Any homeschoolers out there?

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Any homeschoolers out there?

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1trekmom3
Nov 4, 2008, 1:50 pm

Hopefully, latin will enjoy another Renaissance, this time within the homeschooling community. We are using the Wheelock's Latin series. It is hard to beat!

2BartGr.
Nov 4, 2008, 2:14 pm

Well, I'm brushing up my Latin, using an old grammar and Ceasar's De Bello Gallico in the Loeb edition (Gallia omnia divisa est in partes tres etcetera). But what is 'the homeschooling community'?

3BartGr.
Nov 4, 2008, 2:30 pm

Okay, some googling and now I know. I didn't know it is such a big thing in the United States. It sounds very intriguing actually. Is there any kind of 'quality control'?

4trekmom3
Nov 4, 2008, 9:21 pm

Each state has its own set of requirements for the homeschool student. I have been teaching at the college/univeresity level for 16 years, and the homeschooled students I have taught have performed so well. Our children are in a rather rigorous, fully-accredited program. We are going through Wheelock's Latin course on our own.

I have a few Loeb editions which I hope they can oneday use for their translation work.

5karhne
Nov 27, 2008, 8:18 am

I don't have kids, but if I did, I would home-school them. When I first got out of college, I taught several of them in a preparatory class for the GED (that is, the high-school equivalency exam), which is apparently one of the requirements in my particular state, and for the most part, they whipped right through.

Language is actually one of the reasons I'd be so excited about homeschooling. The programs in the schools tend to be incredibly conversational, without much focus on the syntax. Great, if you happen to be one of those kids whose families jet-set off to San Tropez every year, but not so great, if you're from a little more modest family.

I was in high school French and German classes for years before we picked up a book. To this day, I can tell you in French, which classes I am taking at which portions of the day, and what my petit ami looks like. I know similar German. (Started reading poetry in my second year, but only as a government required "Alternative Assignment" as I objected to certain parts of the planned curriculum. Okay, so I couldn't stand one more video in English.)

On the other hand, I was in Classical Greek and Latin courses for a week before I was working on (select, but intact) sentences from Caesar, Cicero, and Xenophon. It's entirely a matter of approach.

Do you memorize sentences, or do you memorize syntax and grammar?

Okay, so maybe even the rich kids aren't being done any favors. The whole high school language process trades literacy for the joy of being able to ask--almost without thought--ou est la toilette? So I have trouble thinking it's a good bargain for anyone.

6trekmom3
Nov 29, 2008, 2:04 pm

Thank you for the great insights from your experiences. Our kids have an incredibly challenging homeschool English (Language Arts) program wherein they are learning all of the parts of speech in their various forms in English. We are approaching Latin the same way, using the tried and true Wheelock's Latin Course. The kids get "lots and Lots" of grammar as well as vocabulary. Their memory work is mainly in the line of paradigms rather than passages at this point. I know that in the "old days", (Early American schools)

7livingoakheart
Feb 13, 2011, 4:48 pm

As a product of a homeschool-Latin experience, I would say that during the time I learned English grammar/syntax, I also learned Latin grammar/syntax (about third grade, in my case.) Conversational Latin, while intriguing, never grabbed my like the poetry, mostly because there was no one to speak to using it. I am now in college, and taking French, and the entire experience has been a thousand times easier because of my grounding in Latin (verb endings, anyone?)

8barlow304
Feb 14, 2011, 10:14 pm

At my high school, I teach Latin to kids from the inner city, precisely to reinforce English grammar and syntax and to make language courses in college much easier.

9LesMiserables
Set 16, 2011, 6:46 pm

I home-school my children and they learn three languages. Classical Greek, Latin and a modern language of their own choosing.
For Latin, I primarily use a text by Roger Pitcher of Sydney Grammar School.

10ironjaw
Set 17, 2011, 4:55 am

LesMis, how wonderful. Would be so kind to list what reading materials or any website link you use especially for Classical Greek, Latin etc. Schools are terribly awful in Denmark. I learnt everything I know from private Catholic School in London.

11LesMiserables
Set 17, 2011, 5:14 am

> 10

For Classical Greek
I have lots to recommend, but will keep it short. My recommendations are restricted to Attic Greek.

The John Taylor series, Greek to GCSE and Greek Beyond GCSE are great and I am using these texts to teach my son Greek.

There is an excellent freely downloadable text called Greek Composition by North and Hillard, which has been the text for millions over the years. This is available on www.textkit.com

As far as grammars go, you cannot beat Greek Grammar by Smyth - you really can't! Nevertheless a small but accessible quick reference grammar I recommend is Oxford Grammar of Classical Greek.

Dictionaries. The Liddell and Scott intermediate is the one I have. At the moment I cannot afford the full version. It is very good nonetheless. The Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary is accessible and great value for money.

For Latin

Like Greek, there is an excellent freely downloadable text called Latin Composition by North and Hillard.

Kennedy's Latin Primer is a good handy grammar. The most comprehensive is Gildersleeve's Grammar, but is not as accessible.

I like Keller's Learn to Read Latin and Wheelock's is okay too and is backed up with many web resources.

Elementary Latin Dictionary is a comprehensive choice for a dictionary but Cassell's Latin is a bilingual edition that has stood the test of time.

12ironjaw
Set 17, 2011, 8:34 am

Lesmis thank you so much for this. don't hesitate to PM with any other recommendations. I will look I to this and assemble some material. I would also welcome if anyone else has any thoughts

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