Laugh in Latin Review

by Carlen
Apr 18, 2016
2 min read

[First things first, if you're not sure about Latin and wonder why I'd even bother writing a whole post about learning a "dead language", read here and here.]

There is absolutely no reason you should take all the joy out of learning in one fell swoop. By opening a Latin book.

And that's WHY Mr. Dwane does Latin.

On screen. In your living room (or school, or office, on you mobile devices, wherever you choose to take him really, he's flexible that way).

He makes you laugh. OUT LOUD

While learning Latin. He really does!

When my son began to study Latin it was exactly that. Studying.

He spent time reading through rules, variations and translations. (See joyless learning comment above). I just knew this curious, spirited, laughter-filled kid could get so much more out of it if he just ENJOYED what he was doing! I also knew the visual/auditory component would be huge for him, so when I found Compass Classroom's Visual Latin, I immediately ordered our first set of lessons. Latin changed for him the minute I hit play.

Laughter. Belly laughter.

I sat on the couch and watched as my son took in every word, jotted down critical notes and even drew funny pictures (why wouldn't he sketch Mr. Dwane's flying hamster and a duck asking for grapes???)

Now even though he had already studied some Latin, I felt it was important for him to start with the first DVD set of lessons 1- 30. It was crucial that he regain the interest and reengage in such a complex subject. The rapport and trust he developed was almost immediately transformative.

In addition to the videos, there are (included) pdf worksheets for different learning styles, a Teacher's Guide with Scope and Sequence and Quizlet Vocabulary Flashcards Online.

Life is busy, we are always in that getting-through-the-tasks mode.

It's a beautiful thing to be able to relax and enjoy learning an otherwise formidably difficult subject. As American screenwriter Frank Howard Clark stated, “I think the next best thing to solving a problem is finding some humor in it.”

Mr. Dwane embodies what my son often likes to enthusiastically say around here (about everything with the exception of Math): "Don't worry, learn happy".

And he does.

Compass Classroom is an incredible educational company that produces video-driven curriculum making learning easy and fun! We love that your children can use these on their own schedule, when it works best for them. Also, their site is FULL of free resources for all kinds of homework help!

Their materials include self-paced courses on:

Have you used Visual Latin or any of Compass Classroom's educational materials? Share below!