina REVIEW

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. 

Little Bug just loves to learn and I really love that about her.  She is definitely one of those kids that "loves" school, as long as things are going her way, LOL.  She loves learning new languages.  She "thinks" she can speak 4 different languages (even if she only knows one or two words in each one).  She tickles me with this.  She was SO excited when she learned she was going to add Latin to her repertoire.  I received the Prima Latina Complete Set from Memoria Press.  You do not need to know Latin to teach this.  It is written for grades 1 through 4 and introduces Latin vocabulary and grammar in a fun and exciting way. It is a precursor course for the next course, Latina Christiana.

Teacher Guide

Student Book

The Prima Latina Complete Set is just that, complete!  It even includes the flashcards that are really needed for the next level but are also very useful at this level.  The Prima Latina Complete Set includes:

• Softcover Teacher Guide (with answer keys, appendix, teaching guidelines, and reproducible drill sheets and tests)
• Spiral-bound, softcover Student Book
• Instructional DVDs for all 25 lessons (3 discs)
• Pronunciation Guide, Songs (4 hymns from Lingua Angelica), & Prayers (The Sanctus, The Doxology, The Table Blessing, and The Pater Noster) on CD
• Latina Christiana Flashcards

We keep our flashcards in a little container to keep them neat and together.
I place them in order as we learn each new word.

DVD lessons and audio CD with pronunciations, songs, and prayers.

The course includes 25 Chapters (Lessons) that are recommended to be completed one a week which allows this to be a full year curriculum.  The 25 lessons are divided into 5 Chapters with correlating review lessons (5) and tests (5).  In addition to the answer keys, the Teacher Guide includes many resources.

• Pronunciation rules (also in the Student Book)
• An appendix that includes a vocabulary appendix (alphabetical, parts of speech, and practical Latin sayings), and a listing of Vocabulary & Practical Latin Sayings by Lesson
• Teaching Guidelines that include a sample lesson plan
• Reproducible Vocabulary and Grammar drill sheets
• Reproducible Tests (5 tests that each cover 5 lessons) and Test Keys

Pronunciation Rules

Reproducible drill sheets

Student Goals for Prima Latina (from page 7 in both the Teacher Guide and Student Book)

1. Learn basic Latin alphabet and pronunciation of vowels and consonant sounds
2. Pronounce, spell, and translate approximately 125 Latin words
3. Learn 25 practical Latin expressions and 4 prayers in full
4. Learn numbers 1 through 10
5. Learn names of popular constellations
6. Understand the concept of derivatives - English words that are derived from Latin
7. Grammar
1. Learn to identify basic parts of speech including verbs, nouns, prepositions, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and conjunctions.
2. Recognize that conjugating is associated with verbs.
3. Recognize that declining is associated with nouns.
4. Memorize 1st declension noun endings.
5. Memorize 1st conjugation verb endings.

The instructional DVD is not necessary to complete the course but it sure does help in so many ways.  It is another source of proper pronunciation and it helps to reinforce everything in the Student Book since it walks you through the lessons.  Leigh Lowe, the instructor, is your virtual teacher.  It would definitely allow for an older child to complete lessons on their own with her instruction.  If you do not get the Prima Latina Complete Set and/or the DVD to accompany your books I would highly recommend getting the CD for proper pronunciation purposes.  Having the prayers and hymns are a definite bonus and worth the purchase.

Listening to a video lesson while following along in the Student Book

As we began to use this Latin curriculum it became easier the more familiar we became with the process.  They recommend reading your lesson first then watching the DVD but I found it better to watch the DVD first.  It helped to introduce the lesson from someone other than me and Little Bug was able to hear the correct pronunciations of the words before she tried them herself (or I butchered them, LOL).  We are trying to stick with the one lesson per week, but we have had a few hiccups and are just now completing our fourth lesson this week.  Also to clarify with the DVDs, each Chapter coincides with a Lesson (i.e. Chapter 1 is for Lesson 1 in the Teacher and Student guides).  Leigh is a great instructor and her joy is infectious as we follow the lessons.  It helps to keep things simple and light and that works well for Little Bug and her personality.

