Frequently Asked Questions
How long is class?
50 minutes a day
How advanced will my child be in Latin?
That all depends on how long they stick with the language. If they stick with it from fifth grade through their senior year, then very advanced—enough to count as a full language credit in college. (Colleges often require of their humanities majors at least three semesters of a foreign language.) If your student only takes Latin in fifth and sixth grade, they will still have a good foundation to build on later in life; they will become, moreover, more advanced in English as a result.
Will they become fluent in Latin?
If by fluent, you mean being able to speak it as well as they speak English, then no; if, however, you mean to be able to read and translate Latin, then absolutely. Very few people are actually fluent in Latin, since it is not really spoken.
How much time should we anticipate for Latin homework apart from 10 minutes / night?
In 5th and 6th, no extra homework. In elective Latin, perhaps 10 more minutes at most on a given night—but certainly not every night.
What is “Classics”?
Classical studies typically refer to a study of golden era Greece and Rome. Our classics class is really an ancient history class, dealing with not only Greeks and Romans, but also Egyptians, Sumerians, Hebrews, and Persians. Our classics curriculum covers from the earliest civilizations in Egypt and Sumer to the fall of Rome in the early middle ages.
How can I help my child study?
Keep them accountable to study their flashcards and notes every night for ten minutes, and keep signing their flashcard log. You may have them study their flashcards alone, with a friend or sibling, or you can do it yourself. Be sure that the words they do know are set aside for words that they do not know. I would divide the stack accordingly, and make them repeat the flashcards they struggle with.
Otherwise, students should be fairly self-directed. Don’t be afraid to let them fail from time to time. Failure can be a great teacher, and is not always a cause to panic.
50 minutes a day
How advanced will my child be in Latin?
That all depends on how long they stick with the language. If they stick with it from fifth grade through their senior year, then very advanced—enough to count as a full language credit in college. (Colleges often require of their humanities majors at least three semesters of a foreign language.) If your student only takes Latin in fifth and sixth grade, they will still have a good foundation to build on later in life; they will become, moreover, more advanced in English as a result.
Will they become fluent in Latin?
If by fluent, you mean being able to speak it as well as they speak English, then no; if, however, you mean to be able to read and translate Latin, then absolutely. Very few people are actually fluent in Latin, since it is not really spoken.
How much time should we anticipate for Latin homework apart from 10 minutes / night?
In 5th and 6th, no extra homework. In elective Latin, perhaps 10 more minutes at most on a given night—but certainly not every night.
What is “Classics”?
Classical studies typically refer to a study of golden era Greece and Rome. Our classics class is really an ancient history class, dealing with not only Greeks and Romans, but also Egyptians, Sumerians, Hebrews, and Persians. Our classics curriculum covers from the earliest civilizations in Egypt and Sumer to the fall of Rome in the early middle ages.
How can I help my child study?
Keep them accountable to study their flashcards and notes every night for ten minutes, and keep signing their flashcard log. You may have them study their flashcards alone, with a friend or sibling, or you can do it yourself. Be sure that the words they do know are set aside for words that they do not know. I would divide the stack accordingly, and make them repeat the flashcards they struggle with.
Otherwise, students should be fairly self-directed. Don’t be afraid to let them fail from time to time. Failure can be a great teacher, and is not always a cause to panic.