Will someone please just tell me what to do about Latin? LOL

[Colleen]

I posted previously about my Latin musings of late. I've thus far been starting my guys with Latin in third grade and gradually exposing them to the language over the years. My oldest son used Minimus and Prima Latina, LC I, and half of LCII before switching last year to Galore Park's Latin Prep series. This is the track my second son was on. Since I like Galore Park very much, I thought I'd just use Prima Latina and Minimus as fun "lite" programs with my other guys, and then have them go on to Latin Prep.

 

Where I'm at now is that I simply can not decide if Latin is something I want to continue doing in the younger years, or whether I should hold off and go with it later. I've never intended my boys learn the language to the point of reading classics in Latin. It isn't something I plan to continue all the way through high school. I's say four years or so of Latin is sufficient for us.

 

The question is, do I want those four years to encompass the elementary and early middle school years? Or do I reserve Latin study for, say, 6th-9th grades? I've been mulling over this for a good couple of months now and am still undecided. I'm at that point wherein I want someone to just tell me what to do and make me do it that way.:tongue_smilie:

 

Btw, all my guys get exposure to German from a young age, and Spanish will be studied in high school, as well.

[asta]

I say give yourself a break. They're little.

 

The mere fact you're asking cyberspace to make this decision for you is a red flag that you're burned out at the moment.

 

The Latin police aren't going to burn your house down if you take a 2 (or 4!) year break and do something else.

 

Besides, you can always keep a "roots" book around if you get itchy.

 

 

asta

 

(who hemmed and hawed for so long that Latin is being started in 9th grade!)

[Colleen]

I say give yourself a break. They're little. The mere fact you're asking cyberspace to make this decision for you is a red flag that you're burned out at the moment.

 

Hmmm, no, I'm not burned out. I'm willing to do Latin whenever and my guys don't complain one way or another. I'm just six of one, half a dozen of the other right now so I thought I'd toss this out and see if there were any takers.:D

 

The Latin police aren't going to burn your house down if you take a 2 (or 4!) year break and do something else.

 

Yep, I know. I don't rigidly adhere to classical (or any other style) homeschooling; I'm not doing Latin because anyone else suggested it.:)

[MaryM]

Well, my two cents since you s aid your goal wasn't reading classics in Latin would be to do it in the younger years. I feel that the real advantage of Latin is the boast it gives students in vocabulary and spelling and grammar logic. If started in the early years and then dropped(or continued) in the high school years I think you have maxed the benefits of the language. Now, I am not one of those whose kiddos desire to learn Latin in highschool even though we did do the fours years in elementary and then two at the high school level. The high school materials were just not as user friendly for me, just me so no eggs please. Whatever you do decide, you certainly have ample languages planned.

 

Good luck!

 

Mary

[LisaNY]

Okay, Colleen, since you asked, I'll tell you what to do. :001_smile:

 

Do fun "lite" stuff, no pressure, in the early years, if you want. I think it would be beneficial to expose your dc to reading "easy" Latin, like Minimus, etc.

 

I would go with your idea of doing Latin seriously in 6th-9th gr., followed by your plan to study modern languages in high school. This way, your dc can decide for themselves whether they want to continue with Latin or not.

 

I think studying Latin when students are older is more beneficial, simply because they are more mature to handle more serious Latin study. They are getting "more bang for their buck" so to speak. They are going to get more out of it, and take more of it with them for the future.