Latin Alive! (Classical Academic Press)

Latin Alive! is Classical Academic Press's Latin series for grades 7-12. Its series page lists those grades and describes it as an introduction to Latin for middle and high school students, with or without earlier Latin study, that blends grammar training with the reading of original Latin. This review covers the revised-edition Books 1 to 3 and notes where the previous editions, which CAP still lists on its Latin Alive! collection, differ.

Last updated: 2026-10-08 · Every Homeschool Editorial Team

At a glance

Method	Classical, grammar-based, subject-specialist (Every Homeschool classification). The series page says the series blends grammar training with the reading of original Latin
Worldview	Christian · Ecumenical is Every Homeschool's classification, a term the publisher does not use. CAP says it serves both Christian classical schools and homeschools, and that its materials are used in classical charter schools that are not religious. CAP does not name a denomination on the page linked here
Grades	Grades 7-12 per the series page, which lists Book 1 Revised Edition for grades 7-8, Book 2 for grades 8-9, Book 3 for grades 9-10, and the Reader for grades 10-12. The previous-edition pages say grades 7-8 and up for Book 1, grades 8 and up for Book 2, and grades 9 and up for Book 3
Formats	Print student and teacher editions and streaming video, per the Latin Alive! collection, and a downloadable quiz packet. The revised-edition Book 1 Program lists a student edition, teacher's edition, quiz packet, and streaming video. The previous editions' video is sold as streaming, with a DVD format also listed on the video pages (for example Book 1)
Cost tier	Standard (Every Homeschool classification). The revised Book 1 Program and Book 2 Program are $188.95 each and the Book 3 Program is $177.95, retrieved October 2026
Parent intensity	3 with the streaming video, 4 if the parent teaches without it (Every Homeschool rating)
ESA-common	Not verified. The CAP pages we read do not name ESA programs or marketplaces; confirm with your program administrator
Accredited	Not applicable: a curriculum, not a school
Established	Not stated. CAP's Our Story page says the company was founded in 2001; the Latin Alive! pages we read give no first-publication year. The previous Book 1 page carries a "Revised Version 3.0 Text (2017)" note
Website	classicalacademicpress.com

Our scoreboard (1-5)

Criterion	Score	One-line reason
Academic rigor	4	Our assessment rests on the product pages: the revised books cover all five noun declensions and all verb conjugations in Book 1, passive voice and participles in Book 2, and the subjunctive mood in Book 3. CAP's FAQ counts each book as the equivalent of one full high school credit
Ease of teaching	4	CAP says the revised teacher's editions include extensive explanations, an answer key, and translations, and that the streaming video can serve as teacher training, a substitute for the regular teacher, or an aid for review
Content quality	4	Our assessment rests on the product pages, which describe a program that pairs grammar with readings and ancillary lessons. The Book 1 page lists readings on the history of the Roman Republic and ancillary lessons that include derivative detectives, culture corners, and Latin in science
Flexibility	4	The series page says the series is for students who have and have not studied Latin, and the FAQ places students who finished Latin for Children Primers A and B in Book 1
Value for money	3	Our assessment: a multi-year commitment, with the three revised programs totaling $555.85 (retrieved October 2026)
Worldview scope	4	CAP says it serves Christian classical schools and homeschools and that its materials are used in classical charter schools that are not religious. The Book 3 page names readings by Vergil, Horace, Alcuin, Boethius, and Augustine
Visual/design	4	Our assessment rests on CAP's statement that its Latin texts are designed in full color and on the Book 1 page, which lists a pronunciation guide, culture corners, and derivative detectives
Support resources	4	Streaming video, downloadable quiz packets, and teacher's editions, per the Latin Alive! collection; suggested weekly schedule PDFs linked from the series page and the previous-edition pages (for example Book 1); and CAP's Ask the Magister question page, which its Latin page describes

Who the publisher is

CAP's Our Story page says the company was founded in 2001 and that Dr. Christopher Perrin and the CAP team have spent decades helping schools and families recover the richness of classical education. Christopher Perrin's page says he cofounded CAP and serves full-time as its CEO and publisher. The Careers page calls CAP a classical education curriculum, media, and consulting company, and the Contact page gives its address as Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.

