YOU WERE LOOKING FOR: National Latin Exam Syllabus
For exam prep, this is the next best thing to a private tutor. The instructor has taught classical Latin for 38 years and has taught many exam prep classes to hundreds of students. This prep course meets for 8 hours. Choose either of two courses:...
Mythology Olympian deities and myths, etc. Roman Life city of Rome, major architectural structures, culture, housing, clothing, etc. Latin in Use thematic vocabulary, oral Latin, derivatives, expressions, mottoes, abbreviations Please be aware of...
There is also a new Exploratory Latin Exam for students in third through sixth grades of school. Over the years our children have benefitted from these tests, not only in rewarding them for their work in homeschool, but also in teaching them how to prepare for and take standardized exams. I was blessed with a terrific teacher for a single year of Latin in high school. I then went to college and forgot most of what I had learned. When I started homeschooling I was intrigued by the Classical Christian model. In those days, there were few Latin curricula, especially curricula marketed to elementary-age homeschoolers.
I began with a very simple program that taught a few paradigms and a lot of basic vocabulary. I learned alongside my students—literally turning the page each day to see what we would learn next. We made flash cards for vocabulary and inched through the curriculum. If any group could demonstrate that ten minutes of study a day could add up to something, it was our class! One of my elementary-age children especially enjoyed mythology and I asked her if she would like to try it. She took the exam and realized that she had never learned how to fill in the circles on a test form with multiple-choice questions. My husband laughingly pointed out that this is something homeschoolers need to learn.
My daughter enjoyed the exam so much that she took the exam every year thereafter until she was too old. Her little brothers also participated. It made our visits to art museums very lively as everyone tried to remember the details of the various myths portrayed in art. They also pounced on allusions to mythology in literature. We soon added the National Latin Exam. The Latin Exam begins with an introductory level which suited our slow-motion Latin. Once we got the hang of it, the test provided a goal for us to reach each year.
We took the level one and two exams two years each because we advanced so slowly. We finished one curriculum and started over with a new high school level curriculum when our oldest student entered ninth grade. We found a great benefit in going over all the basics again. We continued taking the Latin exam each year, steadily moving up to higher levels. By the time my first Latin class graduated from high school, we had our second and third classes started, and I have not stopped learning Latin yet.
Along the way the American Classical League exams have been a rewarding part of our homeschool experience. So how can you participate? Both exams allow for homeschool participation, though the exams are more cost-effective if taken as a group. This would be a good opportunity for a co-op or group of families to work together. The deadline for the mythology exam registration is the second week of January and exams are held about the last week of February through the first week of March. Each year the exam assigns topics for the final section and sub-tests, and gives a bibliography for these materials. The exam contains 30 general questions and ten questions on the assigned topic, followed by sub-tests which are only required for students in sixth grade and above.
This year grades 10—12 were admitted to take these tests as well. The Exploratory Latin Exam has more flexible test dates and registration. The syllabus is sent upon registration. Registration is due by the second week of January and exams are to be administered about the second week of March. Early administration is available. Proctoring the Latin exams can be challenging because the teacher cannot be present. The National Latin Exam has forty multiple-choice questions which must be completed in forty-five minutes. The first through sixth year exams include grammar, comprehension, history, derivatives, mythology, culture and questions based on a short Latin passage. You can download practice exams, syllabi for the various levels, and registration forms at www. We used the practice exams as part of our daily school half an exam three days a week from January to March.
They are an education in themselves. My daughter, who went on to minor in Latin in college, felt that the yearly exams gave her something to aim for in her studies. The knowledge she gained through participation in the exams gave her an advantage in many areas of study from art appreciation and English literature where mythological allusions abound to English composition where Latin grammar and derivatives form the backbone of the English language.
We also learned that by studying a little every day we could make great progress and even earn gold medals. On each certificate awarded by the American Classical League are the words: Labor omnia vincit. Indeed, effort overcomes everything. With her husband, Garth, she homeschools their nine children. She can be reached through Here or at mcpclan comcast. Was this article helpful to you? Subscribe to Practical Homeschooling today, and you'll get this quality of information and encouragement five times per year, delivered to your door. To start, click on the link below that describes you:.
Read more here. The Latin V-VI exam contains two Latin passages as the basis for questions on grammar, comprehension, historical background, classical literature, and literary devices. The philosophy of the National Latin Exam is predicated on providing every Latin student the opportunity to experience a sense of personal accomplishment and success in his or her study of the Latin language and culture. This opportunity exists for all students since, in the National Latin Exam, they are not competing with their fellow students on a comparative basis, but are evaluated solely on their own performance on the exam. The basic purposes of the NLE are to promote the study of Latin and to encourage the individual student. This list will be distributed to all secondary schools in the United States in September. Students are only allowed to take ONE exam annually, and the exam level must correspond to their current level of Latin at the time of the exam. Categories include grammar, comprehension, mythology, life, history, derivatives, and questions based on a short passage in Latin.