Learning new words and proper pronunciation

I scanned the drill sheets into my computer so we can easily print new pages as we need them.  We try to complete these 3 times weekly.  Little Bug thinks its a hoot for some reason and she enjoys doing it.  I think she is just really proud when she remembers the word correctly and its translation.  She won't be ready for her first test for another week if all goes well.
It is also important to note that "proficient reader" is mentioned in the Teacher Guide.  I didn't have to worry about this because Little Bug has been reading since Kindergarten and she reads very well, currently at a 2nd/3rd grade level.  If you have a child who is not yet reading I'm not sure what struggles there might be.  I know with my son when he was this age he was not reading and it would have been very frustrating for him (mostly because of his dyslexia).  That being said, if you have an eager and willing child it would still be a great curriculum to practice on and just take at a slower pace.
Also important to note is the confusion (maybe all me) with Chapters and Lessons.  I may be the only one, but it really threw me at first.  Just know that there are basically 5 Chapters with 5 Lessons within each chapter (25 total lessons).  However, on the DVD there are 25 Chapters (really Lessons).  The Table of Contents lists EVERYTHING as a Lesson.  It lists, for example, Lesson 1 through 5, then lists "Review Lesson 1 (Lessons 1-5)."  I personally think it should say "Review Chapter 1 (Lessons 1-5)."  Just a heads up.
A typical lesson consists of:

• Practical Latin (introduces a new Latin word or phrase)
• Lesson (lesson for the day)
• Vocabulary (5 or 6 new Latin words)
• Latin Prayers (you learn a line a week from one of the 4 prayers so that you have one prayer memorized at a time)
• Derivatives (learning English words based on the 5 new Latin vocabulary words) - it is recommended to skip this with younger students but we found it kind of fun and I didn't dwell on it.
• Exercises (consist of Review Questions and current Lesson Questions, Translation, Speaking Latin, Write and Learn, and Fun Practice

Sample completed lesson

We try to use this every day (5 days a week).  It is recommended to be used 4-5 days per week for older students and at least 3 per week with the younger students.  In our case daily is better for practice purposes and some days we only spend a few minutes depending on where we are at.  We start Mondays by watching the video and practicing the Practical Latin section.  We also read and start to memorize the Latin Prayer line for the week (we do this every day).  Tuesdays we complete the Lesson and quickly review the Vocabulary words (we use the flashcards to practice these once introduced).  Wednesdays we work on the Vocabulary words and gloss over the Derivatives.  Thursday we begin completing the Exercises generally covering the  Questions, Translation, and Speaking Latin sections.  Friday we complete the Write and Learn and Fun Practice sections.  Hopefully, the Prayer line for the week has been memorized at this point and she has a good grasp on the new vocabulary words.  All of this can easily be managed into a 3 day week.

We are loving this Latin curriculum!  I really like all the repetition and how they use the speaking, writing, and seeing to get a good grasp on the material.  I feel it is very well written and we are enjoying the lessons.  We give the Prima Latina Complete Set two thumbs up and we definitely plan to continue with Latina Christiana next year.  I think the only thing I would change at this point would be if the Teacher Guide could also be spiral bound.

You can connect with Memoria Press on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, and YOUTUBE.  My fellow Crew members reviewed this set in addition to others for the upper grades so be sure to check the reviews out by clicking on the graphic link below.  It will be time well spent.

StoryTime Treasures REVIEW

No matter how you slice it you just can't go wrong with Memoria Press.  I have so enjoyed doing reviews for them and using their awesome products.  Our newest review of StoryTime Treasures Student Guide and Answer Key and More StoryTime Treasures Student Guide and Answer Key is no different.  A wonderful, engaging curriculum that Little Bug has been enjoying.  She just LOVES to read!!  I received a full year curriculum that includes both sets listed.  I did NOT receive the reading books that you would normally get when you purchase this classical curriculum.  We just used the library to get our books.  Thank heavens for interlibrary loans!

We covered Little Bear first and I forgot to take a picture!

All manuals are softcover with a nice quality heavy duty glossy paper covers.  I really like that the student guide is spiral bound which makes it easier for Little Bug to write in and complete her assignments.  StoryTime Treasures consists of 14 weeks of lessons that cover 4 books.  Each lesson is geared to be done in a week and there is a guide that has assignments for 5 days.  You can, of course, adjust the schedule to fit your individual needs, but the 5-day schedule worked just fine for us.  As I stated before, when you purchase this curriculum set online, it includes the reading books you need.  In More StoryTime Treasures you read 7 books over a 15 week period (15 total lessons).  The books included and lessons to complete are listed below:

StoryTime Treasures

• Little Bear - 4 lessons
• Frog and Toad are Friends - 5 lessons
• Caps for Sale - 2 lessons
• Make Way for Ducklings - 3 lessons

More StoryTime Treasures

• Billy and Blaze- 2 lessons
• Blaze and the Forest Fire - 2 lessons
• Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie - 2 lessons
• Stone Soup - 2 lessons
• The Little House - 3 lessons
• Miss Rumphius - 2 lessons
• The Story About Ping - 2 lessons

She is really enjoying reading Little Bear

I really like the classical education approach to this reading curriculum. It incorporates many aspects of language arts including vocabulary, phonics, spelling, composition, capitalization, punctuation, handwriting, sentence structure, comprehension, and probably a few more!  Their idea of actual books "as opposed to controlled vocabulary readers" lends to the Charlotte Mason style teaching I like so much.  Little Bug is being exposed to much more complicated words and sentencing that is stretching her reading ability and I can see her growing in leaps and bounds.  I am continually fascinated by her current reading ability.