CAP's Latin page describes a Latin path of Song School Latin, Latin for Children, and Latin Alive, and its FAQ places them at 1st through 3rd grade, 3rd through 7th grade, and 7th grade and up.

The revised-edition student edition pages list Karen Moore as author for Book 1 and Karen T. Moore as author for Book 2 and Book 3. The previous-edition pages for Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3, and the Latin Alive! Reader, list Karen Moore and Gaylan DuBose as authors.

The core pedagogy

The series page says the series blends grammar training with the reading of original Latin, and the revised Book 2 page says its approach draws on a traditional focus on grammar as well as on the immersion method. The FAQ says Latin Alive! is taught exclusively in classical pronunciation.

Scope, per the revised-edition pages. The Book 1 Student Edition page lists 22 new content chapters, 5 reading-review chapters, and a pronunciation guide; it covers all five noun declensions and cases, all verb conjugations, irregular verbs, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs, with readings on the history of the Roman Republic. The Book 2 Student Edition reviews Book 1 grammar and adds new grammar over 20 chapters, including passive voice in all tenses, past, present, and future participles, and dependent clauses with the indicative, with readings adapted from Cicero, Vergil, Ovid, Suetonius, Tacitus, and the two Plinys. The Book 3 Student Edition reviews earlier grammar and adds deponent verbs, forms of the subjunctive mood, and sequence of tenses, with Latin poetry and adapted readings by later authors; the page lists preparation for opportunities such as the National Latin Exam, the Universal Latin Exam, and a Latin AP class. The previous editions are structured differently: Book 1 lists 36 weekly chapters including 7 review chapters, Book 2 lists 33 weekly chapters including 6 review chapters, and Book 3 lists 16 biweekly chapters in 3 units.

The FAQ says the Latin Alive! Reader is designed to serve as Book 4, and CAP recommends using it after Books 1 to 3, though it can also be used alongside Book 3. The Reader page describes selections by authors from Cicero to Newton and an addendum of passages from the AP Latin syllabus.

On placement after Latin for Children, CAP's pages differ. The FAQ says students who finish all three Latin for Children Primers can go straight to Latin Alive! Book 2 and students who finish Primers A and B can move into Book 1, while the Primer C page says students who finish Primer C are ready for Book 1.

Signature mechanics: (1) Streaming video. The revised streaming video features Karen Moore, whom the page describes as having more than 20 years of Latin teaching experience, in weekly lessons of about 30 minutes, more than 15 hours per book. (2) Teacher's edition. The revised teacher's editions include extensive explanations, an answer key, and translations, along with additional student exercises. (3) Quiz packet. The revised programs include a downloadable quiz packet of weekly tests with an answer key. (4) Credit and exams. CAP's FAQ counts each Latin Alive! book as the equivalent of one full high school credit and says the series generally prepares students for the National Latin Exam at each level, with a recommendation to supplement.

How a lesson runs

CAP's suggested weekly schedule for Book 1, a PDF linked from the previous-edition page, lays out a basic schedule of 4 to 5 days per chapter at approximately 50 to 55 minutes per day. The PDF lists the steps as vocabulary (half a day: discussing the chapter motto, reviewing the vocabulary and derivatives aloud, and an accent and syllabication exercise), grammar (1 to 2 days), sentence translation (1 day), chapter reading (1 to 2 days), and a quiz or test (half a day), followed by a unit review of 2 to 3 days. The PDF describes chapter 1 as an introduction for students with no prior Latin and says it does not follow the same format as the later chapters. The suggested schedules for Book 2 and Book 3 are based on 7 to 8 days per chapter and 8 to 10 days per chapter, each at approximately 50 to 55 minutes per day, and the Book 2 schedule says students will need to study Latin 5 days a week to complete the book in a school year.

The revised streaming video gives weekly lessons of about 30 minutes, per the Book 1 streaming video page. The previous Book 2 and Book 3 video pages give an average lesson length of 40 minutes.

