Anyone NOT teach their kids Latin?

[Guest]

Just wondering. I guess it is sacrelige here (nope, can't spell).

I just can't get into Latin. No desire at all to learn or teach it as a language. I would rather do a roots program and teach French. Though Minimus looks fun.

Anyone else feel similarly?

[Shasta Mom]

but I'm conflicted. I guess my motivation would be to increase my ds's vocabulary and aid him in enjoying good literature. But I try to not overload academics at this point and am considering a contemporary romance language instead.....I've been hoping to hear more original discussion on this.....

[Tina in WA]

I am with you. :) If it weren't for a class being offered at co-op, I don't know when I would have gotten around to it. Though I really wanted too.

 

For me, I didn't feel I could teach it myself. I have a hard time pronouncing words I am not familiar with (mild dyslexia).

 

I think next year I will place her in the online class if they don't have a class for level 2 at co-op.

[Guest]

My motivation is my second guy wants to be a scientist so learning Latin and Greek roots would help him in that field. I haven't done much looking into roots programs, either.

[hsmom]

I haven't and I am not to hot on the idea either. I just don't feel lead to teach it.

[Heather in Neverland]

We are LCC-ish and love Latin...but...that doesn't mean everyone does or has to. For example, we don't do dictation...at all...ever...and that is sacrilege as well but it isn't our priority. If you want to do French, do French and don't feel guilty!

[WTMindy]

he thinks Latin is a waste of time (and yes, he has read all the pro-Latin stuff). He is the Spanish teacher in our house and the kids are much better at Spanish because they spend more time on it. Next year I'm going to have to fish or cut bait. We'll be done with LC2 and I need to decide whether we're going to go full out on Latin or just use the base we have already. Dh and I are in negotiations. :-)

[Michelle T]

with all of DS's learning issues, I have my hands full just teaching him to read, write, and do arithmetic in English. I can't even imagine adding another language to the mix!

Michelle T

[AngieW in Texas]

I have tried it several times.

 

My oldest has never wanted anything to do with Latin. The only language she's interested in is Japanese.

 

My middle needs an explicit instruction program that doesn't expect the student to intuit anything. I haven't yet found a Latin program that would do that. I have found a Spanish program that will work though. It doesn't have any audio, but I took enough Spanish myself to pronounce it well enough for her. We're going to start it in the fall.

 

My youngest is dyslexic. The last thing I need to do with her is mess up her English with Latin. I'll probably use sign language as her foreign language.

[Johanna]

I then had a light bulb moment and realized that Latin might just be the best way to go for us. Since I am not fluent in any for. language. So, trying to teach it would be a waste of time for dc and me IMHO w/o immersion. Furthermore, by middle/High school....I am going to let my dc choose what language they want...and hopefully our "non -extremely heavy" exposure to Latin in the formative years will give a foundation for those other languages so they dont seem sooooo foreign. Plus, the whole roots thing;-)...

So, this way....I feel like i am contributing something to the "foreign lang. department of learning"

Anyways, next year we are getting our feet wet with Prima Latina for dd8 ....I am not putting any big expectations on myself though. I dont follow all the LCC stuff. I am just happy to get them to master the 3r's and to love to learn science and History. Latin would just be a nice little addtion. If it doesnt flow or fit....we will drop it!

[karensk]

he thinks Latin is a waste of time (and yes, he has read all the pro-Latin stuff). He is the Spanish teacher in our house and the kids are much better at Spanish because they spend more time on it. Next year I'm going to have to fish or cut bait. We'll be done with LC2 and I need to decide whether we're going to go full out on Latin or just use the base we have already. Dh and I are in negotiations. :-)

 

A couple of years ago, I was considering adding Latin to our studies; having no background in it, I would've had to learn it along with my kids. But dh is of the opinion that to study it as a language, as opposed to just learning the roots, etc., is a waste of time. He attended a boys' grammar school in England from ~7th-10th grades and explained how his headmaster & teachers thought their time was better spent learning modern languages (he chose French & German). He strongly preferred that I not do Latin.

 

I think if I had some background in Latin, I may have been more motivated to try anyway. If I'd taught the kids Latin, he wouldn't have stood in the way of it. But I wasn't willing to ignore his preference on this issue. So, our negotiations are over (that's his job anyway...negotiations:001_rolleyes:)!

 

I figure if either of our kids are interested in learning Latin (middle/high school age), they can sign up for a homeschool class...as long as dh is okay about paying for it. I'll let them negotiate that deal.:D

[asher]

We don't and I don't know if we will. :001_unsure:

[Lori D.]

For the first 4 years of homeschooling we were struggling to figure out younger son's learning issues. Now, in their teens -- too busy. So we never got around to *any* foreign language.

