Is there a decent computer based program to teach Latin?

[Fillyjonk]

This is rather a long shot

I have a ds who wants to learn a bit of Latin. He learns very effectively on the computer, and was wondering if there was anything out there, like [[http://www.minimus-etc.co.uk/index.shtml minimus] but on the computer.

He is not reading yet at a level that would allow him to use the minimus books directly but more than that, I think the computer would just work better here.

Its just a bit of fun btw, I don't want anything too intense or anything he'll have to work at weekly or anything (he is 5. Yes I am a little but, you know)

If not, I'll probably just get the minimus cd and teach him some songs, but you know, asking just in case...

(am assuming that the Rosetta Stone, aside from being £££, is also too advanced for a youngish child)

try again minimus

Too advanced, I fear, for your son, but if you sat down with him, he might be able to get something out of it: www.cambridgescp.com/page.php?p=clc^oa_book1^stage1

Are you in a university town? Some Classics departments offer fun-days for kids. Phone & find out.

Kangaboy is learning Latin & Greek at school he uses Cambridge Latin course books etc which is the same as that Cambridge site

But Kangaboy is 13 years old

There is a Latin version of Harry Potter that he thought was fun to read too

Yes, I am thinking of doing the cambridge latin course (again, I did it for ages in school and a bit at uni. But quite fancy doing it again, cos it is fun)

But remembering what the course was like, no, too advanced.

Am going to look to see if there is not something like the "usborne 100 words" for latin.

Might give local uni a call, don't THINK its likely round here (cardiff). OTOH minimus is quite local to us (bristol) so there might be scope there.

oh yes have had a go at the harrius potterus book. difficilus est !

The Usborne Internet Linked Latin for Beginners might be a good bet Fillyjonk.

You can get Beatrix Potter in Latin too, I think. That might be a bit easier than Harry Potter!

Beatrix Potter uses fairly advanced vocabulary actually.

I have Olivia in Latin too.

A progressive parent at my school is rumoured once to have asked "do you teach Cambridge Latin?" which was trumped by our even more erudite classics staff replying snootily "No, we teach Roman Latin."

Also, Usborne does a Sticker book which I haven't seen myself but might be fun.
Incidentally, Barbara Bell is planning a homeschooling version of her Teacher's Resource book for Minimus, which might be of interest. I'm not sure when it will be out though, but it will obviously be considerably cheaper than the Teacher's book.

Ds did minimus at primary school and loved it!

Glad to hear it Mooseloose. I run a Minimus club at our school and the children really enjoy it.

thanks all, actually just bought the usborne book

I do like the look of minimus, will await homeschooling book! His reading just would not be up to sounding out Latin, not yet, so really wanted something that introduced it to him aurally.

Like I say, its really to satisfy his curiosity. If he loves it then by the time he has worked through the usborne book I expect he will be reading well enough to tackle minimus.

My only worry with the usborne book is that it might not have much history in, the whole point of it for ds is that this is the language that the romans spoke.

You can also get Asterix in latin - to my astonishemnt I discovered the DS2 (8)had picked up some from having looked at that ( his brother's)as he knew the English version of the same story

H Potter also lots of latin allusions, ot jus tthe spels, but the names, but my Dss were not up to it till 7, not becasue the the reading level required, but the maturity to undestand some of the concepts

oh duh, asterix, of course! I mean, aside from Latin, obvious for a history loving boy...

DP bought, I suspect, every asterix book ever written when we had the 2 pink lines for ds (you know how some men buy scalextic and a football? Yes, he bought asterix. And I had forgotten all about them

yes harry potter has the spells mainly in latin, doesn't it?

I was wondering, actually, how they did the spells in harrius potter...

lol @ Asterix! I love 'em. and so now do the boys. We wne tto Parc Asterix this summer - FANTASTIC fun - a theme park that even I ( as a themeparkophobic) enjoyed ebcause it was clever. And witty.
( Must admit when DS was born I bought him all the Just William books. And when he was 9 he read and loved 'em!)

this is the one that dd's school use - she's 12 and can use it easily. It's a back up to lessons, but I think it would be fine to use on its own.

Sorry - just noticed your ds is 5! Ignore my last post!

I have Winnie the Pooh and House at Pooh Corner in Latin, from when I did the Cambridge LC. He could read them side by side - might help.