Salvete omnes! I’ve been digging through some older articles and podcasts recently, and these thoughts about learning Latin were worth sharing. Especially since any quote about “cultivating attentiveness” in our children seems, well, worth our attention!
The Society for Classical Learning writes the following about learning Latin (and Greek) in their article, “The Elements of Classical Education”:
Classical educators defend Latin and Greek in a number of ways. They are convinced that language studies discipline the mind. Nothing cultivates attentiveness, memory, precision of thought, the ability to think in principles, communication, and overall accuracy like the study of Latin and Greek.
Carrie McGraw, host of the podcast “Homeschool Journal” by Memoria Press has this to say:
I once likened the study of Latin to planting a tree. You dig a hole bigger than the root ball, you fill it in, the root system has to grow equally as large as the tree to withstand the elements. On top of these strong roots in Latin we grow branches of the arts and sciences. Primarily, the seven liberal arts, then the moral and natural and theological sciences. And these things are reaching and growing year by year.
Latin isn’t an “elective” that we study in classical education- it is a “roots” subject. Tanya Charlton, Director of Curriculum at Memoria Press, says that the Latin (and Greek) languages form the basis of our 2,500 year old education system, “which was invented in ancient Greece, imitated and expanded on by the Romans, preserved and solidified by the monks in the Middle Ages and experienced a rebirth in the Middle Ages that lasted until the mid-twentieth century.” Learning Latin as a core subject is distinctly different from modern, progressive education.
And in case you think I write this just because I am a language geek (I admit that I am), here is a link to the video we shared two (or three?) years ago at the parent meeting, “3 Reasons to Study Latin (for Normal People, not Language Geeks).” If you haven’t seen it before, it is well worth the <12 minutes it takes to watch it!
This is part of the “CHA Bits” series. Is there a question about CHA or homeschool that you would like answered? Submit inquiries to Tracey at [email protected]
The Society for Classical Learning writes the following about learning Latin (and Greek) in their article, “The Elements of Classical Education”:
Classical educators defend Latin and Greek in a number of ways. They are convinced that language studies discipline the mind. Nothing cultivates attentiveness, memory, precision of thought, the ability to think in principles, communication, and overall accuracy like the study of Latin and Greek.
Carrie McGraw, host of the podcast “Homeschool Journal” by Memoria Press has this to say:
I once likened the study of Latin to planting a tree. You dig a hole bigger than the root ball, you fill it in, the root system has to grow equally as large as the tree to withstand the elements. On top of these strong roots in Latin we grow branches of the arts and sciences. Primarily, the seven liberal arts, then the moral and natural and theological sciences. And these things are reaching and growing year by year.
Latin isn’t an “elective” that we study in classical education- it is a “roots” subject. Tanya Charlton, Director of Curriculum at Memoria Press, says that the Latin (and Greek) languages form the basis of our 2,500 year old education system, “which was invented in ancient Greece, imitated and expanded on by the Romans, preserved and solidified by the monks in the Middle Ages and experienced a rebirth in the Middle Ages that lasted until the mid-twentieth century.” Learning Latin as a core subject is distinctly different from modern, progressive education.
And in case you think I write this just because I am a language geek (I admit that I am), here is a link to the video we shared two (or three?) years ago at the parent meeting, “3 Reasons to Study Latin (for Normal People, not Language Geeks).” If you haven’t seen it before, it is well worth the <12 minutes it takes to watch it!
This is part of the “CHA Bits” series. Is there a question about CHA or homeschool that you would like answered? Submit inquiries to Tracey at [email protected]
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