in Language, Pedagogy

Aleae Verbales

I picked up an idea mentioned by one participant at the recent Latin workshop at Dickinson college, namely the use of dice to drill forms.

With this page, titled ALEAE IACTAE ESTOTE!, students cut out one die for person and number (1st Sg. through 3rd Pl.) and one die for each tense (Pres., Imp., Fut, Pf. Plupf., & Fut. Pf.).

aleae-verbales

My students have been finding it alternately fun and challenging to produce these forms, but the real value is that students who have struggled with learning verb endings and the principal parts of verbs are now finding that it all makes sense.

As a corollary I’ve also given them an adapted list of the top 50 verbs according to Oerberg’s support materials, as well this nice, color-coded sheet on using principal parts.

Using-Principal-Parts

I hope others have as much success with them as I have.