Jump to content

Menu

Spanish or Latin w/ 6 & 9yo ds?


kbpaulie
 Share

Recommended Posts

I understand the WTM recs of Latin at a young age. Yet we do very little memory work around here. That said, would you go w/ Spanish or Latin for 6 & 9 yo sons? Thinking of using Getting Started w/ X. Just help me fill in the X.

 

What do you see as the benefits for each?

 

Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We love Getting Started With Latin and are considering GSW Spanish as well! For one thing, GSWL is inexpensive, which was attractive to me for just starting out. Second, it's oral, no writing, which I also wanted for when we started it with our 6 and 9yo's. Third, I really love its incremental approach, where just one thing is taught each time, and then there is plenty of review.

 

Now, that being said, I started it with both of my older children, and we ended up losing the 6yo along the way. He wasn't a fluent reader, and he couldn't keep up with his older sister (who, in all fairness, is very good at memorizing things, and this book matches her very, very well). I think he could do it if I worked with him one-on-one, but a, my time for that is limited (and I use it for the most important stuff, like math, writing, and reading), and b, he doesn't seem bothered by not learning it yet. I can start it again with him in a year or two, and he'll fly through it, I think.

 

I am also liking the idea of using GSW Spanish as a whole family thing, around the dinner table. As for which to do, Latin vs. Spanish, I don't know. Spanish would be more useful as a spoken language. We started with Latin because DD really wanted to learn Latin and French, so we are doing those now and may add something eles later.

Edited by happypamama
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have two DS, 8 and 11. We started with LFC for Latin. About 4 chapters in we realized how bored to death we were despite learning some basic Latin. So we picked up Rosetta Stone Spanish and haven't looked back. We're having a lot of fun with it and it's so much more practical for us. We happen to live in Los Angeles, so there's a rich Latino community here we're surrounded by, giving my kids a lot more tangible reasons to study Spanish.

 

As much as I hear all the rhetoric about learning Latin first, I've yet to truly validate those reasons. Different strokes I suppose. We've found Spanish far more fulfilling and useful. I've also heard it's much easier learning Spanish after learning Latin, but I gotta say, we're having no problem learning Spanish after very little Latin exposure.

 

Oh and let's face it, this country is going to be saturated with Spanish (not Latin) by the time our kids are adults (pretty much is now). Might as well get them prepped as early as possible. Again, no offense to those who go the Latin route first, God knows we tried our hardest to do the same thing.

Edited by galaxy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are doing both. Started Spanish first and added Latin a year later.

 

I wanted to get Rosetta Stone for Spanish but it was soooo expensive so I got Instant Immersion Spanish from Costco ($18 total with instant rebate for levels 1-3) and it is very good and easy to use.

 

I honestly think fluency in Spanish is necessary and am trying to learn myself. My husband is fluent in Spanish and uses it all the time at work (in a pharmacy- communication with patients is key and asking a child to translate for mom or dad can raise serious boundary and privacy issues in a medical setting). He would like to learn a bit of Somali as well.

Edited by kijipt
Link to comment
Share on other sites

After attempting Latin last year I decided to drop it and go with Spanish. My intention always was to do Spanish but I felt like for some reason I had to do Latin. The kids and I are having so much fun with Spanish, and I have no intention of going back to Latin at least not for awhile.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I vote Latin. We started with both last year, and my son REALLY preferred Latin. I like it because I think it makes it so much easier to learn other Romance languages, and it will also help a lot with English vocabulary. I took Latin in high school and feel it is one of the best courses I ever took. It made other related languages a breeze.

 

Plus the history aspect of it is so fun and interesting. By that I mean learning a bit about ancient Rome.

 

We use Latin for Children and LOVE it! We have Spanish for Children and I don't like it as much, but it's mainly the gal on the DVD I'm not crazy about. I guess other people like her. I think young girls might like her a lot. She is young and cute and bouncy (which is kind of what bugged me!), so I can see that drawing in young girls.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the suggestion of 2 languages, but around here we'll be lucky if we do one.

 

After attempting Latin last year I decided to drop it and go with Spanish. My intention always was to do Spanish but I felt like for some reason I had to do Latin. The kids and I are having so much fun with Spanish, and I have no intention of going back to Latin at least not for awhile.

 

What are you using for the Spanish?

 

Thinking spanish might bea easier now and then maybe Latin in a few years? Something to think about...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What are you using for the Spanish?

 

Thinking spanish might bea easier now and then maybe Latin in a few years? Something to think about...

We use a combination of things including Speekee(we used this for awhile but aren't currently), Salsa Spanish episodes, El Espanol Facil Jr., and I have another program called Real Homeschool Spanish. I also downloaded some Spanish Bible songs that the kids are trying to learn. Basically we just do Spanish all together as a group every morning. I use the Salsa video for the kids to watch during breakfast while I take a shower.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...