What to choose/just starting classical

[south5]

I have followed Charlotte Mason, but would like to add more classical materials.
Next year, I will have 7th and 3rd grade boys. Should I order the Intro to Classical study or should I order the D'Aulaire's Greek Myths books? I noticed that Greek Myths is included in the Intro, but it is at a more rushed pace? I would like to combine both boys for the Greek Myth part.

Thanks!
Alexis

[tanya]

Hi, Alexis.

I would begin with Greek myths for both children, and do one lesson a week. That is a perfect pace for your 3rd grader. Your 7th grader should probably supplement that study with Famous Men of Greece (you could skip the first 10 chapters that review mythology) so that he can begin preparing to read the Iliad and Odyssey. When he is in the 8th grade, both students could do Famous Men of Rome, and your oldest son can supplement with our Dorothy Mills book, The Book of the Ancient Romans. In his 9th grade year, both students could do Famous Men of the Middle Ages. Your 9th grader should also read through our Mills Book of the Ancient Greeks the first semester and plan to read Homer the second semester. Then, in his 10th grade year, he will be ready to read the Aeneid and your 6th grader will read Famous Men of Greece. If he's really motivated and loves the classics by then, he could do Mills' The Middle Ages book and read Dante in 11th grade.

Because your 3rd grader will be moving along at an earlier time frame, he will be prepared to read Mills Ancient Greeks in 7th grade and Homer. Then, in 8th grade, he can read Mills' Book of the Ancient Romans and the Aeneid. He will basically be on the same schedule as the students at our school.

If this is too much for your older student, you can slow the pace down. As you see, there is still plenty of time. Your goal should be that he get through Homer and Vergil before moving on to college.

If you aren't doing Latin, you should also consider that. It would greatly benefit both children and give them a great understanding of their own language that they will carry with them all their lives.

Regards,

Tanya

[south5]

Thanks Tanya for planning it all out!

I am currently doing SongSchool Latin with my younger two children (2nd and K). My third child is doing Memoria Press K, she is doing really well. Next year I was going to bump both the youngers up to Prima Latina, but do you think my 3rd grader should do Latina Christiana?

My 6th grader has done Latin Primer, but nothing else. Should I just start him with First Form Latin 1? Looking at the sample there would be some material he knows.

Thanks again,
Alexis

[tanya]

Hello.

I think Prima Latina is perfect for your younger two children. And I think First Form is perfect for your 7th grader. If you feel it is too much review, you can move more quickly through it and move on to Second Form, but I tend to think students do better with lots of Latin review. It builds confidence and mastery, and it gets so complicated when you end up with so many grammar forms and vocabulary words, that you are better off mastering them before trying to cram so many into your brain!

Cheers,

Tanya