Teaching Latin in the Grammar Stage
by lmj
MikeJaqua@worldnet.att.net
TABLE OF CONTENTS:WHY?
WHEN?
WHAT?
HOW?
Latin Curricula
Latin Pronunciation Styles
On-line Latin Resources
WHY
The advantages of learning Latin
have been neglected by modern "progressive" education.
Latin is necessary to
the
fundamental understanding of English.
The grammar of Latin reinforces
the student's comprehension
of the constituent parts of the
English language, such as plurals,
nouns,
verbs, prepositions, direct objects, tenses, cases
etc. (LATIN!!... and the rest)
the history and writings
of
Western Civilization.
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WHEN
When to
start depends largely on
your child's readiness. Most children would
be ready between ages 7 and 10. A good rule of thumb is that your child should be able to read and understand the English language and phonics rules first.
The editors of "Teaching
The Trivium" magazine opt for near-dialiectic stage Latin
start. Many writers of Latin curricula
gear an early Latin start towards 3rd grade students.
Some curricula are simplified
enough for
first and second graders.
One mother wrote:
"With all they have to learn
and do in the
early elementary grades I see nothing wrong with
delaying a formal Latin program.
I will continue to use "English From the Roots Up"
(a curriculum memorizing the Latin and Greek root
meanings of English words)
third and fourth grade and wont start a detailed Latin
program until fifth grade."
WHAT
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knew nothing of declensions or conjugations until
starting Latin with our kids. As one mom put it:
" I've
been learning right alongside my son, although he
doesn't know that."
The later Grammar years center around
beginning grammar work, basic
verbs, translation of simple sentences and
of course more vocabulary.
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The two most commonly discussed
curricula were:
Martha Wilson's "Latin Primer" and "Latina Christiana".
HOW
Some comments about the "Latin Primer":
"Daily go over the wordlist, the pronunciation
and meanings of the words,
find a rythm to the chants and repeat them
over and over.
It takes a a few minutes every
day to commit these things to memory. The tape
that's included
contains
the pronunciations for
everything, including the chants."
Martha Wilson's "Latin primer" has
lesson plans that any mom can teach/learn along with.
The goals are well-defined, the whole school
year is mapped out week by week.
"Just take the study books off the shelf each day and
GO."
Some comments about Latina Christiana:
"It is geared towards 3-4 graders.
Each lesson
has 10-12 words to learn,
a Latin saying, and either a verb form or noun
form.
There is a test for every 5 lessons.
In the teachers manual, there are
also plans on teaching history of Rome
using Greenleaf's "Famous men of Rome"."
"The lessons
aren't huge and overbearing."
"It defines some terms that
may be jargon to non-Latin users such as
the meaning of the terms conjugation, paradigm
and declension. It gives enough information in
layman's
terms to teach latin without ever having it before."
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