Janeway Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Last night, son was melting down again over school. He loves the school. He loves the teachers. He is in 8th grade. He has brought all grades up to passing. But he hates Latin. And I suspect next year, when he gets to start reading Plato and such, he will struggle. Not sure. He is looking forward to Logic, but had really wanted to take French. I am considering having him finish this year, as it is 8th grade, and then transferring him to the regular public school next year. I do not like the regular public school at all and much much prefer the classical school. But, he is not me. I also considered allowing him to home school for the remainder of the year, so that is possible, but definitely not my first choice. To recap the past issues....he has struggled with some things. He finally got evaluated over the summer after years of trying to get him evaluated and has ASD. The regular public school does a block system so he will only have 4 classes a day. However, he gets a lot of anxiety so having tons of kids going so many different directions might make things worse for him like how it is at public school. His ASD is such that it mostly presents as anxiety and his teachers were all extremely shocked to find out he has it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 I'm dragging my own son through Latin II. He's a high school junior, so this is his last language requirement. Latin was the language instructor available to us when we needed it. Spanish or French are SO MUCH EASIER and Spanish is much more practical. I don't think he'd be at any disadvantage at all if he'd studied those languages instead. Also, a language you actually have an interest in is going to stick better. I'm actually loving ds's Latin book and curriculum, and fantasize about a Spanish II class (he had Spanish I, but the teacher moved) magically popping up so DS can switch to that and I can take his place in Latin.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janeway Posted October 18, 2017 Author Share Posted October 18, 2017 I'm dragging my own son through Latin II. He's a high school junior, so this is his last language requirement. Latin was the language instructor available to us when we needed it. Spanish or French are SO MUCH EASIER and Spanish is much more practical. I don't think he'd be at any disadvantage at all if he'd studied those languages instead. Also, a language you actually have an interest in is going to stick better. I'm actually loving ds's Latin book and curriculum, and fantasize about a Spanish II class (he had Spanish I, but the teacher moved) magically popping up so DS can switch to that and I can take his place in Latin.. Latin is his main issue with the classical school. And the school requires 3 years, no choice of a different language until the Latin is complete. I really like this school. Perhaps if he finishes the year things will get better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Latin is his main issue with the classical school. And the school requires 3 years, no choice of a different language until the Latin is complete. I really like this school. Perhaps if he finishes the year things will get better. It's only October and the daily Latin grumbling is already wearing on me. The first year was MUCH easier. Ds refuses to see the magic with me :-/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 He loves the school. He loves the teachers. I wouldn't switch for one course, even if he has to take it for three years. It is one course. I promise he will hate some courses at public school. Keep him at the school he loves. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janeway Posted October 18, 2017 Author Share Posted October 18, 2017 He loves the school. He loves the teachers. I wouldn't switch for one course, even if he has to take it for three years. It is one course. I promise he will hate some courses at public school. Keep him at the school he loves. he is asking to leave. But I agree. I think he will dislike way more at the regular public school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 I'm dragging my own son through Latin II. He's a high school junior, so this is his last language requirement. Latin was the language instructor available to us when we needed it. Spanish or French are SO MUCH EASIER and Spanish is much more practical. I don't think he'd be at any disadvantage at all if he'd studied those languages instead. Also, a language you actually have an interest in is going to stick better. I'm actually loving ds's Latin book and curriculum, and fantasize about a Spanish II class (he had Spanish I, but the teacher moved) magically popping up so DS can switch to that and I can take his place in Latin.. Any living language is going to be far harder than Latin if you want to truly master it. Listening and speaking skills take a lot of time and effort to build while Latin is just a literary language. The grammar is difficult but the vocabulary is slightly easier than the Romance languages because there's less of it and you have time to think when you're reading that you don't have when you're listening or speaking. If you want to get a 4 or 5 on an AP exam in order to fulfill a university language requirement, you need to be able to understand and produce spoken language at a fairly high level in addition to writing the free responses. The Latin exam is only written and only translation. