A couple of years ago we brought our readers a wonderful new tool for children, especially homeschoolers, to learn Latin (see original post with more details below this update).
The third level of the newly revised Little Latin Readers series, Liber Tertius: Civitates Europae, has just arrived, and it continues and expands the unique Catholic cultural experience of the preceding levels. The stories in this reader focus on the beginnings of Catholic Europe, with selections on the geography, fauna and flora, and history of four key Catholic nations: Ireland, France, Spain and Poland.
I’m delighted to see that this year my children will read Latin stories about saints, explorers and kings and queens of Europe such as St. Patrick, St. Brigid, Charlemagne, Isabella and Ferdinand and Jan Sobieski III. They will also learn about oceans, rivers and mountain ranges in Europe, along with the Latin names of many common animals. The workbook introduces nouns of the fourth and fifth declensions, four conjugations of verbs, the present, imperfect and perfect tenses and gives plenty of practice with new verb forms like participles, infinitives, gerunds, and constructions such as the ablative absolute.
In the fourth quarter students learn to diagram Latin sentences from the reader, an immensely useful graphic demonstration of grammar concepts. The drill book is packed with enrichment activities based on the stories in the reader.
Every lesson includes additional information on the reading selection so the student will learn fascinating details about things like Croagh Patrick, the Carolignian Renaissance, Hannibal’s elephants, Castile, and the Wawel Cathedral in Krakow.One especially fun feature of every lesson is the presentation of Latin titles from the 11th century Bayeux Tapestry panels with poignant illustrations taken from from the famous art work depicting the Battle of Hastings.Prayers in Latin and quotes from the Bible using words from the vocabulary list which the student copies in cursive and memorizes are an invaluable part of each lesson.
Students will learn to recognize Roman numerals from 1 to 1000 and will quickly learn how to decode with ease Latin dates from the reader such as this: annō mīllēsimō quadringentēsimō quinquāgēsimō quārtō!
Liber Tertius: Civitates Europae provides a way for my children to make steady progress in their understanding and proficiency of ecclesiastical Latin in an atmosphere richly imbued with the history and culture of early Catholic Europe.
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Original post: 9/3/2019
As a father of many homeschooled children, due to a demanding job, I only have a 30,000-foot understanding of how they actually learn, as my wife carries that burden. However, I do know that, while Mrs. Adfero has always tried to keep up with the kids' Latin courses, it was never a core subject that must be completed every day.
Then, we were sent the Little Latin Readers.
At first, Mrs. Adfero was hesitant to even look at a new product, with the start of a new school year just a few weeks away. But she did, as the creators sent us a package, and she felt obligated. But that hesitancy quickly turned to excitement. So much so that she changed course at the last minute and now a number of our children will be using these Readers exclusively for their Latin studies this year.
While I am not qualified to go deeply into this tool, here are some key features to know:
(Keep reading to get 15% off in an exclusive Rorate reader discount!)
- - Little Latin Readers connects students to their Catholic heritage by incorporating grammar, Sacred Scripture and our Catholic tradition at every level.
- - Separate volumes on Catholic Europe, the Life of Our Lady, Christ and the Apostles, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with coverage of the Fathers of the Church and the Liturgical Year introduce our Catholic culture to young students in an easily accessible and incremental way (ALL based on the traditional Latin Mass and calendar).
- - Each level includes Small Format Reader, Workbook, Drill Book and downloadable audio pronunciation and exercises usable across all devices.
- - Teacher's Manual comes with tests, quizzes, answer keys and detailed lesson plans.
- - Written by a Christendom College graduate and homeschooling mom for Catholic schools and home schools.
- - Exclusive Rorate Discount! Use the code "Rorate" when ordering. This coupon is usable until the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary on Sept. 12 and is good for 15% off your order.
The kids are already looking forward to deepening their Latin skills -- and to use their new headphones to do the audio work!
To learn more about this wonderful new program and to order with a 15% Rorate discount, go to https://www.littlelatinreaders.com/
