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Minimus, Starting Out in Latin by Barbara Bell Review by Martha Robinson

The student book uses cartoon-type drawings to follow a basic story line about a real Roman family who lived near Hadrians wall around 100 A.D. Minimus, a mouse, introduces the parents, children, slaves, and a cat, whose antics with the mouse provide comic relief. Using details from and photographs of artifacts found around the archeological digs at Vindolanda, aspects of Roman life, such as food, clothing and jewelry, education, bathing, and so forth, are explored.

The Teachers Resource Guide includes thorough instructions for teaching the course. The introduction explains the importance and purpose of each section in the text along with lots of suggestions for teaching that obviously are drawn from the authors experience. Each chapter begins with a brief list of what is covered (subject matter), materials (worksheets), and grammar covered. The comic strips are translated, and every section is explained in detail with extra teaching points. Suggested activities, art, drama, discussion, and many field trips in Britain, are listed at the end of each chapter. Vocabulary is summarized every four chapters, and a glossary is in the back of the manual. Thirty five reproducible worksheets that offer coloring, maps, Roman writing, and a wide variety of other activities, are also included. A reproducible achievement certificate is the final item in the teachers guide.

Despite the fact that this program is used in public schools in Britain, Christ is mentioned in several times. The timeline on page four of the text mentions the meaning of BC and AD as being "before Christ" and "anno Domini" as well as showing the birth of Christ on the timeline itself. A notation about the origin of the word "petrify" in the teachers manual states, "In the New Testament, Jesus said he would make Peter the rock (petrus) of his church." One of the questions on worksheet five is "What well-known Christian prayer begins Pater Noster?" A suggested activity is to "ask pupils to write a prayer which asks for help with the problems of hunger, war, disease, etc. for use in an assembly."

The audio tape has actors speaking the parts of each of the characters in the book. The comic strips are read using classical pronunciation.

Recommendation: Minimus is a fascinating introduction to Roman culture, basic Latin, and grammar. The emphasis on the history of Romans in Britain makes the book unique and will strike a chord with many Americans who are of British descent. The suggestions for what could be seen in museums and at the archeological digs had me ready to jump on a plane to England! While this program only brings up the very basics of Latin (first two declensions and present tense only), it excels in building interest in Roman times, people, and culture. The teachers manual is easy to work with, and the books are very attractive. While the author says, "It is highly desirable for pupils to read their Latin aloud," the audio tape would not be required. A basic classical pronunciation guide is included, and families who prefer ecclesiastical pronunciation can use a guide from another source to pronounce words properly. The only drawback with this program is that it is a bit more expensive than many of its competitors that actually offer more Latin, but a bit less culture and history. Minimus is an outstanding starting point for elementary aged students.

Don't miss Martha's fabulous Latin Curriculum Comparison Chart!

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