How Latin Develops the Mind

Many who are attracted to the idea of a classical education don’t understand the necessity for Latin. A little bit of Latin is a good thing, but every year? Spinach is a good thing, but every day?

And what is classical education? To be accurate-and we must be-we will use the historical meaning. This understanding of classical education can certainly be updated, but it cannot be radically changed. In classical education, the primary focus of language study is a classical language, and the primary focus of history is the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome.

Latin achieves more important objectives than any other subject. The first objective is mental development, and the second is an understanding of English grammar. Latin gives the student the experience of studying one subject to a mastery level. This is what is missing in modern education, where we try to cover too many subjects superficially. It is only when the student has studied a subject enough to have some depth that his mind can be stretched and challenged with higher-order thinking skills. Latin gives students the invaluable experience of studying one subject to a mastery level over a long period of time. This is a key to mental and character development, and is the most valuable academic experience a child can have in school

How Latin Develops the Mind by Cheryl Lowe is part of our Pamphlet Series and explores the many ways Latin fosters mental development and a deeper understanding of English grammar.

7 pages.