Im thinking of teaching my ds Latin - Am I completely mad?

[Yurtgirl]

Hello
My ds (year 1) is perfectly happy at school most of the time - but does get bored because it doesnt always stretch him enough (and thus I do often wonder about HE)

He is showing an interest in learning Latin - Is this something any of you do whilst home edding

Is it a good idea for me even to consider this given that I know zero latin?
What resources do you use?

It's a slippery slope no doubt... Greek next! (just kidding)

They seem to have nice weekend stays and things on at museums for slightly older dc so I have that in mind for the future (have a look on their website).

On the whole I don't mind all this teaching and learning with the dc but there are times I can't be bothered with it anymore. For instance after we started on Minimus when dd came home from chess club with a dreidel her Jewish teacher had brought along for all the kids - sort of spinning top which had some Hebrew letters on it and she started saying she thought Hebrew was great, the letters look like flags curling in the wind and she wanted to learn it, I said you just go ahead and do that then but I am not getting involved!

It sounds really good and I am interested - ds is only 6 atm though so I think perhaps I am getting ahead of myself!

ha ha sssandy2 slippery slope I know all about that I thought about latin as a flippant idea and now Ive had thoughts about running a club fgs
Thats what worries me about he, the momentum, keeping up with the ideas and enthusiasm. Im always keen at the beg but can I maintain interest - can ds???

If ds gets a certain teacher next year I am seriously considering HE for a year.......

the tricky thing is 6-7 year olds don't just want to stick to the book, so when you have your head in the oven investigating the state of your lamb roast, they'll be shrieking "mummy what's the Latin for ....?"

Dd is less enthusiastic about Latin since she has found out that it is not actually spoken in Rome anymore which she assumed it was. Depends what book you work with how interesting they'll find it longer term, Minimus has a story from mythology and a bit of info about Roman Britain in each chapter so it is quite interesting for them. But maybe he would enjoy it more if he were learning with other dc.

How about a modern foreign language at this stage?

Yurtgirl, I had rusty O level, but in fairness I was v. good at Latin and had planned to take it to A level. Could not fit it in the timetable. I am ancient myself, so this was, cough, some time ago.
My lot will stay as a closed group because of the progress they've made, bless them. We only have 1 year 6 leaving - I think the Head might have had a different view if most of the group were Yr 6s.
Ideally I'd pack in the day job and do more of this. It's that much fun! I just wish I had the scope to offer a second session to next year's Yr4s, and some of the 30 children (in a school of 200) on the waiting list

sounds like you're doing a fantastic job Marina. Just shows the interest is there, doesn't it?

The enthusiasm of the project leaders is infectious Sssandy! they make it easy for the children to engage with the characters!
There were about 600 children and assorted teachers, volunteers etc, at the Minimus Day in London on Saturday (two sessions to cram everyone in)
Apart from the fun of meeting two Roman soldiers and a medica called Diana Augustina, we had an inspiring talk from Professor Jeremy Paterson at Newcastle Uni about how, of all the stunning Roman artefacts he has seen in his long career in the classics, he feels the modest little Vindolanda tablets are the most important. They show women writing to each other socially. They show the husbands arranging hunting trips. As you might have spotted, they show a grumpy slave tutor ticking off a lazy schoolboy, and his bored sister drawing a cart and donkey instead of doing her homework.
At the end of a long and quite warm day the children were enthralled.

Another Caecilius student here!

I went on to do Classics A Lewvel, and half wish I could have studied Latin further.

Our local comp offers latin to the G%T students.

Aaargh, Marina and Rosa... you are making me want to start up a Latin club at dd's school.

Come over to the Stygian side, Ellllllbeelllll....

Tra la laaaaaa...! I can't hear you!

You know you want to, Ellbell.

I used Latina Christiana books 1 & 2 for my daughter in 8th grade last year at home. She loved it a nd I enjoyed it too. I had one year of Latin in high school, many moons ago, so you do not need prior Latin experience. I recommend having the dvds with at least the second book for instructional help. Best wishes.