This weekend I got to spend a few hours at the CHEA convention in Long Beach. It was huge and overwhelming, but happily I had a kind friend there who was willing to take a good chunk of time out of her day to show me around.
I got to attend a session with Andrew Pudewa, who was insightful and hilarious (it didn’t matter that the subject of the lecture was spelling, because the theories he brought to the subject could be applied to any number of things) and got to wander ‘round the exhibition hall.
I came home dehydrated and exhausted, but after being very lazy on Sunday afternoon, I woke up this morning excited again about homeschooling. I think going to that convention reminded me of all the reasons I thought that homeschooling was a good idea: chief among them that my kids and I will get to read lots of really good books together.
(Okay, that’s not all there is too it, but that’s what I’m excited about right now.)
I’m also once again diving into figuring out how we’re going to start this adventure out. I know there’s lots that I don’t have to decide quite yet, but one of the things I’m pondering is whether it’s possible to teach not just two languages well, but three.
(I pause to quote from the excellent Sports Night:
Casey: I speak four languages –
Dan: You speak three languages.
Casey: I speak four.
Dan: You speak three languages: you speak French, Italian and Spanish.
Casey (drily): I dabble in a little English.)
English comes first, of course, and we’ll be working on reading and writing that this year. I’d also really like our children to learn Spanish. While I’d like them to be able to read and write it, even more than that I’d like them to be able to speak it and to understand it when they hear it. Given where we live, this is pretty important.
But I also am attracted to the idea of teaching the kids Latin. I’d be learning it too. In this case, while speaking it and understanding it when they hear it would be nice, reading and writing it would be the primary goal. Exactly the opposite of our priorities in learning Spanish.
Of course, Spanish and Latin are very related, so I’m hoping that the one would aid in learning the other. But are they so close there would be a lot of confusion? From reading The Bilingual Edge, I’m guessing that there wouldn’t be, especially if they were taught in different contexts and different ways.
I’d also probably start teaching Spanish in Kindergarten (well, before that, actually – we’re already working on it informally by reading Spanish picture books), and not start Latin till 3rd grade (after the kids have learned to read and write with some competence).
But does anyone have any experience with this? I know lots of my readers are experienced homeschooling moms, and I’d be really interested to hear if anyone has combined learning a modern language and an ancient language (while of course also promoting greater and greater mastery of English) and how you did it, and if you like it – or if you specifically have avoided doing so, and why. Thanks for any advice you can offer!
Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell
7 comments:
I would love to dialogue with you over the next year over what works and what doesn't as I'm starting Lucy with kindergarten too. We're working on French with our girls and planning on starting latin in the 2nd or 3rd grade as well. What math curriculums have you looked into?
Ooh, ooh, ooh, Latin!! That is a subject near and dear to my heart. I so wish I lived closer to you and we could have a nice chat. :-) And I could loan you books!
(OK, I feel like a creepy internet person at the moment, considering I've never met you, but I think you'll forgive me)
I have a lot I could say at the moment, but I'll try to be brief.
If you already know Spanish (which I'm guessing you do) I'd continue the conversational Spanish, picture books, etc with all the kids. I don't think there'd be any confusion, and I think that the different methods would complement each other well, and help enforce learning in all the languages. I don't, unfortunately, have any personal experience in this, but I've seen how nicely our studies of English and Latin have dovetailed and helped each other, and I don't see how adding Spanish (especially done in a more informal, conversational style) would be a problem.
Andrew Campbell (who wrote Latin Centered Curriculum) recommends starting Latin once the child can read reasonably well (say, 1st or 2nd grade, depending on the child). I'd add that she should be able to write at least a few lines without fatiguing. I started Emma with Latin in K, but did it completely as an oral subject until about half way through 1st grade. We focused on vocab and Latin sayings and prayers, using Memoria Press' Prima Latina. We did not do any other language. It worked well for us, although I'm not entirely sure I'll do the same thing with Gregory. With the amount he's picking up just by being around, I'm not sure it is all that necessary.
A really great place for you to ask this question (or to search the archives, I know it has come up before) is the Latin Centered Education Yahoo group - a fantastic resource with a lot of very helpful and knowledgeable people. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LatinClassicalEd/
And how cool that you got to hear Andrew Pudewa speak!! I'd love to hear him give a talk.
Hmm. Brief. Well, I *could* have said a lot more!
Andrew Pudewa is great - I've only seen him speak on his DVDs. His writing program is fantastic. Fantastic!
We have done conversational French at home and with a tutor who is a friend. We've also done some Latin - and there has been no difficulites at all for the kids. I say, "Go for it!" Have fun with Spanish and then start Latin whenever you are ready. Latin for Children is a great program. (It is a DVD-based program, so you can learn right along with your kids...I am!) We haven't used it consistently, yet, but will start this year (with my 4th and 2nd grader). My eldest began Latin's Not So Tough with Classical Converstations last year (his first year of formal Latin - 7th grade).
And by the way - wanting to read really good books with your kids is a Perfectly Good Reason to homeschool! :)
Jessica, I've been thinking about some very similar things, and here's my blog post: http://homebrewedhogwash.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/some-thoughts-on-education/
I would really like to get together with Torrey moms in the area who are thinking of or already homeschooling. It would be great to swap ideas. :)
Amber, you so aren't a creepy internet person! Besides, I know someone who knows you in real life. :)
I do know Spanish . . . but not as well as I'd like. I admit, that's part of what's attractive about doing it with the kids: I'd improve my Spanish too. I passed the AP test in Spanish back in high school, but haven't gone past that, and my comprehension of Spanish is still better when I read it than when I hear it, and my spoken Spanish is pretty pathetic (imho). But I know from experience that it gets better with practice. I know enough to read picture books and get the kids started, and working on it is already bringing back a lot of the stuff I used to know.
I got the Memoria catalogue and it looks so cool! I think that's where we'd be headed - though, again, I'm with you on the not doing it till they can read and write decently, since (other than in choirs) Latin is usuallya literary language rather than an oral one these days.
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Kelly, I'd love that. I may be an introvert, but this isn't a journey I want to make solo. It'd be nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of.
We're starting with Math-U-See, because I was able to get most of the curriculum for free and it looked decent. I've lucked out in that my mom's best friend is a homeschooler who's saved most of her stuff for me, thinking I might end up here (which means she must know me better than I know me, because I'm still surprised I ended up here!). I don't know if I'll end up using everything she did, but I figured starting with the free stuff wasn't a bad idea!
Hope your moving back in is going well.
Kerry, thanks for sharing what you guys are doing - and for the encouragement that loving reading to my kids is a valid reason to want to homeschool my kids! (Probably not a sufficient reason, but a valid one!)
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