As part of my role as a reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received Level 3 of Latin's Not So Tough!: A Classical Latin Worktext by Karen Mohs, the Level 3 Full Text Answer Key, and the Pronunciation CD. The Latin's Not So Tough series uses classical pronunciation.
The Latin's Not So Tough series is designed for students to simply work through primarily independently by completing a worktext page (or more) each day and spending time reviewing the flashcards. The flashcards are included in the back of the student worktext.
The flashcards are a vital part of the program and are essential to success and retaining the information in the course. The flashcards need to be cut out ahead of time. I suggest adhering the front of the flashcard to the front of an index card and the back of the flashcard to the back of the same index card. Preparing the flashcards in this way will make them more durable. As well, if more than one child will be using the Level 3 flashcards over time, I would take the extra time to laminate them. If you don't want to go to the trouble of preparing the flashcards, you can purchase the flashcards already prepared (though not laminated).
As the student works through the text, he or she will add more flashcards to their review stack of flashcards as new Latin words are learned. For example, after completing page 11, students begin their flashcard work with four flashcards, the Latin words for girl, I call, boy, and I give/grant. Flashcard tips are included in the Full Text Answer Key.
Although the worktext is designed for students to progress page by page with flashcard review, the author does break the worktext up into 36 lessons for the teaching parent who would like to be more involved in the course. The lesson structure and teaching tips are found in the front of the Full Text Answer Key. This information is not included in the Answer Key only option. Also included in the Full Text Answer Key are:
- English derivatives
- Charts of declensions (nouns) and conjugations (verbs) with arrows showing what the student is learning at various points in the program
- Suggested resources for more information
One of the questions that is often asked about a Latin program is if the program uses an Inductive or Deductive approach to teaching Latin. Given my limited knowledge of teaching Latin, here is the author's answer to that question.
Latin grammar is introduced in Level Three of Latin's Not So Tough! This third level uses an inductive ("parts to whole") approach, which provides an easy introduction to Latin grammar for the young learner. Paradigms in the appendix of the third level are available for those who want to see the "whole" picture for the endings taught in the workbook. In addition, the teacher resource section at the beginning of the "Full Text" answer key provides "The Big Picture" charts with further explanation. Level Four then transitions to a deductive ("whole to parts") approach.
The student worktext has a wide variety of workbook pages for the student to complete, all in black and white. You can view the entire Table of Contents for the Level 3 book here. As well, many sample pages are available to view for all levels, including sample pages for Level 3.
The Appendix to the student worktext includes much helpful information for the student including:
- Latin-English Dictionary
- English-Latin Dictionary
- Latin Alphabet
- Special Sounds Chart
- Word Order
- Moods of the Latin Verb
- Voices of the Latin Verb
- Gender and Case of the Latin Noun
- First Conjugation
- First Declension
- Second Declension
- Second Declension - ius
- Index
- Flashcard Tips
Now, I have absolutely NO background in Latin and due to time constraints in our schedule this year, I simply handed the worktext to my 8th grade daughter and had her work through the book at her own pace. If the student is working independently and is older, I would recommend purchasing the Quizzes/Tests book to make it easier to assess the student's progress in the course. I did not have the Quizzes/Tests book and do wish that I had purchased it for my daughter.
At least at my daughter's age, I think Latin's Not So Tough is a great course to simply hand over to one's student and have them complete through independent study. My daughter has decided that she wishes to study Latin for her high school foreign language requirement. Given my complete lack of knowledge of Latin, though, we have decided to continue with Latin study using a Latin tutor. For another family, though, the entire series of Latin's Not So Tough may be a perfect fit for both young and old students.
Latin's Not So Tough is available for purchase at the Greek 'N' Stuff website. As there are many different combinations of resources available for purchase, it would be best to check the prices at the website. The complete set of Level 3 including:
- Student workbook
- Full Text Answer Key
- Quizzes/Exams
- Flashcards on a Ring
is available for $58.40. The pronunciation CD is $10.00.
I received the Latin's Not So Tough materials in exchange for my honest review of the product. No other compensation, monetary or otherwise, was given in exchange for my review.
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