Latin or Greek for 7th grade?

[pocjets]

I'm wanting to start either Latin or Greek for my 7th grader. I have no experience with either but my husband does know some Greek. Any thoughts on which to choose or which curriculum to pick?

[eagleynne]

You're probably going to have an easier time finding Latin curricula for that age than Greek. Also Latin tends to be easier to learn than Greek. That being said it certainly is possible to learn Greek without learning Latin first.

 

For Latin curricula the two main categories are "whole language" programs like Cambridge or Lingua Latina and "grammar based" programs like Henle, Wheelock, or The Form Series. Each approach has its advantages depending on why you want your dc to learn it. Additionally, there are a few programs that try to take a middle ground approach like Latin Alive! and Latin for the New Millennium.

 

My personal preference if for more of a grammar based approach though I have used Cambrige. I found it too light on the grammar exercises to make things really stick for the student. There are worksheets that can be downloaded from the Cambridge website that might help with that, but I haven't used them myself.

 

I don't have any experience with Lingua Latina, but I know that there are people on here who use it so maybe one of them will chime in.

 

Henle is an older program and teaches Ecclesiastical Latin. It is very solid, but some people think it's a little dry.

 

Wheelock (classical Latin) is relatively inexpensive and very thorough, but it was written with older students in mind and it can make for some dense reading. If I were going to use it with a kid as young as yours I would definitely get Grote's Comprehensive Guide to Wheelock's Latin. It is a chapter by chapter walk through Wheelock written by a long time Latin teacher.

 

The Form Series from Memoria Press is very thorough, but it might move too slow for a kid in 7th grade, at least that was my experience with it.

 

If I were picking for my own kid I would probably go with either Latin Alive! or Latin for the New Millennium. Both incorporate a combination of reading passages and grammar exercises in such a way that the grammar sticks without the program becoming really boring. Of the two I would try Latin Alive! First because it is more affordable. You can find it here: https://classicalacademicpress.com/series/latin-alive/

 

As for Greek it depends on what type of Greek you are thinking about teaching (Homeric, Attic, or Koine). The two most common Koine programs are Croy and Mounce. Croy is very grammar based while Mounce is more geared toward reading ability. Mounce also has a lot of online videos and resources which would be helpful if your not that familiar with the language.

 

If you're interested in Homeric Greek my recommendation is Clyde Pharr's Homeric Greek. The lessons aren't too long and are all based on the Iliad.

 

The only programs I would warn you away from are Ecce Romani for Latin and Reading Greek for Greek. I really dislike how Ecce Romani introduces new grammar concepts and vocabulary. Both seem to be introduced in a really disjointed way that caused problems for my students. Reading Greek had a lot of typos and inconsistent spellings which were very confusing. Plus the student needed three books which each weighed a ton.

[SilverMoon]

I'd pick whichever one the kid is more invested in.

 

For Latin we LOVED Classical Academic Press. A 7th grader would start with Latin Alive level 1. You probably want to add extra vocab practice like Quizlet or flash cards.

 

For Greek I'd start with Greek Code Cracker. It's a fun, easy way to learn the alphabet. We never made it much part that. Elementary Greek seems popular. CAP has Greek for Children.

[bensonduck]

Athenaze is fantastic for Greek. Lots of translation right away with grammar added bit by bit. It's kind of like an easy reader, but in Attic Greek. My kids find the ongoing story (about a farmer, Dicaeopolis, and his, uh, less than diligent slave Xanthias) engaging and funny.