First Form Latin by Memoria Press: A Review

This week's review product comes from Memoria Press.  It is a very impressive and beautifully presented Latin curriculum called First Form Latin.  If you are looking for something for very young scholars, try its predecessors, Prima Latina (K-2nd) and Latina Christiana (3rd-5th).  First Form Latin is for students around middle school or older.  Although, even if your child has no prior knowledge of Latin, but is in the older grades, this should still fit their needs. 

First Form Latin comes with a student text, a workbook, teacher's manual, quizzes and tests, a teacher's manual to the workbooks & tests and a pronunciation guide on CD.  All of this for $55.  If you add the instructional DVDs with Glen Moore and the flashcards, your package increases to $115.  There are 30 lessons on the DVD, taught by a real live person. This is a nice feature for today's children, who are not programmed for self-directed bookwork.  Having something to watch does make a foreign concept easier to digest.  Also, it models the pronunciation.

Throughout the text, photographs and diagrams are used to explain the culture of Ancient Rome, so it puts the language in its proper setting.  For the Latin-challenged teacher, everything that you need to say is scripted, making it easy to dive right in.  Although, as with any new subject, you'll want to breeze over it before presenting it.  There are ideas listed for the teacher to make games out of lessons, i.e. a Latin Jeopardy-style game.  I also like that,whenever possible, a modern word that has been derived from the Latin one being studied, is pointed out.  Having the full-circle realization of why Latin roots are important is key.

The only fault I can find in this solid, prestigious curriculum is the rate of speed in which the Latin tutor presents the lessons.  It is very fast and very intimidating, even for me as the parent.  I think a tad slower would be better. 

You may purchase First Form Latin (and also Second and Third Form Latin, as well as the previous ones mentioned)  by visiting Memoria Press. 

See what the rest of the TOS Homeschool Crew thought of First Form Latin by visiting here.

**Disclaimer:  I was provided with the deluxe version of First Form Latin, including all components mentioned in this review.  I agreed to give an honest review, which I have provided here.