Set in the year 100 AD, Minimus is a fictitious mouse who lived with a real Roman family at Vindolanda, a fort in Roman Britain.  We know about this family through the Vindolanda tablets, a cache of military and personal correspondence which were excavated in northern England in the 1970s and have provided us with a unique understanding of the ancient Romans. 

The Minimus course integrates grammar, vocabulary, mythology, and history into an engaging and high interest plot line.  Minimus works well in both a classroom and homeschool setting.  Teachers who don’t have a Classics background are able to use Minimus successfully due to its extensive support system.  Teachers may purchase the Resource Book which includes reproducible worksheets.  Although the teacher’s manual is somewhat expensive, it does include permission to copy student worksheets as well as background information for each chapter and additional suggested activities to integrate into other curricular areas.

What really sets Minimus apart from other elementary Latin programs is that there’s so much more to Minimus than learning a few vocabulary words.  Minimus really works across the curriculum.  At the same time students are learning a foreign language, they are also learning history and literature -- and the suggested activities from the the resource manual are also cross-curricular as well.

Minimus also has an online support network.  The Official Minimus Site (created and maintained by illustrator Helen Forte) includes online activities and games, animations, printable activities, support sheets, and more.  Another great resource for Minimus teachers is the  Minimus Blog.  Teachers on both sides of the Atlantic, in the United Kingdom and the United States, have been networking to share ideas and resources.