Our daily lessons consist of the suggested course per the teacher guide. There are pre-reading assignments to complete that include phonics.  I still have not purchased the phonic card set (must do that as soon as funds are available!) so I just review the sounds listed without them for now. The general structure of the lesson plan is as follows:

• Pre-reading Activities
• Preparing to Read
• Syllabication
• Reading
• Post-reading Activities
• Comprehension Questions
• Other Activities (new and old phonograms)
• Word Study/Say Each Word
• Read each sentence and define the bold word
• Comprehension Questions/Fill-in-the-blank
• Language Lesson (Let's Talk, Let's Learn, Something to Do)
• Just for Fun

Weekly Model Lesson Plan

Sample Daily Lesson with Answer Key from Teacher's Guide

The Model Lesson Plan is what we are following.  It works for us.  You can modify it as necessary to fit your needs.  We generally complete a lesson in 20 minutes or less. I have also been doing more oral work when the assignment calls for complete sentence answers because she is just not ready for this yet.  She will be soon and I look forward to her continued growth in this area.  Samples of some of our daily lessons follow.

"How to Use" from the Student Guide

Part of Day 1 Lesson from Little Bear

Fill-In-The-Blanks assignment

Let's Talk/Let's Learn (Day 4 lesson)

Just for Fun (Day 5)

There are sections from the Teacher Guide that ask you to write on the board (classroom or coop situation) and we just use a write-on/wipe-off board for those sections.  Little Bug is like her older brother and really doesn't like the writing parts so much, but she is generally enjoying this program.  She really likes the diversity (things change up from day to day and keeps her engaged) and especially the art/coloring parts!  The one thing I really didn't like was the choice of font for the copy words.  I really don't like the style of "a" and that she won't listen to me a write a traditional "a" despite my constant corrections.

I do NOT like the font for the letter "a"

I can't end this without sharing one of the assignments that tickled me to no end.  If you know my daughter, you know she LOVES Chinese food.  One of the assignments asked about where she wanted to go.  She said, "China" which I found interesting considering my heritage is part Chinese (my grandmother is full-blooded Chinese).  When I asked her why she started to talk about the food and I realized after she drew her picture that she was talking about a Chinese buffet restaurant we go to every so often (not the actual country!  LOL).  I couldn't stop chuckling about it.

China, LOL!!!

While we, of course, have not used More StoryTime Treasures (we are still on Frog and Toad are Friends) it has much the same structure with more advanced books and a little more complex assignments.  While it is helpful if you completed their First Start series prior to this curriculum (you can check out my review on that here), it is not necessary.  I do suggest you get the phonics cards which I plan to get as soon as I can. You can connect with Memoria Press on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, YOUTUBE, and INSTAGRAM.

I think StoryTime Treasures Student Guide and Answer Key and More StoryTime Treasures Student Guide and Answer Key are wonderful classical education language arts resources and I highly recommend them.  Visit Memoria  Press on their website to view and download sample pages.  Please also check out the reviews from my fellow Crew members by clicking on the graphic link below.  We reviewed several of their products so there may be some others you may want to check out. Happy reading!

Simply Classical Writing REVIEW

Memoria Press comes through again with a curriculum written for special needs learners (slower-paced and more repetition).  Simply Classical Writing Book One: Step-by-Step Sentences (Bible Story Edition) and Simply Classical Writing Book Two: Step-by-Step Sentences (Bible Story Edition) with Teacher Key.  They are recommended for 1st-3rd grade.  I received physical copies of these softcover books.  I received a copy of Book One, Book Two, and the Teacher Key for Book Two. Book One referenced a teacher key but I do not see one available on their site.  It does not seem to need a key since it is pretty self-explanatory as you go through the lessons and follow the suggestions at the beginning of the book.  When I reviewed the information in order to decide on doing this review I COMPLETELY missed that this was written for special needs students.  That being said, it has NOT been too easy for Little Bug.  It has been a good challenge for her especially as she slowly learns to follow directions!

