Why Learn Latin at an Early Age?

Even though it is no longer spoken, Latin is the foundation of the English language.

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At Cedar, we believe that starting Latin at a young age is hugely beneficial, and will give children a unique advantage in their education, for the following reasons:

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1. Latin provides children with a better grasp of the roots of English vocabulary. Around two-thirds of the English vocabulary comes from Latin roots. Learning Latin will enable children to recognise and identify the meanings of significantly more words than those who have not studied Latin, thereby giving them a huge advantage not only in everyday school studies, but also in other assessments (e.g. SAT, TOEFL, etc.).
 

2. Latin is the key to learning other Romance-based languages such as French, Spanish and Italian. Children will also find it much easier to learn non-Latin based languages because they will have gained a good understanding of how languages are structured.
 

3. Latin helps develop children's grasp of English grammar, enabling them to become better readers, writers, and communicators. Also highly complementary with a phonics learning curriculum.

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4. Latin is a highly structured language that can teach children to organise their thoughts well and to think logically. Research has shown that the study of Latin is similar to that of mathematics. It helps sharpen the mind, develop mental alertness and critical thinking, and enhances problem solving abilities.