No make-up exams are allowed after the fact. Please call ahead for students with special needs or for scheduling issues. If the exams are not received by the principal or examiner by March 1, write or call the number on the postcard acknowledgment.
Benefits of Learning Latin This Latin course is designed to give students an edge. During their four years in the Latin program at Johnson, students will reap the benefits of learning a classical language. A thorough study of Latin words and their derivatives gives students an advantage in careers in medicine, law, and the sciences through an introduction to their technical terminology. College admissions counselors understand that Latin is a more rigorous high school course and take note. The study of Ancient Rome and its language also gives students access to the intellectual, artistic, and political foundations of Western Civilization, and allows them to access a past that still deeply influences American culture today.
The fourth year AP Latin course dives even deeper into these writings, focusing on preparing students to read, translate, quote, and consider the Caesar and Vergil texts by composing timed analytical essays as they will be asked to do on the exam. Therefore, I encourage students and their parents to seriously consider staying for the complete program so that they can turn the Latin knowledge base they have spent the two years building into the scholarships or college credit that come as a result of sticking with the discipline in the later levels. Unlike the AP exam, it can be taken by a student at any skill level, in any year of Latin. It is a question, multiple-choice test with a time limit of 45 minutes, offered to Latin students around the world. The higher the score, the more prestigious the award; students can earn certificates and medals as well as larger prizes and scholarships for their performance on the NLE.
This exam is the international standard for Latin performance, and I strongly recommend that all of my students register to take the exam when it is administered at Johnson in March. The deadline to bring the registration fee to class is Wednesday, January 17, Please send your child with cash or check before this deadline. The NLE is a resume and confidence booster, so do not forget to register. Students begin their Latin career by learning about a family in Pompeii. We finish the Cambridge series in the middle of 3rd year and then transition to reading actual Roman authors like Ovid, Catullus, Caesar, Vergil, and Martial who will appear as sight passages on the AP exam in the upcoming year.
If you have any difficulties accessing either, do not hesitate to email me rbutch neisd. I recommend that they have a separate binder or folder for this class. Many of the reference materials for learning the Latin language will come from handouts rather than their textbook, so it is important for their academic success that students not throw any of their materials from this away. We will be using spoken Latin frequently, and you will be called upon in class to speak and translate regularly. It is extremely important to participate in class even if you think your answer is not perfect. If you refuse to participate according to expectations, your grade will be negatively affected.
HOMEWORK: Homework will not be assigned outside of class unless the student does not complete their in-class activities; however, it is wise for students to study vocabulary several days a week outside of class, as well as spend time outside of school preparing for their assessments. Students will be notified of the exact date of the test at least one week in advance. I will hold a review session in class for two days before each exam. If a student is dissatisfied with their score, they can submit test corrections to me for half credit. See the retake policy below.
For some quizzes, students will be notified a few days ahead of time, but I am very fond of giving pop quizzes as well. Students can retake any quiz one time in tutorials to earn a maximum grade of See the retake policy section below. Late assignments may be turned in UNTIL the point the material is assessed on a test, or the end of the 3 week period — whichever is sooner, as per district policy. After that point, the assignment will be recorded in the gradebook as a zero. This may be done for a maximum of 3 quizzes per each 9 weeks.
If a student successfully explains to me in writing a the reason their original answer was incorrect, and b supplies me with the correct answer, they can earn back half the points they missed on the question the first time. If a student cannot do both things, they will not receive any points for their correction. Corrections can only be attempted once per test question. If you know you will be absent, tell me ASAP. As per district policy, you have 1 day extra allowed for each class you missed as long as your absence is excused. Unexcused absences follow the late work policy. If work such as a project was assigned before your absence and was due while you were out, you are expected to turn it in the day you return to school. If there are special circumstances, e-mail me or talk to me ASAP. I will do my best to work with you. Tutorials will be offered before school on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from to and after school from to pm.
If you need extended time in tutorials, you need to schedule a time slot with me in advance. All Johnson High School rules, regulations, and consequences must be followed while in class. I expect a respectful atmosphere in my classroom, which to me means the following: Do not talk while the teacher is talking. If you have a question when I am speaking in front of the class, raise your hand and I will call on you. Arrive on time, prepared for class. Stay Positive! J We all have off days, but understand that you are expected to do work in my class every single day. Make the best of it and we will all have a good time! Use language and behavior appropriate to an academic environment. Be kind to others and be quiet while they are talking. No phones unless I say so—this includes having earbud s in. Keep hands and objects to yourself. Clean up after yourself check underneath desk, straighten desk, etc. Stay in your seat until the dismissal bell rings.
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