When to start Latin?

[Kjirstyn]

Speaking of beginning Latin...when is a good age for that?  I kind of had in mind that the earlier the better applied, but since they won't be learning through immersion, is that accurate? Do they need to be older and able to understand the grammar words (declensions, tenses, etc.)?

[SparklyUnicorn]

There are some doable/fun programs out there for the younger set.  I did a bunch of it when my kids were young, but gave up on the idea when they got older.  Go figure!  Other interests won out I guess.

 

We used Latin for Children, Song School Latin, and Latin's Not So Tough. 

 

 

[SimonJoshep]

I think in younger ages children pick the language as compared to older one, but I also believe that if you determined something then at least you achieve it. 

[Calm37]

My oldest and I went through Latina Christiana 1 and then the first 20 chapters of Wheelock's Latin in her 8th and 9th grade years. We learned a lot of Latin.

 

I did a year of Prima Latina with my youngest girls in third grade. We learned a very little bit of Latin. They didn't particularly like it and quickly forgot it.

 

I really think that, unless you're one of those people that are in it for the long haul, it's best studied when you can learn a lot in a shorter amount of time. 

[winterbaby]

I haven't seen anything to suggest better long term results (namely, reaching the level to read real literature) from the homeschool-market programs for elementary kids over a traditional secondary school program. There may be such evidence but I haven't seen it.

[MinivanMom]

We've found that later is better. It's hard to make much progress in Latin without a solid foundation in grammar. We covered grammar pretty thoroughly in upper elementary and then moved on to Latin in 6th grade.

[EKT]

We started Latin last year (4th grade for my oldest) and I think that was a good time. I wanted her to be a totally solid reader and be writing easily before taking on a second language. I found that she had a solid enough foundation in English and grammar at this point to easily pick up Latin (we are using Lively Latin). That is, she has really enjoyed Latin so far and while it challenges her, she doesn't struggle with it in any painful way. I plan to start my second child in fourth grade as well. (If you do start younger than third or fourth grade), I would personally stick to the playful-type curricula with songs and games, etc. 

[Targhee]

5th-7th grade range is a great time to start.