Prima Latina, Student Book [Perfect Paperback]

Leigh Lowe (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1930953518 | ISBN-13: 978-1930953512 | Publication Date: June 1, 2003

Although Cheryl Lowe's Latina Christiana program has been widely hailed for its easy to use format and student friendly layout, some parents asked us for something they could use with their young elementary children. So, we gathered together our years of experience with young Latin scholars and created Prima Latina, an introductory Latin course for students in Kindergarten through 4th Grade. Prima Latina was developed for young children who are still becoming familiar with English grammar and wish to learn Latin at a slower pace. The program provides 25 lessons, each including a grammar skill, 5 vocabulary words with corresponding English derivatives, a practical Latin phrase, and one line of a prayer that is learned in totality over five lessons. The exercises that accompany each lesson are thorough and provide constant review of materials learned throughout the course. After every five lessons, a review chapter summarizes the material covered and provides a keyed test to insure mastery. With grammar lessons appropriate for primary grades and an easy to read two color format, Prima Latina is the perfect choice for those who would like to start Latin early and lay the foundation of a rigorous language arts program.

Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 132 pages
• Publisher: Memoria Press (June 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930953518
• ISBN-13: 978-1930953512
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #202,590 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Latin starter for the younger student, April 22, 2004

By 

Spin360 (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prima Latina, Student Book (Perfect Paperback)

This is a great Latin starter for the younger grades. The pronuciation is ecclesiastical. We are not Catholic, but found the program very useful for learning the inital grammar rules. It is designed for an independent reader, although you can adapt to a non-reader. The lessons are laid out nicely, introducing about 6 words per lesson, in addition to lines from a prayer. The grammar rules are explained simply and a young child can catch on quickly. The words are laid out on the page aesthetically and there are no cartoons or other frills to distract the teacher or the child, like some programs.

I have seen a few other Latin Primers and find this to be one of the better ones for the younger grades.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classical/Ecclesiastical--no big deal!, March 1, 2008

By 

Kathrine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prima Latina, Student Book (Perfect Paperback)

I learned the classical pronunciation in college and I have had NO problem whatsoever switching over to the ecclesiastical. The previous reviewer mentioned we should teach children the "Standard" pronunciation in the first place. Well, there is no "standard" pronunciation. Some disciplines require ecclesiastical pronunciation, and some classical. They are both valuable and once you know one, it's really no trouble to switch over to the other. If you plan on singing in Latin, it has always been with the ecclesiastical pronunciation in my experience, which always screwed me up in college since I was learning classical Latin and taking voice lessons at the same time. ;) Before I bought Prima Latina for my son I consulted with a college graduate school professor about which pronunciation would be better to teach children. He was of the opinion that both pronunciations are equally valid and it doesn't really matter. So if you're worried about teaching your child the "standard" pronunciation, well, good luck on finding agreement in the academic world about which pronunciation is "standard."

As for the program itself, it is exactly how I would teach Latin to children if I were doing it off the top of my head. The grammar is not too difficult. My son started at age 6 and really had no trouble. Each week he memorizes 5-6 vocabulary words, one line from a Latin prayer, a bit of grammar (like a noun is a person, place, or thing), and one practical Latin phrase (like "Quo vadis?" Where are you going?) We also have purchased the music CD, Lingua Angelica, and we learned how to sing "O Come All Ye Faithful" (Adeste Fidelis) in Latin this past Christmas. It was really fun!
Even though I had college Latin, I can see how a parent with no Latin training at all can teach using this program. The pronunciation CD is very clear and the lessons are easily laid out and clear. [...]

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very nice, November 6, 2010

By 

B. Smith (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prima Latina, Student Book (Perfect Paperback)

It's a well-balanced course that gives young learners enough new material to make good progress without being too much of a challenge. If you follow the instructions and revise past units regularly you will achieve excellent progress. The pronunciation follows that of church Latin but this is no more of a difference than say a New Yorker talking with a Californian. Should you prefer the more classical pronunciation it's easy to change or learn in addition.

For further reading I recommend Puer Zingiberi Panis: et Fabulae Alterae (Latin Edition) and Musici Bremae: et Fabulae Alterae (Latin Edition) for very young learners. For those at an intermediate level or above the Christian rendering of Robinson Crusoe is great Robinson Secundus: Robinson in Christian Latin (Latin Edition)!