Latin question

[LadyAberlin]

Okay I like to plan and try to lay out what I would ideally like to do over the course of our homeschool journey. We officially start Kindergarten in the fall. We have dabbled in Hebrew this yr and we will officially be doing Sarah and David Hebrew this year. We are going to be dabbling in Spanish this year using Springboard to Spanish and Play and Learn Spanish. In 1st I plan to start an official spanish program. I kind of think that if we were to do Latin we should wait until second to start and just do something like song school latin. But then I was thinking he would enjoy it in 1st, but I was wondering if it would be too confusing since we will have just started an offical spanish program at that point. What does the hive think. Start SSL in 1st or do it in 2nd. I could possibly do minimus in 2nd instead of SSL especially if I do SSl in 1st.

[Laura Corin]

Personally, I like to get living languages going in the early years and come to Latin later. When children are younger, it's such a wonderful opportunity for getting them really speaking while their brains are alive to language and before they get self-conscious. Latin can come later.

 

Calvin started Latin at age 6 because he showed an interest. He began Mandarin at 7 and French at 12. Hobbes began Mandarin at 4, then started Ancient Greek at 7 (because he was interested) before beginning French at 8. He'll be starting Latin when he's 9.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

Edited April 14, 2009 by Laura Corin

[chanda7]

If I remember correctly, Latin Centered Curriculum recommends waiting two years before introducing a new language (or at least the languages Plaid Dad was discussing). I think it all depends on what your long-time goals are. Are you just trying to expose your children to different languages or are you seeking mastery (I use that term loosely) in one or more of them? I think one can dabble in more than one language at a time, but it probably helps to focus seriously on only one language at a time until the child is grounded in that language's grammar. Once the child has a good grasp on the grammar, then you can start adding another language's grammar simultaneously. Or, I've seen posters here mention they switch their focus from one language to another, still maintaining the first language gently so it isn't forgotten.

[LadyAberlin]

Well I want him to be able to read hebrew, greek and latin and I want him to be able to read and speak spanish.