[Why Latin?]

My DD has been learning Latin and French simultaneously for 2 years now; it's not a problem.  Although it does mean double the time on a language.  But you could start Latin off slow, so it doesn't consume tons of time each week.

 

Wait!  I'm editing!  ETA:  It seems from your siggy that your son is 4, right?  In which case, I wouldn't bother with Latin now, either.  Pick up Latin in 3rd-4th grade or so.

 

ETA (Again, LOL!):  I see you've already gotten that advice.

I should clarify I'm not thinking of starting Latin with him any time soon, I'm just trying to look ahead to see if it is worth adding to our curriculum. If I decide it is, I will want to start learning it now, because I feel much more comfortable teaching a subject that I have some knowledge in. Languages are very difficult for me, so I'd like to give myself a few years of study before I wanted DS to jump in. 

 

Why not?

 

 

 

 

In all seriousness, the sequelae into grammar, vocabulary (especially science), logical reasoning, and history are extensive and invaluable. It isn't essential to a solid contemporary education, but it is by most definitions *the* distinguishing characteristic of a truly classical education.

The answer to why not? for me is time and energy. I'd want to learn Latin ahead of him, that takes up my time and mental energy. I'm just trying to discern if it is worth it or not. I guess I don't understand *why* it's the center of a classical education. What unique benefit does it provide? Part of my confusion or hesitation may lie in the fact that I find learning other languages very difficult. So the prospect of learning Latin is daunting; teaching vocabulary, logic, grammar, and history seem easy by comparison. If Latin made Spanish significantly easier, that would be a huge plus, as Spanish is non-negotiable at some point.

[Why Latin?]

Thank you all for the input. I can see a lot of benefits in learning Latin, I'm just not sure they are worth giving up Spanish for now. Especially as it seems to me a lot of the benefits (cultural literacy, hard work, logic) can be learned in other subjects. I love the IDEA of Latin, I'm just really unsure how to fit it in. If I go with Latin, I will have to study myself for a few years, then introduce my oldest when he is a bit older. We would work on Latin alone, until he was old enough to add a third language and start Spanish. If I go with Spanish, we will start an immersion preschool 1-2 days a week immediately, and dive in at home as well. 

 

Would Latin give enough of a head start on Spanish that losing all those early years working on Spanish would be worthwhile?

 

I'm really saddened by all the comments on second language being simply a box to check for college admissions. What a loss. Language is so much more than that. Language is tied to culture and history and humanity. There is an important underlying reason WHY it's a college admission requirement that goes beyond grammar and vocabulary. It's worth exploring and sharing the delights with our children.

 

I agree with the benefits of learning it here, I'm just not sure how valuable Latin is, compared to a living, worldwide language like Spanish. I feel a real loss in my life since I am not fluent in Spanish; I can't say the same about Latin. Is there something you get out of Latin as a language that you wouldn't get out of simply studying history and reading translated texts? 

[Why Latin?]

I'm trying to decide whether I should teach Latin to my son, but am having difficulty finding old posts here with the search function. Does anyone have links to old threads about the benefits of Latin? New input would be welcome as well.

 

My goals are a science and history heavy education, with strong foundational skills. I also want my son to be fluent in Spanish by the time he is an adult. I'm sure Latin would be beneficial in a vacuum, but I'm not sure if it is worth the time and energy it would take. I don't know any Latin at all, so I'm thinking about this now so I can learn ahead as needed.

 

Thank you.

[100 Easy Lessons and Explode the Code?]

We've used both Bob books and I See Sam books with 100 EZ Lessons. It's gone really well so far, though we did hit a road block with Bob Books Set 3, so we took a break from them for it bit, as that set is much harder. We waited to introduce the readers until around lesson 20 in 100EZ. At around lesson 50 we added OPGTR as well, since neither 100EZ or the readers tell what the phonics rules are. We are currently at lesson 78 in 100EZ, and set 3 of Bob books and he can read almost any beginning reader, and can read the parent instructions in OPGTR and 100EZ lessons.

[Why does 10 minus negative 10 equal 20?]

