Why?...Why Not?

Recently Jessica left me a comment after reading this post I made last year about latin. She is part of a team of parents producing a new line of latin teaching products called Visual Latin. You can find a description of their philosophy and products here.

Zak making his Latin puppets.

I was looking it all over (and very impressed) when I stumbled upon this post that encouraged and inspired me yet again to keep on with our own latin study. Dwayne posted this quote by Kristin who was answering the question: "Why do you want to learn latin?

"I suppose one of the greatest and most mind blowing realizations that has occurred to me since embarking on the homeschooling path is that there really isn’t an end to the limitless teaching opportunities available for the truly dedicated parent. My children and I are free to make life our school house. The world is literally our classroom and therefore everything that it holds, has held, and might one day contain are awaiting our eager exploration.

To me this is where Latin fits in. Some may try to argue against the time and energy spent learning a “dead” language when there are so many currently-spoken forms to choose from. For these assertions I could counter with a litany of responses that any Latin lover knows offhand:
-increased reading comprehension
-greater vocabulary
-fosters a keen attention to detail
-builds a foundation for understanding even the most obscure grammar rules
-higher SAT scores
-easier transition when attempting to learn Romance languages
-instills confidence when learning terms and phrases in numerous fields including science, academia, religion, and law
Any one of these examples could stand on its own merit as a reason to continue the tradition of keeping Latin alive. For me, the choice to teach my children Latin derived from a sincere appreciation for humanity’s rich history and a deep-rooted admiration for its infinite possibilities. I view Latin as a way for my children to connect with the past while glimpsing the underlying tapestry that leads us to today.
Latin: rich in history; teeming with grammatical insights; a gateway to the classics; a doorway to the future."


Why Latin?


Why not!

The pictures in this post are from our current study of the family and people titles from Song school Latin. It is a wonderfully easy and fun curriculum. The songs are delightful and easy going so we play them as the kids fall asleep in bed.