Latin

We have decided to teach the kids Latin. We started last year with Minimus but I got more out of it than the kids. Now we are trying again with Getting Started with Latin. I love the approach that GSWL takes. Each lesson takes a whole 5 minutes and reviewing previous lessons is still in the under 15 minute range. We have knocked though the first 5 lessons on the drive home from speech (10 minute drive).

I love that each lesson is on one thing. Not tons of words or lists of words with topics and confusion but literally 1 thing. Lesson 1 introduces "Nauta," which means sailor by the way, and that is it for lesson 1. By lesson 3 you are making sentences, not great huge things but simple stuff like "Sum nauta" (I am a sailor.) When we combine lessons 1-5 with a couple words I remembered from Minimus we were able to make more sentences.

We are not teaching the kids Latin so that they will get a better grasp of grammar (though it won't hurt I guess) or so they can have an easier time when they move to Spanish (still a good thing). We are teaching them Latin so that they will have a bigger vocabulary and score better on their SATs. Well that and it is more fun to hear Paene advenimus? rather than Are we there yet?

To go with our Latin, I made a notebook page to keep track of the words we learn. It is designed with 2 sheets on one page. I printed off about 10 pages worth of sheets (10 words) and cut them into half sheet pages. Then they were bound into a small book that the kids decorated to give them a sense of ownership. You can do as I did or keep them 2 on a page and just hole punch and put into a binder. Whatever works for your family.

The link to the Notebooking Page:
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/6533417/Latin-vocabulary-notebook-page

Please if you use my stuff. Leave me a comment so I know it was useful to someone. Thanks!