This article is in collaboration with Visual Latin and Compass Classroom,
Teaching Latin can be a daunting task for any homeschooling parent! The Visual Latin series takes that teaching burden from the parents’ shoulders with it’s self-paced DVD/video download series and entertaining instructor. The program combines the Natural and Traditional methods of learning a foreign language, with instructor Dwane Thomas taking students through the fundamentals of Latin grammar, sentences, and reading. He believes “it’s better to make students laugh than yawn” and that philosophy is very evident in the videos.
Here’s a quick peek at the program:
Each lesson in the Visual Latin program is divided into 3 parts – grammar, sentences, and reading – with a corresponding printable PDF worksheet for each segment. The videos are short (less than 10 minutes each) but jam-packed with information. Your child (and you!) will have your own personal Latin instructor when using this program!
The first segment of each lesson focuses on one or two grammar concepts. When your child finishes watching the video he is then directed to do the worksheet. The next segment of the lesson focuses on using that grammatical concept in sentences – grammar in action – followed by another worksheet. The final part of the lesson allows the child work on his translation skills. Instructor Dwane reads a passage in Latin (from the Latin Vulgate Bible). He reads it a second time, more slowly, so the student has time to repeat the phrases. The student is then directed to his worksheet where he will have the chance to translate the passage. By the end of the lesson, the student will have used a variety of learning methods – aural, visual, and verbal – to learn Latin!
Visual Latin is available on DVD or as a download so you can take it with you on any compatible device! Crew members had the opportunity to try out both formats of the program.
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Special thanks to Crew Member Tonia from The Sunny Patch for writing this article.
Visual Latin: TOS Review~ And Now For The Rest Of The Story, BeckyG
http://thegustafsons.blogspot.com/2011/10/visual-latin-tos-review.html
http://thegustafsons.blogspot.com/2011/10/visual-latin-tos-review.html
Visual Latin: TOS Review, And Now For The Rest Of The Story, BeckyG
Here’s my review too: http://www.wastedtextbooks.com/2011/10/tos-review-visual-latin.html
I was actually looking for two Latin programs when I found Visual Latin. My oldest son had breezed through Lingua Latina so quickly he probably should have worn safety goggles, but his younger brother was struggling. The younger two boys had finished both levels of Minimus and had a great vocabulary, but the grammer, well… I needed a program that was sufficiently advanced to clean up the grammer left undone by Minimus, while not boring the users to tears. I also needed a program to help that highschool student with Lingua Latina without being insulting. I was resigned to buying two seperate curriculums. Maybe even starting over. (sigh) Then there was Visual Latin complete with a chart to coordinate with Lingua Latina. I was skeptical to say the least, but got the program for the younger two and planned to supplement with age appropriate readers. I was going to keep looking for the highschool student. To my dismay, he took it upon himself to watch the videos and print and complete the appropriate worksheets, then he announced “Latin isn’t so bad.”
When the boys study Latin, there is no longer weeping (seriously). They enjoy Latin. I now use it as a reward for finishing all their other work on time. For the younger two, I am adding in the reading of Dr. Seuss and a few Latin fairy tales, there are readers available for free on the Visual Latin site as well. The older son is finding Lingua Latina MUCH easier. I can’t emphasize this enough. It’s as if he is taking an entirely different and much easier course. The straight forward explanations in Visual Latin are so simple that it seems they simply wouldn’t help a child in Lingua Latina, but maybe that’s the key – straight forward and simple.