Well, that is what I told her, but she pointed out that if you have 10.00 and a 10.00 debt, and somebody takes away the debt, you still only have 10.00. It is only if somebody gives you 10.00 that you have 20.00

The problem here is that you aren't modeling 10 - (-10). You are starting with "10 and a 10 debt" which is 10 + (-10) and taking away the debt - (-10). So you are really saying you have

10 + (-10) = 0 to start.

Subtract - 10.

0 -(-10) = 10. Which is what you expect if someone cancels a debt. It is also 10 greater than your net starting value, since you started with effectively 0 dollars.

The whole expression you are modeling is 10 + (-10) - (-10).

 

Notice that in either case you go up 10 dollars. Removing a debt takes you from 0 to 10. Someone giving you a ten takes you from 10 to 20. Which is a nice little example of how -(-10) is the same as + 10.

[Teaching reading before speech is clear.]

Thank you all so much for the advice. We will keep working on it for now!

 

Does he seem to know the difference in the words even if he pronounces them incorrectly? Does he know that the word that is not the word sat even though he pronounces it like that?

This is the part that concerned me is that he didn't seem to get the difference. So if he was reading the word that, he'd say th/s sound, followed by aaa t. Then he'd try to blend and say "sat", and think it was sat even though he can see the th. So it isn't just mispronouncing, but his mispronouncing is causing him to decode the wrong words.

 

He can hear the differences when I say it though. If I ask him to find the word that vs sat he can do that correctly. Sorry I don't know all the correct symbols for the sounds.

[Teaching reading before speech is clear.]

I'm trying to teach my 4 year old how to read using 100 EZ lessons. He is really enjoying it, and really wants to be able to read on his own. However, there are some sounds be still doesn't pronounce clearly, and it is making it difficult for him to sound out some words. For example, he has trouble with th s and z, t and d, and some sounds that I and a make sound the same to him. So if he is sounding out that, he will often say sat. He can hear the difference if I say the words, but not when he is sounding out the words.

 

Is this a sign that he just isn't ready to read yet? He is very driven, so I don't want to stop him. Is there some way to help him when he is mixing up letter sounds because he says them so similarly? I've tried showing him how to make the different sounds by showing him the proper tongue placement, and it's helped occasionally, but doesn't seem to stick. I believe his pronunciation is age appropriate, so I guess I'm wondering if it is possible to sound out words before pronunciation is perfected.

[Alexandria, VA area?]

It's definitely possible in that price range, I live in the area on significantly less then that. I'd suggest looking in the Mt. Vernon area, south of Alexandria, with buses to the Huntington Station. You can rent townhomes here for $1700-2200, 3 bed with basement. Houses would be $2000-2500.

 

I'd say to look to busing to the metro. You drop about $500/month doing that. Our bus ride for instance takes less then 5 minutes to the metro, so it's not a big time problem. We're also a 1 car family, commute is 30 minutes into DC.

[How did drop-off go?]

Btervet -- it's so cool to hear from an alum! We have only met one -- the brother of my ds's youth pastor -- so I'm happy to "meet" another one.

 

My son was the first homeschooler ever accepted. :001_smile: (The president told us so!) And homeschooler #2 was accepted later in the acceptance cycle and decided to attend, so 8.33% of this year's freshman class was homeschooled!

 

Yea, there aren't many of us alumni around, but once you start meeting us, it'll seem like we pop up all over the place :)

 

He's not actually the *first* homeschooler, but probably the first Olsen has admitted. There was one in my class as well. But I only know of him so far! Good luck to your son!

[How did drop-off go?]

This is my first post so you'll have to pardon me, I normally lurk but I had to reply when I saw where your son was going, as my husband and I are both alumni of that funny little ship school.

 

It's a great school. You really shouldn't worry to much about it. The classes become family. We are 6 years out from graduation here, and I live in the same neighborhood as 4 of my husbands 11 classmates, we see them daily, and he works with them, we're raising our kids together :). The president really means it when he says call him if needed, though you'd probably have more need to call the Dean or Student Affairs director then the president.

 

Good luck to him. It's not just a college, it will set him up for life with a career/contacts/great friends. Not to mention it's a fun ride for 4 years. (And the swim test really is needed!)