I received this question:

Hi Dwane,  First of all I have to say after watching your sample lessons of Visual Latin, I absolutely LOVE IT!!!   I am so happy I stumbled upon your website last night!  My question is this… I would like to order your Visual Latin 1 course for my 6th grader, but I also have twin boys going into 9th grade next year.  They have had several years of Memoria Press Latin programs.  I was thinking of putting them in your online Lingua Latina class.  I actually found your website as I was looking for an online Henle class, but after reading your description of Lingua Latina, I’m wondering if that might be a better choice for them.  Your thoughts or suggestions?  Does that sound reasonable…. Visual Latin for the 6th grader and Lingua Latina for the 9th graders?  My second question is… how do Visual Latin and Lingua Latina compare?  Is Lingua Latina for older students and Visual Latin for younger students?   Thank you for your help!

Here is my reply:

Hi!

Happy you found the site!  

You are on the right track.  Avoid Henle Latin if at all possible.  Do not enroll in that class unless you are a member of Classical Conversations and you are required to take Henle Latin.

I teach it, but not necessarily because I like it.  I am just trying to help families who are struggling through the book.

If you are going to join an online class, go with Lingua Latina.  It is excellent.  For one thing… it’s a novel.  And, it’s a pretty good novel. Henle Latin is dull.  Lingua Latina is not.

However, I would actually advise you to put all of your children through Visual Latin first.  Visual Latin is challenging.  It will prepare them for Lingua Latina… which is unbelievably challenging.  

Of course, if your 9th graders are up for a challenge, you are more than welcome to enroll them into Lingua Latina.  I just want to make sure you have been warned.  It’s tough.  

As for a comparison between Lingua Latina and Visual Latin….  Visual Latin is essentially an English explanation of Lingua Latina.  (There is no English in Lingua Latina.)  Visual Latin is a strong foundation for Lingua Latina.  The two work well together.  Many students go through both simultaneously.

Let me know if you need more help!

Dwane