Book One has 118 pages and consists of 34 weeks of lessons (an entire year of curriculum). There is a nice Certificate of Completion and a template at the end of the book (that can be photocopied) that has a blank outline for the weekly lessons for extra practice.  Book One includes Teacher Notes and Rules About Sentences at the beginning of the book.  The Rules about Sentences include things like the basics, types of sentences, essentials ("I" is always capitalized), spacing, sentence structure, special rules (i.e. contractions), etc.  The Teacher Notes include suggested supplies, about and how to teach the curriculum, day by day suggested schedules and special instructions on how to adapt the program if it is too easy or difficult.  There are suggestions for One, Two, Three, or Four-day schedules.  The schedule we chose was to use the program 4 days per week which allowed me to break the lessons down into VERY short lessons.

Teacher Notes

Sample Rules about Sentences

This is the "Bible Story Edition" so the recommended bible to use for Book One is "A Child's Garden of Bible Stories."  but the instructions mention that you can also use any child's bible you would like that would cover the topics that are assigned.  We used "The Child's Story Bible" by Catherine F. Vos.  The bible is simply used to read the current Bible story being covered.

A typical week that consists of 4 days for us included Little Bug writing the date and her name at the top of the page.  There is a title (the Bible story to read) and a small picture for her to color if she wants.  Then there is a list of directions to follow every day:

• Learn the Rules (from the Rules about Sentences pages)
• Apply the Rules (use colored pencils/crayons to mark examples of the rules)
• Write the Rules (includes decodable and read-aloud sentences, creating a sentence, and a challenge sentence)

Weekly lesson samples

For Day 1 we would complete the first page that included writing the date and her name, reading the bible story, and then the daily directions.  Then we would do the Decodable Sentence that included copying the sentence exactly as she saw it on the page.  There is also a scripture at the bottom of each week that you can use as memorization for the week.

Reading passages from our Bible

For Day 2 we would review the rules and read and copy the Read-a-loud sentence.

For Day 3 we would complete the Create a Sentence which entailed using the rules to capitalize the beginning of the sentence and remembering to use the proper end mark.  Then she would use crayons to circle the rules.  Some example of the rules:

• Green for Go - circle capital letters in green
• Red for stop - circle end marks in red
• Blue for special - circle names of people, places, and things in blue

For Day 4 we would not do the Challenge Sentence because she is just not ready for that right now (she just completed kindergarten) but we did discuss the story.  She did Illustrate the story (by drawing a picture) but again, I did not have her describe her picture in writing, just verbally.  We will work on the more intense writing in the fall.

Because I don't want her to miss out on the extra writing exercises we are going to table this curriculum to be used in the fall.  I am excited to know we will have this part of her curriculum covered!

Book Two TOC

I also received Book Two Student Guide with the Teacher Key. Book Two Teacher Key has 155 pages consisting of a Table of Contents, Teacher Notes (same as Book One), and Rules About Sentences (same as Book One).  It also covers 34 weeks of lessons for a full year of curriculum.  The recommended Bible to use for Book Two is "The Story Bible" (2011, Concordia Publishing House).  In Book Two you will cover Sentences, Nouns, Pronouns, Verbs, Agreement, Commas & Apostrophes, Synonyms & Antonyms, Describing, and Organizing.  There are reviews built in throughout the year.

Book Two Student Guide and Teacher Key

A typical week in Book Two consists of:

• Lesson A: Apply te Rules
• Lesson B: Build Your Skills
• Lesson C: Choose Descriptive Words
• Lesson D: Draw and Describe

Book Two Week 1 Sample lesson

The lessons are much the same format as in Book One but at a more advanced level.  You are still writing and copying sentences but again, at a more advanced level with more inferences for your sentence structure.  For example, sometimes you are answering a question to form the sentences you are writing.  There are also fill-in-the-blank sections.  At the end of the book, there is an Appendix that includes a listing of the weekly lessons with a coordinating scripture and pages to read from "The Story Bible."  The lessons are simple and short just as in Book One. Unless we accelerate through Book One, Book Two will be perfect for her 2nd-grade curriculum.

Little Bug is enjoying the lessons and the shortness of the lessons makes it even better and doable for her.  We give Simply Classical Writing Book One: Step-by-Step Sentences (Bible Story Edition) and Simply Classical Writing Book Two: Step-by-Step Sentences (Bible Story Edition) with Teacher Key a thumbs up and will add it to our scheduled curriculum in the fall.





You can connect with Memoria Press on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, YOUTUBE or INSTAGRAM.

Please be sure to check out the other reviews on this and a few of their other curriculum by selecting the graphic link below.