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Any living language is going to be far harder than Latin if you want to truly master it. Listening and speaking skills take a lot of time and effort to build while Latin is just a literary language. The grammar is difficult but the vocabulary is slightly easier than the Romance languages because there's less of it and you have time to think when you're reading that you don't have when you're listening or speaking. If you want to get a 4 or 5 on an AP exam in order to fulfill a university language requirement, you need to be able to understand and produce spoken language at a fairly high level in addition to writing the free responses. The Latin exam is only written and only translation. I had to learn Latin eons ago and I still benefit from it now. We protested against having to learn a "dead" language and all that but today I am glad I learned some of it. I am also glad I put ds through Latin - he also moaned and groaned but lived to talk about it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 No, I don't think anything is for everyone. We have used a very eclectic path. I require latin roots, but we do Spanish as a language. Among other things. I think it is perfectly fine to change path when something isn't working. That's what engaged parents do, right? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 If you can arrange for him to shadow a PS freshman for a day, he may get a better view of the ups and downs there, too. No one option can be right for everyone, but I'd be hesitant to leave a school over one subject. He's likely to have to take another language at the PS and might not like that one, either. But a day in their 9th grade might show him that better than you can tell him. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 I think the title question is unanswerable. But as for your son - for one course he doesn't like, I would not change, especially if you don't think he'd really enjoy the other school more. I'd try and figure out a way to make the dreaded class better somehow. Chances are there will always be a class you hate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 I have a child who LOVED Latin (and diagramming, and memorizing, etc., etc.) and he also happens to be on the spectrum. And then I have four other kids. One liked Latin, but not enough for me to keep hounding her. The others would mutiny. This is why we take Classical "suggestions", but not rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapbookbuzz Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 FYI, not everyone on the WTM boards follows a classical education for their kiddos. *GASP* ;) No, it's not for everyone. While my 13yo ds could probably handle it, my 19yo Aspie dd would be stressed out by it. And I am not a structured enough person to make us stick to that kind of rigorous schedule. I have copies of both The Well-Trained Mind (which I adore and use as a great reference) and The Well-Educated Mind (which I have yet to dig into) but we do not follow the suggested schedule. For us, an ecclectic approach works best. You have to do what you believe is right for YOUR kiddo and YOUR family, regardless of what anyone else thinks. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 My kids weren't into classical education. We were pretty Charlotte Mason types when we homeschooled. My kids don't know Latin and never have taken Latin. DH and I have never taken Latin. We have actually done just fine. :laugh: I think my younger two could have done more of a Classical style, but they preferred CM. We all did. Oldest? He would have not survived Classical AT ALL. It would have made him :cursing: to study all that stuff he didn't need in life.....really. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janeway Posted October 18, 2017 Author Share Posted October 18, 2017 One of the many things I do not like about our local public is that they use computers for everything. 13 yr old has not been home schooled very long compared to my oldest. He was so computer and calculator dependent when he came home that he could not even write a proper sentence, at end of 4th grade. He basically had no math skills as they used calculators for everything. He did not even know to capitalize a sentence or punctuate. These were all things Siri would autocorrect. He also did not know how to determine reliable sources for reports he made. All the reports were computer generated and often had pictures from Hollywood movies. He used Siri for typing the papers and the iPads autocorrected everything. He even admitted, as have other kids' parents told me, that the students spend a good portion of the day just playing games on their devices. Academically, the public school was just a vacuum here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 We were not classical education homeschoolers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 I had to learn Latin eons ago and I still benefit from it now. We protested against having to learn a "dead" language and all that but today I am glad I learned some of it. I am also glad I put ds through Latin - he also moaned and groaned but lived to talk about it. :) I feel the same way about my high school French. It helped my English vocabulary and grammar sooooo much and the mental challenge was very beneficial. Trinqueta studies Latin and we've had many a-ha moments with Spanish grammar. Words that I just thought were quirky are quirky because their Latin root (or well, often, the same Latin word) is quirky. Who knew? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 About the only things that are for everyone, and that everyone needs in the same way are oxygen and water! Everything else has some options available. If the school is otherwise a good fit, I would suffer through Latin (and maybe look for supplements like Visual Latin or a different book for at home. Even Song School Latin actually has a lot of vocabulary used in high school classes and can be helpful, if a high schooler will accept it). If the school is not a good fit, I'd find another way to meet that languare requirement. If this is your dancer, French or Italian may have more appeal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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