UGH! Why can't I make up my mind about Latin

[nukeswife]

I just can't figure out if I really want to do this or not. I have bought and sold LFC A no less than 4 times, it's sitting on my shelf right now. My kids have started and then stopped Song School Latin 3 separate times, we've never made it past the 3rd chapter.

 

I just honestly don't know how to fit it in everyday when there are so many other things to work on.

 

My oldest really needs to focus on writing and grammar, we have yet to make it more than half way through any writing or grammar program we've tried.

 

My daughter has vision issues that have made learning to read horribly difficult for her. She's technically 4th grade age her reading/spelling/writing is more on par with a late 2nd grader due to this.

 

My youngest seems to be on level and doing fine, but I find I feel I've cheated him in trying to deal with the difficulties for the olders.

 

I come here and feel that doing Latin is part of the cost of admission to the club. I know in my heart it's not, but the irrational part of me always takes over in this area.

 

I was going to start a loop schedule with math, spelling and grammar done daily and writing, science, history, reading, art, music and latin done in a loop. The loop would be done as a 2.5 hour afternoon block and some weeks we'd get to things but not on a set number of days per week basis.

 

So now that you've waded through my rambling thoughts here's my question

If I don't do latin daily is it worth it to even do it at all? (Poll to come, wait for it if you're not already bored out of your mind)

[Mrs Twain]

Not everyone does Latin. There are a lot of advantages if you want to teach Latin, but I think you are right about focusing on your other core subjects since they are most important.

 

I have not done Latin, but rather I have started using Dynamic Literacy's WordBuild. The first two years teach the meanings of prefixes and suffixes. The next three years of the program teach the Latin and Greek word root meanings. I think this program is a good way to get some of the advantages of Latin without doing Latin. Also, the way I am using WordBuild, it is mostly independent for my child. He can work on the activities while I am teaching one of my other children.

 

I don't know if teaching Latin on a loop schedule would be effective or not, but I don't think you should feel guilty about teaching it occasionally or not teaching it at all if you need to focus on other subjects first.

[Dana]

We're doing Latin and this is our first year.

I aim for daily (to finish a chapter in a week) but there are some days when we just don't get it done. I'm choosing not to worry about it. We're getting vocabulary and if it takes over a year to get through the book, so be it. That'll still be more Latin than I ever had.

 

There also are people here who don't teach Latin. You do have to prioritize.

[regentrude]

Your kids will benefit even from some occasional Latin.

 

I have decided to put Latin on the backburner with DS and not teach Latin at all to DD. I myself never had Latin (and only picked up a little bit through cultural exposure), and honestly, I can not recall any situation where I would have wished I knew Latin.

It is certainly a nice thing to know - and it is also nice to speak several modern languages and to play an instrument and to be able to draw. Each person has to choose his own priorities. Mine happen to not include Latin and I don't feel guilty about it.

[kristinannie]

I am planning on doing Latin 4-5 times a week, but I think you can still do it 2-3 times a week. It sounds like you are really conflicted on this one! Pray about it and then just make a final decision and set yourself free!!! Either way, your kids will turn out just fine. If it just doesn't get done in your house (for whatever reason) your kids will still be productive members of society. :001_smile: If I were you, I would either make it a priority and do it at least 3 days a week for a substantial amount of time (like a whole semester) to see if you really want to continue. If you don't want to do it or it doesn't work for your family, just let it go!!!

[Amy Jo]

I think if YOU believe Latin is valuable, do it. Putting it in a loop sounds good. Have you considered that it will reduce the need for grammar? I, personally, learned a lot of grammar from studying Latin & other languages.

 

How about something like Getting Started with Latin? Cheap, simple, can be done orally or independently. I'd recommend the children make flashcards, and, if you can, have them spend a few minutes going through them each day (with you, with each other, alone). There is free audio for each lesson on the website.

 

Mater Anserina is also fun - I've never taught with it, even though I've considered having DC memorize some of the rhymes. It is a little collection of nursery rhymes translated into Latin with a beautiful audio CD.

[MorganClassicalPrep]

For me, Latin is more like grammar than foreign language. And when we start learning, it will be with the goal of understanding grammar and also having a better understanding of English. So, in that case, I do think that Latin can be useful even if it isn't every day, much like grammar isn't studied every day.

[Bloggermom]

You should consider switching to Lively Latin. We tried LfC A and it was too difficult for me to schedule, manage and teach to my daughter. So we went with Lively Latin and it is all self-explanatory. She simply does 1 page a day and we make progress. It seriously takes no more than 10-15 minutes a day.

[zenjenn]

For me, Latin is more like grammar than foreign language.

 

This is how I'm looking at it. We're starting soon. I'm not necessarily planning on doing it every day. The goal for our family isn't to pick up a conversational language or to translate texts, but to learn something about language in general.

[Ester Maria]

Whatever little or much Latin you do, the most important thing is that it allows you to meet your specific goals.

FWIW, we do not do Latin daily either - we tend to do it in larger chunks a few times a week, rather than split it into neat little daily pieces - but our way of fleshing it out still allows us to meet our goals. If you can meet your goals with less hours, or with same hours only organized differently throughout the week, you are fine. :001_smile:

[RootAnn]

My rec is for you to not sweat adding Latin right now. Seriously, let it sit on your shelf. Guilt Free.

 

There is time to add it later IF it fits into your academic goals for that specific kid.

 

:chillpill: "Doing Latin" (or any foreign language) is not an admission requirement to the Hive. :smash:

 

Of the 20 families or so that educate their children at home in my little town/area, only two of us teach Latin to our kids.

 

I would focus on the things that NEED to get done - the things you outlined in your post. Would doing some Latin be beneficial? Maybe. But, it might hurt a kid in spelling if they were trying to remember Latin spellings & English spellings. ((English) Phonics gets confusing if you are trying to memorize how you pronounce something in Latin vs. English. Ask me how I know.) Memorizing Latin words/translating might be taking up valuable brain space that is needed for memorizing math facts (during those tough brain-fog teenage years).

 

:grouphug:

[Myeightkiddies]

You do not need to do it daily, if you don't want to or can't fit it into your schedule. Even if it is just twice a week, it is still beneficial. There are times when I can do it 5 times a week and others I only schedule it twice. They are progressing and retaining.

 

If you don't do it every day, treat it as you would any other subject not done daily. Before each lesson, take about two minutes and review the previous. Usually I will say, "Remember what we did last lesson? We covered <insert new vocabulary words or rule>. " If they don't remember clearly, I will take an extra minute to go over it verbally one more time. By that time they will recall what was covered. Then we proceed to the lesson.

[tomandlorih]

I voted yes.. but not if it's stressing you out! Focus on the basics and get to it if you get to it.. I have a friend doing LFC A and she takes several weeks to get through a chapter.. Mine is doing SSL this year and will start LFC A next year. Even if they just watch the DVD(which even my almost 3 year old just loves!) or sings with the SSL cd in the car, it's getting into their brains.