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Teach Myself Latin, Diagramming, etc.


RunsForSanity
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Long time listener, first time caller...

 

We have a while before we start anything formal (DD is only 3.5) but we're planning to follow a Classical outline when we get there. As I delve more into this style, I'm realizing how truly deficient my PS education was. I'm trying to fill in some gaps while I have time. Besides WTM, any recommended resources?

 

  • I plan to promptly start the readings in "Well Educated Mind" when it comes in the mail.
  • Books on how to diagram sentences?
  • I'm still not completely sold on teaching Latin. Can anyone recommend a good curriculum or book for me to teach myself to see what all of the fuss is about?

Thank you!

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Diagramming Books:

 

Rex Barks

Diagramming Step by Step

Drawing Sentences

Diagramming Sentences

 

60 percent of English words have Latin or Greek Roots. A deeper understanding of English is an immediate benefit of Latin and Greek study. Though you can achieve this by studying Latin and Greek roots instead of the languages.

The study of Latin is considered one path to logical thinking.

 

 

 

 

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60 percent of English words have Latin or Greek Roots. A deeper understanding of English is an immediate benefit of Latin and Greek study. Though you can achieve this by studying Latin and Greek roots instead of the languages.

The study of Latin is considered one path to logical thinking.

 

If you want a gentler introduction to the study of Latin for your littlies, and you want to explore what Kalmia said, check out "English from the Roots Up".

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Welcome!

 

One thing that has helped me is reading the threads on this forum. I've been doing it for about a year now. It's interesting to see the questions that other people have. A lot of times I think oh what a good question! :)

 

But judging from your first statement you may be doing that. :)

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Memoria Press' Latin curriculum is great for parents who don't know Latin. It teaches you along the way. I have taught myself Latin using their curriculum. I started with Prima Latina for myself and my kids we are progressing through the successive books. I have such a sense of accomplishment with it that it motivates me to keep going. My kids enjoy it too. On Memoria Press' website there is a tab where you can read articles. There is one called, "Why Latin?" that sold me on the benefits of Latin.

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Welcome!  You can't do better than reading the classics yourself, and the Well Educated Mind is an excellent resource for that.  I've really enjoyed my own journey with the classics, and like you, I started before my oldest was school age.  It's really good preparation.

 

Like the previous poster said, MP Latin is excellent, both for learning alongside and for learning ahead of your kids.  I'm going through First Form Latin myself ahead of my dd. As a bonus, there are helpful sections on diagramming in the back of the teacher manual (for English and Latin).  Diagramming really helps it all "click."

 

If you have the resources, I'd recommend getting yourself a Latin course like First Form Latin and working through it slowly.  You have lots of time!  Sign up to receive Memoria Press' free magazine/catalog.  It always has great tips on the hows and whys of learning Latin.

 

If you really want to go deeper in your research, read Climbing Parnassus.  Here is a review of it I wrote lately.

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For diagramming you might check out the website for Grammar Revolution. She had a lot of diagramming information available.

 

I always recommend Getting Started With Latin to get your feet wet with Latin. It is cheap and easy.

 

Keep in mind that many people learn these things along with their dc. Not that there isn't value in studying it if you are interested, but don't feel like you have to master everything ahead of time.

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I'm almost in the same situation as you. For Latin, I've ordered a copy of Wheelock's Latin. Which I know is fairly heavy text, but this is not my first self-taught language. So much of the English language is based off of Latin, especially the sciences. 

 

As for diagramming sentences, I had never even heard of diagramming until Weird Al's song "Word Crimes." In the same vein as this, can anyone recommend a good, fully comprehensive grammar book for an adult to look through? The last time I remember learning grammar was in a 7th grade.

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I like Our Mother Tongue for grammar basics - very straightforward and clear.

 

I'm currently working through Henle Year One while also learning alongside my kids in Latin for Children Primer A & B. 

 

Any study you do on your own before you start or while you're teaching will help you so much! It's good to get on the right path early. :) Good work!

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Latin has been a huge benefit here in our homeschool.  Yes, it has helped DD build her vocabulary, allowed her to accumulate credits for high school foreign language, and will eventually allow her to read some great literature in its original.  But the biggest benefit has been its carryover into other subjects.  DD came from public school, where the mantra seems to have been "get it done, and the heck with quality or thoroughness".  Consequently, she had some really bad and sloppy habits coming out of public school.  But that doesn't fly with Latin; it requires precision of thought and execution, so that training has spilled over into other subjects and she has developed a more careful and precise approach to all her other subjects.  We use Memoria Press' Forms series, and I was able to learn the language with her, with no previous Latin experience and no outside assistance.  I can't recommend their Latin program strongly enough. 

 

Oh, the Forms series teaches diagramming, also, so you can kill two birds with one stone.  I don't sweat the diagramming, though, and don't actively teach it, but Rod and Staff English also teaches diagramming well, if you're set on learning that.

Long time listener, first time caller...

 

We have a while before we start anything formal (DD is only 3.5) but we're planning to follow a Classical outline when we get there. As I delve more into this style, I'm realizing how truly deficient my PS education was. I'm trying to fill in some gaps while I have time. Besides WTM, any recommended resources?

 

  • I plan to promptly start the readings in "Well Educated Mind" when it comes in the mail.
  • Books on how to diagram sentences?
  • I'm still not completely sold on teaching Latin. Can anyone recommend a good curriculum or book for me to teach myself to see what all of the fuss is about?

Thank you!

 

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