After 4 years of Latin, we've thrown in the towel...

[Sunshine State Sue]

Why do I feel I have failed? I would have liked to do 1 more year. My goal was to study it until high school, then have ds do Spanish at cc. I fell 1.5 years short of the goal.

 

We used Minimus Latin, Matin Latin 1 & 2, and this year, he has completed Oxford Latin 1 with a tutor. However, he has no love for Latin or talent for it, so the last year has been a struggle. I don't consider myself good at languages, but I was hoping to help him be better by starting earlier.

 

On the other hand, ds has agreed to take an online writing class, and public speaking and art at a weekly co-op. They will all be good for him and superior to anything I can do at home. Also, around here, kids are not required to take foreign language until high school. So, I have to consider 4 years of Latin a plus.

 

I truly believe that it is best to allow him some choice in the middle school years. It's just hard to let.go. :sad:

[mcconnellboys]

Mine worked through the Latin Primer/Grammar series and did an outside Latin II class using Jenney's. I was also disappointed when he didn't want to continue it upon returning to high school, but he is continuing Spanish and if a child really has no love of learning languages, I do think two can be a bit much. They need to be able to begin to specialize in some area of interest in high school. There's just not enough time for everything. I think you did very well by your child. I feel certain you gave him a very good grounding in grammar and word usage which will serve him well in his writing class, as well as in public speaking.

[LanaTron]

You have looked at your child with love, and considered his specific needs, interests, and talents, as opposed to just following a "formula" for a "good education." Too often we want to follow a certain home school philosophy, and we forget to look at what may or may not be best for the individual child.

 

I think public speaking and art are great replacements, especially art. Studying the arts develops the brain (not to mention the heart and spirit) in ways that Latin doesn't. So don't feel like a failure! It sounds like you are making an excellent decision with your son, and he will be doing things that have their own payoff.

 

And...FWIW...My 6th grade dd really struggles with Latin...I am considering letting her drop that next year (even though I really hoped to study Latin through at least the 8th grade) and letting her do something like Artisitc Pursuits. She is always indicating that she wants art...and it is something that we only get to incidentally around here. It is hard for me to let go of Latin, but how long do I want to make her miserable?

 

Anyway, I hope you and your ds have a good time with the new selections!

[Myra]

Just a thought....

We have finished LCI and LCII for Latin and have moved on to Cambridge Latin. My boys really enjoy the stories and the "immersion" approach to Latin over the pure grammar approach. Cambridge Latin has really given us a shot of enthusiasm for Latin.

I'm completely supportive of your choice to discontinue Latin but for others who are wavering....I say, try Cambridge or supplement with it. It made a huge difference at my house!

 

Myra

[Janis in DE]

We have just decided to drop latin too. We did Latin Primer I and II and this year we moved on to Latin Prep. My daughter has not liked it and has been begging to stop. I had chosen to give her a year off of English Grammar since we were doing Latin Prep and she was ahead a year in English Grammar. We will be starting Analytical Grammar in January. We will pick up either French or Spanish in high school.

 

Janis in DE

[Sunshine State Sue]

Cambridge Latin has really given us a shot of enthusiasm for Latin.

 

Oxford Latin is very similar to Cambridge Latin. Ds would probably have complained lots more had I chosen something else.

[Harriet Vane]

I see no failure here at all. You have given your son a good base for our language and other languages with four solid years of Latin study. You have also given him the benefit of the rigors of the ongoing logic puzzle that language offers in terms of translation. Good for you for recognizing when this tool grew less effective, and for moving on to different adventures.

[Sunshine State Sue]

We will be starting Analytical Grammar in January.

We've completed Season 1 & 2 of AG. Love it.

[latinteach]

Oxford Latin is very similar to Cambridge Latin. Ds would probably have complained lots more had I chosen something else.

 

Cambridge Latin has a much more interesting storyline, I think. (It's centered around Pompeii and Vesuvius, circa 79 AD.)

 

It is a reading-based curriculum. Both use sample sentences to introduce grammatical concepts, but I think that Cambridge tends to set things up more logically, without throwing too much extra information in. Oxford seems to have to use an awful lot of notes in the margins for the readings to explain extra vocabulary, etc. Cambridge has the advantage of a much more compelling storyline, interesting characters, and a fascinating historical and cultural background. Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus, from Oxford) is also a literary and historical character, but perhaps not always as interesting as Caecilius, Metella, Quintus et al from Cambridge ((based on actual inhabitants of Pompeii).

 

What really helps to make the grammatical progression of series like Cambridge (Oxford, Ecce, etc.) very clear is the Scope and Sequence. With the Scope and Sequence for Cambridge, you can really see the grammatical logic presented. For those who want it, you can download the Scope and Sequence here for both the third and fourth editions: http://www.cambridgelatin.org/cup.html

 

Grammar really is important to the CLC, but it's presented in the context of the syntax of Latin. Memorizing chants is important, but it's also important to know how all those nouns, adjectives, verbs, etc. all work together, so you're not stuck trying to piece together words when translating. CLC shows you how to recognize phrase and clause signals and sentence patterns, which makes reading and translating a lot more efficient. Using the Scope and Sequence, you can see exactly what sentence patterns are being taught.

 

All that being said, I think that you know what your son needs to learn best and you have made a thoughtful decision.

[frogpond1]

I see a lot of correlations between high math grades and high Latin ones. Does he complain about math?

[Sunshine State Sue]

I see a lot of correlations between high math grades and high Latin ones. Does he complain about math?

 

I have a degree in math and he picks up math very easily. He complains about most schoolwork, but he doesn't complain about math more than any other subject. I wouldn't say that either of us are great at languages.

[Shasta Mom]

Sue - Why are you looking at it as a failure? I'd be proud to make it that far! We did PL over the summer, and are doing Lively Latin 1 now, but I don't know what the future holds. And don't you think that your son will have gained so much from those four (!) years? Wow. I'm impressed. But I usually am impressed with what you do. I only wish I could be so successful. I'm not sure if we'll even hs next year for 5th.

 

Good Work!

[Janice in NJ]

Oh Sue,

 

Get psyched, sister! You've not thrown in the towel. You've mooooooooved on! That's the beauty of this hsing thing; no child is stuck in a yuckie box that was made for someone else. :001_smile:

 

Rejoice! Toss the box with relish; it's done its job. Woo-Hoo! Onward and upward, Momma! Time to explore new passions, I say!

 

Sending smiles!

Janice

 

Enjoy your little people

Enjoy your journey

 

P.S. Older ds dropped Latin before high school. Middle daughter will probably continue next year; but she likes languages. Younger son.... we'll see - it's fallen off the schedule this fall; I should probably pick it up again... WHERE DID I put that book? :001_smile: I doubt that he will have time for it in high school - so I don't know. Music is his thing and that is a time-sucker! :001_smile: No worries! I say, use the curriculum and then moooooooove on - guilt free.

 

I'm SO glad that I didn't make my oldest continue with Latin; YUCK! YUCK! YUCK! :D But I DO hear you about wanting to have it show up on that high-school transcript; it just looks so....scholarly! I had to get over that one too; no one knows or cares that we worked so hard to study this before he finally hit that "NOW it counts" stage of 9th grade. But my only option was to keep going. THIS momma was smarter than that. I'm not a glutton for pain: :banghead:. So we quit too. And I got over the "now it doesn't count - or seem to count" thing. No regrets. But I DO feel your pain. Isn't this hsing thing just the grandest ride EVER????? :smilielol5:

Edited December 18, 2008 by Janice in NJ

[frogpond1]

I was just curious - thanks for answering.