With the rise in popularity of classical education, more and more parents are considering adding Latin to their curriculum. But many times parents are too quick to pick up any Latin program that promises easy results or to improve SAT scores. Here are a few considerations in choosing a Latin program for your student. 1. […]
Some critics have said that the value of Roman literature is that it has been the vehicle which conveyed Greek ideas to the world. The Romans took their art and, as far as their civilization rests on these, their civilization from Greece. Why, then, do we study Latin? Some of the reasons are given by […]
If you are a classical educator—either a teacher in a school or a homeschooler—there is one question you will be asked again and again: Why teach Latin? This is probably because there seems on the surface to be no practical reason for doing it. Why would we consider studying Latin with so many other priorities […]
In his 1911 book The Teaching of Latin and Greek, Charles Bennett listed the central principles of Latin instruction. Although this book has long been out of print, it contains what I believe to be the most helpful explanation of how Latin should be taught. It is these principles which underlie Memoria Press’ Forms series. […]
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 […]
How Classical Education Forms and Fills the Mind Introduction: The Importance of Distinctions I am the only person I know who has his own personal metaphysician. Whenever I have a philosophical question I need answered, I consult him. I have had occasion many times, in the middle of a logic class, when one of my […]
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 […]
I have taught classics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee since 1973. During these years, I have noticed a decline in the verbal skills of my students. It is embodied in the difficulties that they have in reading comprehension and English composition, as well as in the fact that few are capable of studying a foreign language successfully. […]