Kids doing Lukeion or similar Latin and Greek - what is sacrificed from the schedule?

[Allearia]

This year my older son will be doing both Greek 2 and Latin 1 with Lukeion. Those whose kids are doing a similar schedule, have you needed to cut down on other academics? This is ds' passion, but we also want to emphasize math and science and there are only so many hours in a day. We have the luxury of extra time before needing a full college prep schedule of classes, but I would really love to do a modern language, great books, and math and science APs. I'm just thinking through if this is realistic, or should I plan to spread a few things out more? Or do we need to choose? Do a science class in the summer while just revieing for Latin and Greek? I would love to hear of others' experiences on this track.

[Corraleno]

My DS will be in Greek 2 as well, and he's also doing Latin 1 (albeit with Lone Pine instead of Lukeion). This year (8th), his main "core" classes will be math, Classical Literature (with Lukeion), Latin, & Greek, and we'll continue with a lighter, interest-led approach to science and history. He's very dyslexic and an extreme VSL, so literature and foreign languages take a HUGE amount of time for him. I expect those 4 core courses will take ~30 hrs/wk, hence the decision to go lighter on history & science. He'll also have a half-credit in Greek Art & Architecture, combining 3 Lukeion workshops with extra reading and research. He does programming, robotics, electronics, and that sort of thing on his own.

 

Next year (9th) he will do a regular hs-level science, but I'm considering having him do at least one subject as a summer intensive, to lighten the load during the semesters he has Greek & Latin. I've even thought about doing an intensive half-credit course during Lukeion's 6-7 week winter break (2hrs/day x 5days/wk x 6wks = 60 hrs = .5 credit). I went to a college with a Winter Term, where you could do a full course (3 credits) in 4 weeks, so it seems quite reasonable to me to do a half-credit HS course in 6 weeks.

 

I don't plan to have DS take AP courses (other than possibly Comp Sci) until he's finished with Greek (he'll do Greek 4 in 10th). Then he will just have Latin and maybe a modern language, and he can start with dual enrollment and some APs. Also, once dual enrollment becomes a possibility, he could do 2 summer classes (e.g. English Comp + a history class) and knock out two whole subjects in the summer. Your DS is a lot younger, too — won't he be doing Greek 4 in 8th? Or are you accelerating/graduating him early?

 

Jackie

[Allearia]

My DS will be in Greek 2 as well, and he's also doing Latin 1 (albeit with Lone Pine instead of Lukeion). This year (8th), his main "core" classes will be math, Classical Literature (with Lukeion), Latin, & Greek, and we'll continue with a lighter, interest-led approach to science and history. He's very dyslexic and an extreme VSL, so literature and foreign languages take a HUGE amount of time for him. I expect those 4 core courses will take ~30 hrs/wk, hence the decision to go lighter on history & science. He'll also have a half-credit in Greek Art & Architecture, combining 3 Lukeion workshops with extra reading and research. He does programming, robotics, electronics, and that sort of thing on his own.

 

Next year (9th) he will do a regular hs-level science, but I'm considering having him do at least one subject as a summer intensive, to lighten the load during the semesters he has Greek & Latin. I've even thought about doing an intensive half-credit course during Lukeion's 6-7 week winter break (2hrs/day x 5days/wk x 6wks = 60 hrs = .5 credit). I went to a college with a Winter Term, where you could do a full course (3 credits) in 4 weeks, so it seems quite reasonable to me to do a half-credit HS course in 6 weeks.

 

I don't plan to have DS take AP courses (other than possibly Comp Sci) until he's finished with Greek (he'll do Greek 4 in 10th). Then he will just have Latin and maybe a modern language, and he can start with dual enrollment and some APs. Also, once dual enrollment becomes a possibility, he could do 2 summer classes (e.g. English Comp + a history class) and knock out two whole subjects in the summer. Your DS is a lot younger, too — won't he be doing Greek 4 in 8th? Or are you accelerating/graduating him early?

 

Jackie

 

He ll be done with Greek 4 by high school, and my thinking at this point is that I don't want him to graduate early. He may have the opportunity to continue with Greek and Latin university classes so it may be part of high school as well. That is why I am thinking of trying to move some of the work load, especially considering his young age. I like the idea of doing some summer classes because he really needs to be able to have downtime and non academic interests.

 

He really wanted to do the Classical Literature class but I convinced him to wait. I am interested in hearing how it goes and if your son likes it.

[TammyS]

We did Lukeion last year (and will again this year) for Latin. We really don't find that it takes longer than any standard subject, despite their 7-11 hours per week estimate. I think, for us, it was more like 3-5. Two things that helped with this were, lots of discussion about focusing while working so that the work is productive (turns out staring at your pencil doesn't translate anything) and using a white board to work things out before writing them on paper. I don't know why, but it just seems there is a lot less writing/pencil drama with a white board than with paper. Go figure.

 

We did Elementary Greek 1 and 2 (the books) a few years ago, but found them too difficult to keep up with. Might do Lukeion Greek starting next year, but right now trying to get DS more focused.

 

As for what has to be given up....hm. We consider Latin a core, non-negotiable subject (to me the main reasons to study Latin are cultural and formative, not academic), so that affects how we view things. My son will be 14 in Oct and is doing this year: Latin 2, Physics, Am Gov't, Alg 2 (Saxon, but might be switching to AoPS, so, maybe Probability instead), Classical Writing, and a "float" course (things that take maybe 1-3 months, instead of all year, like logic). And that's about it. We don't do literature, really, because I think he's not mature enough to really get it (and I'm not utterly convinced of the benefits of having young people analyzing literature written for adults with an assumed amount of life experience), but he reads a lot anyway, and gets a fair amount of literary excerpts through his Latin study (Wheelock).

 

Hope that helps.