 

We have done Latin and Greek roots for vocabulary enrichment (English from the Roots Up). And older son actually said this year that he'd want to take Latin as his foreign language requirement, if it would be accepted by colleges! So, we may get to Latin in the end afterall...

 

Warm regards, Lori D.

[Guest tmena]

Which Spanish program is that? I have been looking - DH is fluent in Spanish, and I can hold my own if I have to, but I just don't feel comfortable teaching it. I feel like I need something more than just worksheets.

 

However, I do teach Latin. I took Latin all through HS. I loved it - and it helped with my SATs. My oldest son was begging to learn Latin (Being in first grade, I am not even sure where he had heard of Latin) so we started this year with Prima Latina. I am not real crazy about the format, so next year we are going to try Latin for Children.

 

Tonya

[Kelli in TN]

I teach Latin to my kids every year.

 

 

For about a month.

 

 

Then I give up in frustration.

 

Then the next year I convince myself to try again.

 

For about a month.

 

Then I give up in frustration.

 

Then the next year I convince myself to try again.

 

For about a month.

 

 

 

 

:leaving:

[ArwenA]

he thinks Latin is a waste of time (and yes, he has read all the pro-Latin stuff). He is the Spanish teacher in our house and the kids are much better at Spanish because they spend more time on it. Next year I'm going to have to fish or cut bait. We'll be done with LC2 and I need to decide whether we're going to go full out on Latin or just use the base we have already. Dh and I are in negotiations. :-)

 

That's what my ex was like "You're going to teach Latin?? Are you crazy??"

DH is much more supportive, he's a doctor and took a beginning Latin course in university. He knows more Latin then me but still wants me to teach it.:)

[Pamela H in Texas]

I took it as a kid but my daughter really didn't like it and then did 3 years of Spanish so I just never got around to pushing it again. My son just learned to read well in the last 1.5yrs and it makes more sense, at his age and with his (ummmm, can't think of the word) to just do a modern language.

 

If I had it to do over, I'd likely do differently, but we're fine with them having almost no latin.

[rafiki]

.

[Soph the vet]

I taught the first lesson of Prima Latina about a year ago....never went back to it. However, my intention:001_smile: is to pick it up again this summer. I would like to add in LC1 in the fall as I do think there is great value in having some Latin. But so far, I have failed.

[Aubrey]

I was going to start in Sept. I've looked at diff curric, & I went to the hs bookstore here a week or so ago to look in person.

 

I couldn't do it. We're having a baby in Aug, & dh will be starting Greek in Sept. (Seminary)

 

I don't know. I was sitting there in front of the shelves of Latin books, & I just panicked. We'll either start in 4th g instead (a yr from Sept), or we'll do Greek w/ dad, or...I don't know. Not worry about it for now? I guess it took a couple of Latin textbooks to help me realize: my. plate. is. full. :D:tongue_smilie:

[TracyR]

Well for quite some time I've had no real want to teach Latin . I'm not familiar with it . But my oldest is showing an interest in it this year. So I may . Not sure yet. My oldest is learning French and my 2nd Spanish .

[Carmen_and_Company]

Go for the French along with the Latin roots program and be happy while knowing that English's three parent languages are in order of influence: Latin, French, and German.

 

Have fun!

[michaeljenn]

So.. my subject line speaks for itself. I think I want to teach Latin because I see everyone here teach it. AND if you wonderful ladies are teaching it, then it must be necessary:001_smile: So, I have gone back and forth and back and forth with my decision. But, in reality, it is hard to JUST get the basics done! There is just not enough time in the day.

 

So.. I went to talk to dear ole' hubby about it. Well.... he honestly thinks that half the stuff I do in not necessary. He thinks they should do their math.. and know it front and back... then write a paper or two a week (from which grammar and spelling will be taught) and read, read, read, read and read some more from well written challenging lit. He wants to make sure they learn how to "gather information, process it, and then communicate it" (actually he said it much more inteligently than I ever could:lol::lol:) He has said that doing English From the Roots Up may be beneficial... but wants us to continue with Rosetta Stone Spanish because he has a heart for missions in Mexico and has been there numerous times and wants to take his kiddo's too sometime (how was that for a run on sentence)

 

Soooooooo nope, I will not be teaching Latin, and if I try to attempt it... I just don't think it will be pretty.

 

Oh.. I really truly believe if we give our children the tools to learn, then they can learn it later if THEY see it as beneficial.

[Plaid Dad]

I'm obviously a big fan of Latin, but this article is my take on why some parents might decide not to teach Latin. The bottom line is that studying Latin seriously is a long-term commitment for students and parents alike, and there are some perfectly legitimate reasons that some families that are otherwise sold on classical education might not want to take it on. HTH.

