Classical language has been a great influence in our home and in our home schooling journey. We have been studying Latin, Greek, Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic. We haven't been continous with our studies of this influential languages. But we always manage to find a return to studying these great langauages. To add to our Studies, we are learning Sanskrit, a sister language to both Latin and Greek. Over the centuries as Latin and Greek language study as been in great and continous decline, Sanskrit langauage study has been almost lost, if not completely lost. My follow Westerners ( quite a few, highly educated have heard of Sanskrit and other languages such Gothic that common people wouldn't have heard of) haven't heard of the Sanskrit Langauge, let alone the fact that Sanskrit is just as important as Latin and Greek Classical Langauges.
My Mother has longed wanted to drop of these books we manage to take off a teacher's hands that had no longer needed these books. Amongst the books my mother dropped off to her grandchildren was a handsome leather hardcovered Seven language Webster Dictionary, pressed by the Encyclopedia Britannica. Our nine year old couldn't wait to get his hands on this three volume dictionary once they caught his eyes. He devours books especially reference books. A few days went by after my mother delivered the books to us and our son and he took his first given opportunity to go through each volume. The Webster Seven language, three volume dictionary were quickly becoming his friends and companions.
As he was free read and absorb each volume, he being to talk about what he read and what follow next was writing. He naturally discovered the Sanskrit alphabet in the Alphabet Transliteration Chart and he took an white legal pad and pencil and started copying each letter. He has already taught himself to read Biblical Hebrew and the Transliteration Alphabet Chart, which contains Hebrew, Arabic, Russian and Sanskrit, the letter sounds included in the chart help him gain strides in Reading Sanskrit.
This isn't his first exposure to the Sanskrit language and the sounds of each of her letters. We have used the Thomas Clarke Student's Companion to language. The Sanskrit language and others such as Gothic are also surveyed in this student book. He has taught is seven year old sister and five year old brother the letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, with the Roman letters provided in Clarke's book. I hope to continue using Thomas Clarke's book as well as the Webster Seven language Dictionary to further my childrem's education, happily known as Classical Liberal Arts.
P.S. More to come from my blog. I haven't had time to write or post what I have written by hand. We are continuing with a Liberal Arts edcuation for All of Our Children. I took some time and not following the Classical education to a tee because I was obessesed with finding ways to get my baby educated this way. Since babies aren't taught in the Classical Liberal Arts or Classical education method. They are observers. I can wtite more but that really needs to be talked about in several posts.
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