Henle Latin I Guides
by Cheryl Lowe
Reviewed by Martha Robinson
Purchase details: Henle Latin I Guides by Cheryl Lowe and Martin Cothran. Comb-bound paperbacks, $14.95 each. Published by Memoria Press. Please support HomeschoolChristian.com by buying this program from our Christian Book Distributors link or Amazon affiliate link.
Memoria Press's guides to Father Henle's classic Latin program provide day-by-day guidance for the first two years of Latin study and a basic outline for four years after that. The study of Henle Latin I lasts over five school years (30 weeks each) in the proposed method of teaching with the goal of Latin mastery.
Cheryl Lowe's vision of Latin instruction begins in the early elementary years with the Prima Latina program. As soon as the student masters Latina Christiana I and II, he may move on to Henle Latin, so it is possible that children as young as late elementary ages could be using these guides. Students who have done the preliminary Latin programs could move through the guides at a faster rate, but students who are new to Latin should use the schedule to do one hour of Latin study each day.
The first guide addresses units I and II of Henle Latin, all five declensions of nouns and some adjectives. The second guide includes units III through V on verbs.
Each of the guides begins with an overview of how to teach Latin, how to use the syllabus, and how to make grammar and vocabulary flash cards. A pronunciation chart and declension chart are in both guides, while a conjugation chart is only in the second guide. The daily assignment section follows. Schedules are for five days per week, and each day shows very specific assignments with check boxes. Margin notes offer hints for the exercises on many of the days. Weekly quizzes are on the schedule, but are not provided. A cumulative grammar test and its answers is in the back of each guide. The first guide also includes the answers to all of the exercises in units I and II of Henle Latin.
The two Memoria Press guides cover five of fourteen units in Henle Latin I. No further guides are planned at this time, but rather, the authors hope that students will continue studying Latin in the same sort of way.
Recommendation: The Memoria Press Henle Latin I Guides offer a slow and gentle approach to Henle Latin I. The specific tasks and check boxes make the program able to be used with little parental supervision. This program will be particularly valuable to families with older children who are just getting started in Latin, but is flexible enough to be used in many different situations.
HomeschoolChristian.com resources related to this review:
Latin Curricula Comparison Chart to help select an introductory or intensive program.
Interview with Mrs. Lowe
Latin Centered Curriculum review
Henle Latin
Latina Christiana
Latina Christiana DVD's
Lingua Angelica
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