*Updates to LCC2*
This page lists updates and additional recommendations for Latin-centered homeschoolers. New materials appear all the time, so check back often!
Click on the link to go to the appropriate section of the page:
- Classical Languages: Latin and Greek
- Arithmetic and Mathematics
- Copywork and Composition
- Literature
- Religion
- History
- Geography
- Nature Study and the Natural Sciences
- Logic and Philosophy
- Modern Languages, the Arts, and Other Subjects
Classical Languages: Latin and Greek
Getting Started with Latin by William E. Linney provides an introduction to the Latin language for adults and older beginners who need a slow-and-steady approach. Read my review of the book here.
Arithmetic and Mathematics
Singapore Math is now publishing a new "Standards" version, designed to meet U.S. state math standards. Changing math standards in the public schools have created chaos in U.S. math education for decades. While the adoption of Singapore by the California schools is a positive step, many homeschool parents, myself included, are understandably wary of textbooks written specifically for the public schools. Until we see the results of these new textbooks, I recommend that parents continue to use the older U.S. versions of the Singapore books. The one exception is the Earlybird series which will only be available in the Standards version. Homeschoolers only need the textbooks for this level, which are actually workbooks. The activity books are designed for classroom use, and the publisher has confirmed that they are unnecessary for homeschoolers.
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Kolbe Academy is now offering DVDs to accompany Harold Jacobs' Elementary Algebra and Geometry texts. DVDs for Foerster's Algebra and Trigonometry are due out in Fall, 2008.
Copywork and Composition
No updates.
Literature
7/1/08: American Literature: Essays, Short Stories, and Poetry, an anthology containing sixth and seventh grade Literature selections from LCC2, is now available. Many thanks to Kathy for putting the book together! Kathy is also the creator of beautiful LCC-themed notebook covers. Visit the Barefoot Meandering Lulu Storefront for more information.
Religion
7/25/08: John Mason Neale's A History of the Church, recommended for Grade Five, is once again available from Paidea Classics! They are currently offering it in coil-bound format but plan a perfect-bound edition in the future.
Several people have asked me if this book is appropriate for non-Orthodox families. The book was written in the 1850s by an Anglican and, for the most part, reflects what today we would call a "mere Christian" viewpoint. The editors have added a handful of footnotes, mostly addressed to an Orthodox readership, explaining some Anglican terminology (e.g., "Whitsun" for Pentecost) and Eastern Christian traditions. A few small matters of emphasis may call for parental comment, but since the period covered is well before the East-West split, overall the book should be fine for most traditional Christians. The only problematic point I would note is that, in two sentences, the author describes the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 as the fulfillment of Matt. 27:25. As this does not reflect the current teaching of any church body of which I am aware, parents should emphasize that this is the author's individual interpretation.
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Several Catholic parents have asked me to recommend a Church History "spine" to accompany the Great Books readings in high school. My choice is The History of the Church from the Didache Series, published by the Midwest Theological Forum. This textbook has received outstanding reviews from classroom and homeschool teachers alike. A student workbook and teacher's manual are also available.
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Some students may find Eusebius hard going. Rod Bennett's Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words gives students a taste of his writing without committing them to reading his whole history. Bennett highlights four of the most prominent writers of the first two Christian centuries: Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, and Irenaeus of Lyons. Using Eusebius as a guide, the author weaves together extended quotations from the Fathers' writings, the New Testament, and contemporary historical references to create an engaging account of the early church. This book can be read on its own or in conjunction with the relevant primary source readings from the Apostolic Fathers volume listed in LCC2. Students can follow up with the suggested readings for the second and third terms, finishing up the year with Saint Augustine. This allows the student more time for the medieval theologians in 10th grade.
(N.B.: In the afterword to his book, Bennett briefly discusses his conversion from evangelical Protestantism to Catholicism, and an appendix contains passages from the patristic writings that support Catholic doctrine. The rest of the book stands on its own, should you prefer not to assign these sections.)
