I started learning Latin many years ago with an old “Jenney” text that I picked up in a used bookstore. I made it about halfway through the text before I broke down in frustration. When I discovered the Henle Latin series, I was thrilled to find a text with which I could really learn Latin. […]
Category Archives: Latin
When I apologized to my children for speaking crossly to them the other day, my daughter cheerfully replied, “It’s okay, Mommy. Errare est humanum.” She reassured me that it is only human to err, having been taught this and many other rich Latin sayings using Memoria Press’ Latin curriculum in our homeschool. Having been public-school-educated […]
Latin in elementary school, after phonics? This may sound like a new and experimental idea, but it’s really an old and traditional one. Have you ever read Goodbye, Mr. Chips or Anne of Green Gables? If so, you may have noticed that the students in these books seemed to spend a lot of time studying […]
In the first part of this article, we discussed the origins of the modern Natural/Direct Method of teaching Latin in the unsuccessful attempt to teach modern languages by downplaying the traditional student memorization of the complicated grammatical forms and the emphasis on written translation exercises in favor of conversational methods of instruction and student response. […]
Parents of struggling students ask common questions such as these: “Should I bring home my special-needs son and teach him alongside my other children? How would I modify the materials? How would I arrange for his therapies? Can my special-needs child study Latin? I already feel like giving up!” Bringing your special-needs or struggling student […]
The centuries-old and nearly universally accepted method of teaching Latin is known as the “grammar/translation” method. But for well over a hundred years there has existed, mainly in England and the United States, a small but devoted segment of the Latin-teaching community that has advocated a very different method of Latin instruction. This group […]
1. GRAMMAR-FIRST METHOD Grammar forms are presented in a systematic, logical order to aid mastery and memory. Vocabulary is limited initially in order to focus on memorization of the grammar forms. Vocabulary lists provide similar word groups to aid memory. Syntax and translation are limited initially in order to focus on memorization of grammar forms. […]
Latin was the language of forgotten emperors, godly saints, and fiery church reformers. This language rose with the Roman army, lived on in the Church, and pervaded the universities of the Middle Ages. Of course, Latin is now a dead language: No one speaks it, and Latin-based jobs seem hard to find. However, Latin is […]
Why Recite? Forget matching, multiple choice, or fill-in the blanks. If you want a child to really know–truly own–a body of information, Recitation is the only way to go. Previously the sole method of testing, Recitation requires mastery of a subject like no other testing mechanism can. With nowhere to hide and no opportunity for […]
Before I began teaching Latin and writing my programs, I surveyed a number of high school Latin teachers in public and private schools to determine the common practice regarding pronunciation and macrons. The macron is the straight, horizontal line above some vowels indicating that they are long. None of the teachers I spoke to required […]