[Karenciavo]

... or we'll do Greek w/ dad, or...I don't know. Not worry about it for now? I guess it took a couple of Latin textbooks to help me realize: my. plate. is. full. :D:tongue_smilie:

 

I know you're not the OP Aubrey, but starting Greek with dad sounds like a fabulous idea. There are a couple of free Koine sites and you could just pull items off as needed for a relaxed, but useful time studying Greek with dad. It would probably help him too.

 

Karen

[Donna T.]

Well, I'm not sure how it will pan out around here. We started Prima Latina late last fall. We're not making alot of progress, but my son likes it and he wants to study Latin. I decided to continue with Latin but not aggressively. So, we are using English From the Root Up. I'm not concerned about Latin grammar for now. I'm going to focus more on vocabulary and the alphabet. My son gets the alphabet and memorizes the vocabulary very well, but he's not ready to speed through a curriculum. We're going to continue with roots/vocabulary until he is very confident with the alphabet. We are also beginning to learn the Greek alphabet.

 

I'm not ruling it out all together but it's not something that we can get done on a daily basis. But, because he really wants to learn it, we will continue at our own pace. In our area, there has been a real explosion of Spanish-speaking individuals. I'm really thinking it is essential that we teach Spanish.

 

My youngest son (he'll be six in a few weeks) has been interested in Spanish since he could talk. So, he'll definately do Spanish and we'll stick with roots for Latin/Greek for him.

 

I don't expect us to be experts at any of these but I can atleast provide a solid foundation so that they can build on their knowledge as they grow.

[Kelli in TN]

I'm obviously a big fan of Latin, but this article is my take on why some parents might decide not to teach Latin. The bottom line is that studying Latin seriously is a long-term commitment for students and parents alike, and there are some perfectly legitimate reasons that some families that are otherwise sold on classical education might not want to take it on. HTH.

 

The powers that BEE say I cannot give you any more rep until I spread it around. I just want you to know that if I could give you rep for posting that link, I would.

 

I believe Latin is very important, just as I believe the study of music is very important. I have felt guilty for the lack of both.

 

On the Latin front, your linked article was very, very freeing for me.

 

And if sometime I rep some post of yours that you think is trivial, just remember that I am really repping this one but I was too lazy to find it again.

[ThelmaLou]

I'm hoping third time's a charm for us. I took 2 years of Latin in college. It's not the subject material that's hard for me to teach. It's the time it takes away from our other subjects. I feel like I'm spreading myself too thin, and then other subjects don't get the attention they deserve. When something has to go, it's inevitable Latin. I'm going to give it one more shot next year. If it doesn't work out, I'll be farming that out to either a co-op or junior college for dual credit when the time comes.

[KarenNC]

I don't know if we will end up with a full Latin course or not. We have Minimus and have played around with it, but not seriously. I am going to do Vocabulary Vine with my daughter for next year to do Latin/Greek roots, and may follow it up later with Science Roots. I do like Latin and we may add it in---I've been working on her base of grammar knowledge in English. From what I have read, Cambridge is sounding attractive....

 

Honestly I think I would like to do ancient Greek for both of us if I could find a program for elementary that was not solely focused on the New Testament, but that hasn't appeared yet.

[AngieW in Texas]

Easy Spanish Step-by-Step (Bregstein)

 

It starts off with vocabulary and then teaches you to use it.

 

The first list is singular nouns divided into masculine and feminine groups. Then it teaches how to make the singular nouns plural.

 

next come indefinite articles, then adjectives, combining adjectives with nouns, plural adjectives.

 

There are no sentences in Spanish at all in the first chapter, just phrases, because no verbs are taught until the 2nd chapter. The 2nd chapter starts off with subject pronouns and being verbs (am, is, are, was, were).

 

I haven't actually used it yet, so it may end up being awful once we've actually started it. I think it has a good progression though. I can't see where anything has to be intuited.

[Bee]

We tried to do it in 5th grade and only got through 5 lessons of LC1 in 6 months.I thought we'd pick it up again this year but it just hasn't happened.I considered using something different for 7th grade to teach Latin,thinking maybe it was the program.But the reality is,dd doesn't want to learn Latin,dh doesn't see the point of it at all,and I'm not sure that it will have any practical use for her beyond maybe helping her get better grades on her tests to get into college.So we will do a roots program and French for 7th grade.

[Robin in Tx]

HAd the same problem, but because I knew in my heart it was important to me, I put dd in a class. So she's learning latin, but I'm not exactly learning it along with her. It's going well, I'm glad, and we'll continue this way. FWIW, to go this route, I think you have to wait until your child is around 7th grade to handle a class like this on their own, independently.

 

HTH,

Robin