TOS Review - Greek 'N' Stuff's Latin's Not So Tough!

As part of the TOS Crew, we had the opportunity to use Latin's Not So Tough! a leveled Latin program written by Karen Mohs and published by Greek 'N' Stuff.  For our review, we received Level 2 (there are 6 levels total), which can be used with a wide variety of ages. Geared for the Mid-elementary student who has completed Level 1, this particular level has enough review built in the beginning, my target children, who have not had Latin prior to this program, did just fine jumping in with this level.

The products we received for review were:

A spiral bound student work book ($18.95).  There are 148 pages, plus flashcards.  The text is divided into 36 Lessons and an Appendix that includes:

• Latin - English Glossary
• Engish - Latin Glossary
• Latin Alphabet
• Special Sounds
• Flashcard Tips

 You can see Sample Lessons here, just scroll to the third section for all of Latin's Not So Tough! samples.

 The Answer Key ($4.00), which is a small booklet that contains exactly what the title says, "Answers Only" Answer Key. :)  It is a no frills booklet, with just the answers for the students workbook pages.

(There is also a Full Text Answers Key ($18.95) that includes:

• Duplication of the workbook with the answers filled in
• Brief proposal for scheduling the lessons
• Teacher tips
• Some English derivatives of the Latin words taught in this level)

 We also received a Pronunciation CD that contains all three levels of Latin's Not So Tough!  The CD is recorded with children reciting the words, which can make it more appealing to younger students.  There is also an index clearly marking what time each lesson begins on the CD and what corresponding pages in the Student's text you are covering.  A nice feature that allows you to easily find where you are in the CD.

 There are bundles available for purchase as well, a "short" set ($36.45) and a "complete" set ($51.40). The bundles include a test booklet, answer key (either the full answer key or the "answers only" key)  and the flashcards on a ring. We didn't receive the bundles, but I can see how these would make the program more complete and easier to use.

Using Classical pronunciation, this program covers, alphabet, diphthong and special consonant review, reading and writing Latin words and fun activities including matching, fill in the blank and puzzles.  There are placement tests located in the FAQ section (scroll down a little to the test links) which you can give your student to see which level is best for them to start in.

When we first received this program, my, then, 12 year old grabbed it and started working on it. She wasn't the one I had intended to have use it, but who was I to argue with her enthusiasm. :) She hadn't had Latin before, so this was a fine place for her to start. On completion of the book I asked her what she thought. She said she really liked the program. Her words were, "It's a great introduction to Latin". She liked the short lessons and found the work easy to finish with very little input from me. At another point, my 9 year old also grabbed the book and started working through, on her own, as well. She used a separate piece of paper for her written work. I just quizzed (a very simple and basic quiz as I don't know any Latin! :) ) both of my daughters before writing this review and they both aced all the vocabulary I gave them.

I tend to agree with my daughters, this is a very doable beginning Latin program. For a younger student, there would be more teacher involvement than what I experienced with my oldest. But it still seemed very manageable, even in my crazy busy school days.

In addition to their Latin program, Greek 'N' Stuff carries a Greek language program as well as Bible Studies. They are worth checking out.  I do have to warn you, their website is not the easiest to navigate, so if you don't see what you're looking for at first, keep looking, it's there!

The crew reviewed a variety of products from Greek 'N' Stuff, click here to check out all the reviews, including more reviews on Latin's Not So Tough!.

I received this product free for the purpose of reviewing it.  I received no other compensation for this review.  The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions.