Karen Mohs, owner of Greek 'n' Stuff and author of Latin's Not So Tough! homeschool Latin curriculum took some time to share with Homeschool Latin Help about the material she created to facilitate homeschool Latin language learning!
Very young children can begin learning Latin.
Karen mohs - owner/author
Very young children can begin learning Latin. For this reason, we delayed teaching the inflections (endings) until Level 3. This gives students a chance to become very familiar with the alphabet letters and sounds, as well as the working vocabulary.
Latin's Not So Tough!: Facts at a Glance
Author/Publisher: Karen Mohs, Greek 'n' Stuff
Website: https://www.greeknstuff.com
Religious Perspective: none
Levels: 6 levels
Age Range: elementary through high school
Pronunciation (?): Classical pronunciation
Instruction Method (?): Reading and Grammar
Where to Purchase:
{Download our Free Homeschool Latin Curriculum Comparison Chart!}
Get to Know Latin's Not So Tough!
Who is the author of Latin's Not So Tough!?
Karen Mohs, founder of Greek ‘n’ Stuff, enjoyed her role as a homeschooling mom for more than a dozen years. Her love of teaching finds its expression in the workbooks she now develops for children.
Due to the success of the teaching methodology used in her “Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek!” series, parents requested a similar program for the study of classical Latin.
Karen published Latin's Not So Tough! Level 1 in 1996, Level 2 in 1997, Level 3 in 1998, Level 4 in 2000, Level 5 in 2001, and Level 6 in 2006.
Was Latin's Not So Tough! designed to be used as a homeschool curriculum?
Latin’s Not So Tough! was originally designed for homeschool use. However, it is also used in classroom settings at schools.
Is Latin's Not So Tough! a religious-based Latin curriculum?
Latin’s Not So Tough! is not a religious curriculum. (Please note that four translation practice pages in Level 5 are quotes from the book of Judges in the Old Testament. These translation pages do not contain religious instruction.)
How many levels of Latin's Not So Tough! are available?
There are six levels of Latin's Not So Tough!
For which ages/grades is Latin's Not So Tough! most appropriate?
Latin's Not So Tough! is appropriate for early elementary through high school.
Does completion of Latin's Not So Tough! earn a student high school credit?
Families often grant one year of high school credit for Levels 4 and 5 (one semester each) and one year of credit for Level 6.
How can homeschool parents know if their child is ready for Latin's Not So Tough!?
Latin's Not So Tough offers placement quizzes for each level of their curriculum. If your child can pass the Placement Quiz for a particular level, he or she has mastered the material taught in that level and should take the Placement Quiz for the next level.
- Level 1: Placement Quiz | Answer Key
- Level 2: Placement Quiz | Answer Key
- Level 3: Placement Quiz | Answer Key
- Level 4: Placement Quiz | Answer Key
- Level 5: Placement Quiz | Answer Key
Is Latin's Not So Tough! designed to be used by a homeschool parent with no Latin background?
Most definitely. This program assumes no prior knowledge about Latin. Parents will learn along with their student(s). We recommend the “Full Text” Answer Key in Levels 3 and above for those who do not have a background in Latin.
In addition, our Latin's Not So Tough! Facebook group offers parents and students an opportunity to ask questions and share experiences.
When students finish all levels of Latin's Not So Tough!, what do you recommend for continued Latin study?
In the Level 3 “Full Text” Answer Key (page -iv-), we recommend supplemental readings in Hans H. Orberg’s Familia Romana (which is Part One of Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata). The student is to continue reading through Roma Aeterna, which is Part Two.
Alternately, some prefer to continue their studies using Wheelock or Jenney, both of which are standard Latin textbooks. Parents and students should skim through the chapters as a review until encountering new material.
Curriculum Details for Latin's Not So Tough!
Which subjects are covered in Latin's Not So Tough!?
As mentioned earlier, the Scripture used in Level 5 is for translation practice, not religious instruction.
Does Latin's Not So Tough! teach Classical or Ecclesiastical pronunciation {more info}?
Latin's Not So Tough! teaches Classical Latin pronunciation. The classical pronunciation is commonly taught in most standard Latin courses.
A student would benefit from learning the ecclesiastical pronunciation if the focus were church use, medieval music, or oral reading of the Latin Vulgate.
For our purposes, however, pronunciation plays a minor role. We need to know how to pronounce the words to communicate “about” the language rather than “in” the language. For those who have Latin in their classical higher education plans, the continuity of learning classical pronunciation would be a benefit.
What approach to Latin learning does Latin's Not So Tough! use to teach language study {more info} ?
Latin's Not So Tough! uses both a reading and a grammar approach to Latin language learning.
Very young children can begin learning Latin. For this reason, we delayed teaching the inflections (endings) until Level 3. This gives students a chance to become very familiar with the alphabet letters and sounds, as well as the working vocabulary.
Level 3 presents the inflections in an inductive way, again to help young children to “learn by doing” rather than being forced to learn meaningless (to their young minds) charts of endings.
By Level 4, students are able to learn the new paradigms in the traditional deductive way without becoming overwhelmed. (For teacher reference, Level 3 has traditional paradigms in the appendix showing the endings as taught in standard language series.)
As for reading, in the “Full Text” Answer Key of Level 3 and above, we recommend Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata as a supplemental reading text.
What resources and ancillary materials are available with Latin's Not So Tough!?
In addition to the “Full Text” Answer Key for each level, an “Answers Only” Answer Key is available for parents/teachers who have a background in classical Latin.
Our Facebook Latin’s Not So Tough! group and our Facebook Greek 'n' Stuff page offer opportunities for parents and students to ask questions, share experiences, etc.
How many of the resources from Latin's Not So Tough! could be reused with other students in a future school year?
Consumable: student workbook, quizzes/exams booklet
Reusable: both types of answer keys, flashcards, pronunciation CDs
Learn More about Latin's Not So Tough! (and Save $$)
Free Samples and Resources from Latin's Not So Tough!
- Table of Contents and three pages from each level of Latin's Not So Tough!
- Free Word of the Month resources.
- eBook with sample lessons from Latin's Not So Tough! and other programs from Greek 'n' Stuff
Ways to Save on Latin's Not So Tough!
Our “I Want It All” Complete Latin Sets are discounted below the total cost of the individual items.
- Complete Latin Set Full contains “Full Text” Answer Keys
- Complete Latin Set Short contains “Answers Only” Answer Keys
Our Irregulars page occasionally lists irregular Latin products when available.
Find Latin's Not So Tough! on Social Media
Also, check out our Latin's Not So Tough! Facebook Group for parent and student support!
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