Is 8th grade too late to start Latin?

[Cindy]

My daughter is in 8th grade (homeschool) and wants to learn Latin. Neither of us has any experience with Latin, nor any other foreign language. Everyone suggests starting Latin in 3rd grade. To complicate matters, my daughter is slightly hearing impaired, and basic English grammar, especially subject-verb agreement, is difficult for her. Her hearing impairment was much worse in early elementary(public school), which seems to have impacted her language development. When I give her simple grammar quizzes designed for ESL students, she sometimes has difficulty with them. She is bright, is taking advanced math for her grade, and is college-bound. Is Latin too complex for a student like my daughter? Is it possible that studying Latin could help her with mastery of English grammar?

[Frankcassiesmom]

Well I don't know much since mine are little and doing Latin ,but loads of high schools teach it so I don't know why you couldn't?

Do it!
Kim

[abbeyej]

Definitely go ahead and give it a shot! Many schools do not start kids in Latin till 7th, 8th, 9th grade or later. And any college with a classics department will offer first year Latin for college students. While I think there are advantages to be gained by starting young, it's definitely worth it to study Latin at any age. ... And yes, I think it's possible that studying the grammar of another language may be helpful to your daughter. Especially seeing things broken down visually and working with a language that is so precisely written and, as it's no longer a spoken language, she won't have to deal with as much of the aural component.

With an 8th grader, I would generally think that LC might be too easy, but since she has special circumstances, it might be the best place to begin. You may find that she surprises you and is able to go through both levels in a single year (since they are, after all, written with younger children in mind), but as long as you are flexible and consistent, I think she will benefit whether it takes her one year or three to get through LC.

I vote for "go for it!"... :) Good luck!

[blowe]

It is never too late to start Latin. The benefits are still there at any age. My mom, Cheryl Lowe, learned Latin when she was in her forties, fell in love with the benefits of the language, started a Latin publishing company, and founded a Latin school. Your daughter isn't the least bit behind in what she can accomplish in her Latin studies.

Hopefully mom won't see this post about her age :)

If your daughter excels in math, she will probably do well in Latin. Latin and math are very similar. They are both disciplined, cumulative, extremely structured languages. Latin is probably closer to math than English. (English tends to make rules only to break them as opposed to Latin and Math that tend to have consistent structure.) In fact, the structure in Latin is what makes it such an excellent tool for teaching grammar.

We recently had a classical education lecture series at Highlands Latin School (http://www.thelatinschool.org) where Cheryl discussed the reason to study Latin. A significant portion of the talk compared the benefits of Latin to the benefits of math. We recorded the talks, and I can probably get you a copy if you want to email me your address. blowe AT memoriapress.com

Good luck in your Latin studies and please come back and post if you have any further questions.

[TJeanAtDaftDotCom]

Quick into. since I don't use this board but needed info quickly about the Latin posters. I educate at home 2 very bright children with multiple special education needs (15 years), tutor and mentor pupils and their families (even the schools if they'll listen) in similar predicaments as my kids (25 yrs), and I have been (will be in) similar situation as I am dyslexic, disgraphic, similar thing with sound changing, ADHD, physical hearing impaired and recently developed a rare neurological condition related to a few to many car accidents whose symptom control medications carry significant cognative side effects.

I don't know how you both handle learning spoken words but I need to know -how- to make the sounds since I can't rely upon what comes through my aural nerves to be correct style. I work one on one with some one in a very quiet vibrationless space, with hand mirrors and popcicle stick (a small flexible head reading lamp mine's "flexi long reach flashlight";Zelco) so I can see what they do to form the individual sounds, then imitate repeating as nessecary until I get it right. Then a few people around me get to learn the mechanics of how to make the sounds so when I err they can help me immediately take a moments worth of correction instead of ingraining the mistake.

Beyond vocalization (important facet to experiencing the grace of any language except ASL and kin), Latin's easier to learn than English b/c it follows it's rule with minimal exception rather than exceptions being a significant part of the things one needs to learn first. Additionally, since English has lost most of the changes to the words it once had that acted as grammatical road signs (the endings that tell you number (plural/singular) case (I/we, you/you[1+], s/he-it/they) tense (past, prestent, future...) part it plays in the sentence (subject, object....) ) in exchange for where it is placed in a sentence giving you the information, the fact your child is early teen's means much more of her vocabulary -grin- is already latin with some prefixes and suffixes (regularly latin too) squashed on the ends.

Most of the programs starting at the 3rd grade emphasis vocabulary developement with less explanation of the grammar forms. Those aimed at secondary students explain more grammar up front but still drove my puzzle maniac, then 8 years old, "flipping bug nuts". None of the K-12 directect programs gave my kids enough of detailed grammar and vocabulary in uncontrived sentences for my kids to have what they needed to work around their language processing issues. It's like the sets didn't come with enough blockes left to build with after the processing issues took their toll. Many of the K-12 programs are good; some are great with most students in most situations. But if the "perceptual bucket" used to gather the blocks distorts or misses these peices, you need to use your bucket at a denser filled reservoir to get a working load. Yes, she (and you) will need to find work-arounds but until you can make sense out of some of it, finding work arounds makes you dizzy.

At 10 my puzzle maniac now works along side her brother and I, with adjusted expectations. She excells with vocabulary and helps her brother, while he is the opposite almost step for step. We're using Wheelock's_ Latin 6th ed with the Workbook and Grote's Comprehensive Guide. Profs. LaFluer and Grote regularly lurk the LatinTeach list and other support is out there. A working adult paced group forms every 6 months or so which works through the text a chapter every 2 weeks regularly. Through these two primary resources, I've found people who made MP3's especially for me to redress my pronounciation issues (and a bench mark for the kids to correct me as needed) to name one example.

Your start will be rocky and reviewing or repeating the first few chapters of what ever materials you decide to use is to be expected. Harvey's Revised English Grammar helped us tremendously and we've only had it a short while. You might also want for reference Wheelock's and Grote's guide.

If you have any questions, just ask; while I'm answering yours, someone is answer mine and we're all getting a hand up.

TJeanAtDaftDotCom