History
Russell Kirk's book Economics: Work and Prosperity is available at a discounted price from ISI Books.
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What if your state requires you to teach a semester of Civics/Government in high school? Where does that fit into the LCC scope and sequence? The 12th grade year is actually designed so that you can count the books read during semesters 2 and 4 for Civics. However, if you prefer a more formal, directed curriculum, I suggest Declaration Statesmanship by Richard Ferrier and Andrew Seeley (available from Emmanuel Books, Adoremus Books, and other venues). The course consists of a textbook, a primary source reader, and a detailed teacher's manual, complete with lesson plans, memory work suggestions, and exams. The book examines Judeo-Christian ideas as one of the intellectual foundations of American democracy (alongside Greco-Roman and Enlightenment philosophy, and the British legacy of liberty), but it never descends into the "pious and patriotic piffle" that mars so many Christian government courses. Students are asked to analyze the founding documents in detail and to follow the development of the Declaration's principles through the Civil War period and into the 20th-century Civil Rights movement. Declaration Statesmanship is a rigorous and thorough course for high school students and an excellent addition to the Latin-centered curriculum. See this page for more ideas on how to fit Declaration Statesmanship into the high school history sequence. You can read a more detailed review by Margot Davidson here.
Geography
Are you looking for a geography program that can be used with children of various ages? Several readers have given high marks to The Trail Guide to World Geography. One reader provided this helpful review:
I used Trail Guide to World Geography three years ago, with the student notebooking pages. In addition to the TM and the student pages, you must purchase Visual Manna's Geography Through Art and The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Book. Travel videos are assigned, and children's literature is recommended, so access to a library is helpful.
The lessons are set up with two parts: Points of Interest, and the Trails themselves. The Trails are questions the author expects kids to answer each day, for a daily geography drill. The POI are lesson ideas. Some POI are as detailed as numbered steps for a project with a balloon. Others are as open-ended as, "Study what factors create the seasons." To be successful, you need to have either a good home library and common craft supplies on hand or a plan made in time to gather materials.
I have no doubt that you could stretch each section out to last a year, particularly if you start by doing World, the first and shortest section, with a K or 1st grader. If you did run out of ideas from the Primary World weeks, you could move on to the Intermediate World weeks.
A nine week unit study (that's doing four chapters a week) of Around the World in Eight Days by Jules Verne is included in the Trail Guide, meant to fill out a 36 week year since there are only 27 weekly lessons in the rest of the guide. There are four to six research suggestions for every chapter, things like, "Research the inner workings of various kinds of clocks; use illustrations." It could be it's own one-year study by doing a single chapter a week.
Like most unit study guides, Trail Guide is full of ideas for learning. Also like most unit study guides, it's up to the parent to pull together resources and plan lessons using these ideas.
Other readers have suggested using the book as a one-year geography study for the whole family, using only a few of the projects. Another option is to use the extra weeks that appear at the end of the LCC2 grammar school history schedules to do a short study of one continent each year. This is a good choice for parents who do not want to spend a lot of time on geography or those who use a four-day-a-week schedule. The publisher has two additional volumes in the series, one for U.S. geography and the other for Bible geography.
Nature Study and the Natural Sciences
Eighth graders who have enjoyed the science recommendation for that year may also appreciate The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments by George Johnson. This engaging book, written by an award-winning science journalist for a non-specialist audience, introduces students to famous scientists and their most influential discoveries. It's a fine supplemental reading choice for high school students and adult learners as well.
Logic and Philosophy
Readers looking for a brief introduction to logic will enjoy D. Q. McInerny's Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking. This short, non-technical guide covers the basics of constructing an argument and identifying common logical fallacies. While not a substitute for a full course in formal logic, it is a good choice for adult learners and for high school students who need a concise introduction to the subject.
Modern Languages, the Arts, and Other Subjects
No updates.