OT: Ecce Romani

[Girlnumber20]

I have been thinking about some stuff. I never looked at any other programs in Latin other than Memoria, because I think it is the best. I never learned anything much about the other methods that are out there.

So I am just very curious, because a "friend of a friend" who is a Latin translator recommended that we use "Ecce Romani" to teach our kids. I have no plans to switch, knowing nothing about this program- that would be foolish of me after how far we come, but I was thinking, supplement to get them reading in Latin just a little. Is that a big no-no? I don't want to wreck what we are doing. Just out of curiosity- does anyone know anything about this program? It seems to be some kind of story line they learn to read. I have never even heard of it, and I'll be honest, I have a roving eye in March... Talk me down, someone! Please!

Maria

[pickandgrin]

Re: OT: Ecce Romani

That seems to be the book that most high schools around here use for teaching it in a 2-year sequence. You could ask your friend about how many of his students go on to study it for more than 2 years. You could ask how well they score on the national Latin exam or on the AP Latin exam. You could ask how well he thinks it teaches understanding of Latin grammar.

Of course, I don't think there's any reason to switch when you have a clear path all the way through 12th grade with Memoria Press. Getting extra books and having them on your shelves is fun sometimes though. Maybe you could do that?

[pickandgrin]

Re: OT: Ecce Romani

If you just want some fun stuff in Latin for your bookshelf, I'd look for things like Winnie the Pooh or Harry Potter in Latin. Our local library has about 10 children's books in Latin. Oh, The Cat in the Hat!

[Girlnumber20]

Re: OT: Ecce Romani

If you just want some fun stuff in Latin for your bookshelf, I'd look for things like Winnie the Pooh or Harry Potter in Latin. Our local library has about 10 children's books in Latin. Oh, The Cat in the Hat!

Ha- we got a couple of these titles for the kids for Christmas. Ille Hobbitus was one. Ironically, the kids can't really read them, but they sure are fun to have.

I have to keep reminding myself that mine are young kids, not highschoolers, and that we have chosen to start Latin young, ala Memoria, in order to get a leg up- not in order to create little Latin-reading wunderkinder who later may crash and burn. Thanks for the perspective-

[Nerdmom]

Re: OT: Ecce Romani

Getting extra books and having them on your shelves is fun sometimes though. Maybe you could do that?

I agree with this. Cambridge Latin is another option for leisurely reading with a continuing storyline.

[pickandgrin]

Re: OT: Ecce Romani

And, Lingua Latina. These can get pricey, but they are nice adds to your home library.

[Heather K]

Re: OT: Ecce Romani

I've tutored high school kids that were using Ecce Romani, and I just don't like it. It introduces topics, especially vocabulary, in a really disjointed way IMO. For example, if the story in a given chapter requires a vocab word to be in the dative case then the word is given to the student in the dative case. It doesn't matter if the student has ever seen that word before. So a word may introduced to the student in a specific case in chapter 4 and not presented formally, in dictionary format, until many chapters later. Or it's never given in dictionary form and the student is just supposed to recognize that the 3 or 4 different forms they've seen are all the same word. The kids just end up memorizing what each form looks like instead of learning the paradigm and mastering which ending to put on the noun base to achieve the correct usage and meaning. They present verbs the same way. It just drives me crazy. They also introduce topics really quickly, and don't give much chance for the student to master them before moving on so it doesn't take long for the stories in each chapter to require knowledge of many types of constructions that the Form series doesn't introduce so early.

If I had a student who had gone through of FFL to have learned the present system of 1st and 2nd conjugations, and had learned the first two declensions, and was looking for some practice with translation, I would seriously look at 38 Stories. It follows along with Wheelock's Latin, but it can be used with any curriculum. It is a graded reader with prose compositions that start easy and slowly become more difficult as students develop. You can look at a preview on the Bolchazy-Carducci website.

The same publisher also makes a christian graded reader that is similar to 38 Stories, but the passages start out shorter. It's called "A Beginning Latin Christian Reader: De Bonis Cogitationibus"

Teacher's guides with translations are available for both.

[Girlnumber20]

Re: OT: Ecce Romani

I've tutored high school kids that were using Ecce Romani, and I just don't like it. It introduces topics, especially vocabulary, in a really disjointed way IMO. For example, if the story in a given chapter requires a vocab word to be in the dative case then the word is given to the student in the dative case. It doesn't matter if the student has ever seen that word before. So a word may introduced to the student in a specific case in chapter 4 and not presented formally, in dictionary format, until many chapters later. Or it's never given in dictionary form and the student is just supposed to recognize that the 3 or 4 different forms they've seen are all the same word. The kids just end up memorizing what each form looks like instead of learning the paradigm and mastering which ending to put on the noun base to achieve the correct usage and meaning. They present verbs the same way. It just drives me crazy. They also introduce topics really quickly, and don't give much chance for the student to master them before moving on so it doesn't take long for the stories in each chapter to require knowledge of many types of constructions that the Form series doesn't introduce so early.

If I had a student who had gone through of FFL to have learned the present system of 1st and 2nd conjugations, and had learned the first two declensions, and was looking for some practice with translation, I would seriously look at 38 Stories. It follows along with Wheelock's Latin, but it can be used with any curriculum. It is a graded reader with prose compositions that start easy and slowly become more difficult as students develop. You can look at a preview on the Bolchazy-Carducci website.

The same publisher also makes a christian graded reader that is similar to 38 Stories, but the passages start out shorter. It's called "A Beginning Latin Christian Reader: De Bonis Cogitationibus"

Teacher's guides with translations are available for both.

Wow- thank you very much Heather- this is very helpful. I especially appreciate you taking to time to outline the ways a more immersion-based approach and that text in particular can specifically fall short. That helps me to realize some things I hadn't known or thought of.

The recommendations for extras you gave look very interesting- I really appreciate this!

Maria

[Girlnumber20]

Re: OT: Ecce Romani

Thanks Amanda and Jessica, too! I have Cambridge Latin which was given to me by a family member but for me it is undecipherable and far too hard for my kids... interesting to look at though and a pretty book!

[Heather K]

Re: OT: Ecce Romani

Just in case anyone is interested in what Ecce Romani is like, I typed up the TOC for Ecce Romani I.

Note: The Building the Meaning sections are where grammar topics are explained. The Forms sections are where the paradigms of endings are introduced.

Ecce Romani I TOC.pdf

[Mom2mthj]

Re: OT: Ecce Romani

Our library has Minimus which is a fairly fun diversion. Sort of a comic book style.