What they do exceptionally well

A stated path from elementary Latin. CAP's Latin page lays out a path from Song School Latin through Latin Alive, and the FAQ says the first book of each series is an entry point for students with no previous Latin. In our assessment, having one publisher's three series with a stated hand-off between them reduces the work of choosing a next program.

Video built into the program. CAP's Latin page says it designed its Latin curricula with the teacher included, with video instruction and student-level grammatical explanations built in. In our assessment, this lowers the barrier for parents who have not studied Latin.

Reading alongside grammar. The revised-edition pages list readings in every book, from the history of the Roman Republic in Book 1 to Latin poetry and later authors in Book 3, and the Reader includes an addendum of passages from the AP Latin syllabus, per its page. CAP's FAQ says the series generally prepares students for the National Latin Exam at each level.

What they do poorly

Two editions are on sale. The revised and previous editions list different chapter counts and grade lines (compare the revised Book 1 page with the previous Book 1 page), and the latter says it can be bought only for a limited time, while supplies last. The previous Book 3 Teacher's Edition shows as sold out, and the previous Book 3 Program is listed as unavailable in both its DVD and digital versions. The Book 1 Digital Workbook is listed with a note that it is not compatible with the revised edition, and the previous Book 1 page says that, because of the extent of its 2017 revisions, CAP does not recommend combining old and new versions, such as the Version 3.0 student book with an old teacher's edition. A family buying piecemeal or used should check the edition.

Cost of the full track. The three revised programs (Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3) total $555.85 at CAP's current prices (retrieved October 2026), and on the collection page a revised student edition plus teacher's edition without video is $64.90 per book.

Grade and placement guidance is not uniform. CAP's pages give different grade lines for each book (the series page and the previous Book 2 page differ) and different placement after Latin for Children, as described above. Families should decide placement from the student's Latin background rather than from one grade label.

Who it fits / who it doesn't

• Pick Latin Alive! if: you want a Latin series for grades 7-12 that CAP's series page describes as suitable for students with or without earlier Latin; you want streaming video lessons that can serve as teacher training or a substitute for the regular teacher; you want classical pronunciation; you want a book-by-book high school credit that CAP's FAQ counts as one credit per book.

• Skip Latin Alive! if: you want ecclesiastical pronunciation, since the FAQ says Latin Alive! is taught exclusively in classical pronunciation; you want a single stable edition across all three books, since two editions are on sale on the collection page; you want to buy a bundled program without video, since the revised Programs include streaming video (the books are also sold separately on the collection page).

Cost honest assessment

Prices retrieved October 2026 from the Latin Alive! collection. On the collection page the revised editions are Student Edition $29.95 each for Books 1 to 3, Teacher's Edition $34.95 each, streaming video $131.95 each, and quiz packet $11.95 each. The revised programs are $188.95 for Book 1, $188.95 for Book 2, and $177.95 for Book 3.

The collection page still lists previous editions: Student Edition $23.95 (Book 1), $31.95 (Book 2), and $29.95 (Book 3); Teacher's Edition $34.95 for Book 2; video and audio for Book 1 $131.95 digital or $123.95 DVD, for Book 2 $131.95 digital or $154.95 DVD, and for Book 3 $114.95 digital or $141.95 DVD (the Book 1 and Book 2 video pages say the video is now streaming only, although each page also lists a DVD format); the previous Book 2 Program $178.95 digital or $199.95 DVD. The previous Book 3 Teacher's Edition shows as sold out and the previous Book 3 Program is listed as unavailable. The Reader Student Edition and Teacher's Edition are $34.95 each.

Adding the three revised programs on the collection page gives $555.85, and adding a revised student edition and teacher's edition for each of the three books from the same page, without video, gives $194.70.

ESA eligibility notes

The CAP pages we read do not state whether Latin Alive! is listed on any state ESA or voucher marketplace. Confirm with the program administrator before ordering, and ask whether the teacher's edition, streaming video, and quiz packet are listed as separate items.

Alternatives

• Henle Latin, a family comparing Latin programs can read the program's description on its Every Homeschool page.
• Lingua Latina per se Illustrata, a family comparing Latin programs can read the program's description on its Every Homeschool page.