TOS Review: Classical Academic Press Latin Alive!

I had the opportunity to take a year of Latin when I was in the 8th grade. I really enjoyed it and wished I could have done more. When Chelsea was getting ready to start 9th grade, I was encouraging her to try Latin, but our homeschool convention did not have many language options and I was not familiar with any great Latin programs so we decided to wait until we could look into it some more. I was absolutely thrilled to be sent the Latin Alive! 1 Bundle from Classical Academic Press to review.

Classical Academic Press is an educational publishing company whose mission is to supply the finest classical curricula to the market today. Their motto is, "Classical Subjects Creatively Taught." From the website, "We seek to produce classical curricula and media with a clear design and structure, incremental and systematic instruction, all with a touch of delight, creativity and flair." They specialize in subjects such as Latin and Logic, but also have Spanish, Greek, Bible, French, Poetry, and Educational Resources. They have products ranging from Kindergarten all the way through High School. Their website also has many free resources to go along with their products.

Latin is not a dead, useless language like some believe. It is alive and well in the languages that we speak today. It plays an important role in a classical education training students how to think critically. It helps students in expanding their vocabulary and in learning grammar. Latin introduces students to original works that were written by some of the most influential writers in history. Latin Alive! is a series of texts written for junior high or high school students. It is a three year series emphasizing grammar and a solid understanding of the language. It also has a focus on Roman culture and mythology and teaches about the many ways Latin is still alive in our culture today. The Latin Alive! 1 Bundle that we received includes: Latin Alive! Book 1 Student Text, Latin Alive! Book One Teacher's Manual, and the Latin Alive! 1 DVD and CD set for $139.95. Latin Alive! Book 1 contains the following features:

• 29 new content chapters plus 7 review reading chapters to equal 36 weekly chapters


• Pronunciation Guides


• Weekly vocabulary introduction


• Thorough grammar explanations


• US State seals and their Latin mottos


• Study of Latin derivatives of English words


• Latin reading and translation exercises


• Lessons and stories of Roman myths, culture, and history


• Exercises and questions to prepare for NLE and Advanced Placement exam


• Historic contributions from Christopher Schlect, historian and academic Dean of New Saint Andrews College

If you are a homeschool parent who is interested in teaching your child Latin but you were either too intimidated to try it or just did not feel qualified enough, you will LOVE this program! The program is very easy to teach because it is done for you. The DVD lessons are just like having a Latin teacher in your home with you. The teacher is very easy to understand and follow along with. You can take the lessons at your own pace and can always pause or back up the DVD to repeat something you didn't understand. The Teacher's Guide gives you all of the answers and there are several free resources and teacher helps available on the website. If you have something you don't understand you are encouraged to contact Calssical Academic Press and they will help you in solving your problem. There are a few errors in the textbook, but there is this document available on the website under free resources correcting the errors for you.

I you are a homeschooled child whose parents want you to learn Latin but you think it is going to be boring, you will LOVE this program! The teacher on the DVD is very interesting to listen to and also pretty funny at times. The lessons offer plenty of practice and review to keep reminding you what you have already learned. There are plenty of examples of why Latin is important to learn and how it is still alive today mixed with fun and interesting information about Roman history and culture. My 14 year old daughter said, "Wow, Latin is a lot more interesting and fun than I thought it would be!"

To see what other crew members had to say click here.

I received a complimentary copy of Latin Alive! Book One Bundle for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation.