Meet the Ancient Romans Through Reading

Help me give my students a class set of four Latin language novellas which introduce a variety of characters from different societal classes, genders, and ethnicity found in ancient Rome.

Reading is the best method to gain fluency and skill in any language – it is why mothers and fathers frequently read to their young children even before those children can write or speak clearly and confidently.

My students come from a very diverse community; some have books at home, some have free time to read, some work long hours after school instead, and some have parent role models who love to read, while others don’t.

All the students deserve to have a place where reading is encouraged and enjoyed.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss

I want to encourage my Latin students to read more, in order to gain confidence in their world language abilities. I believe, as Dr. Seuss mentions, that through reading, my students will rise above their expectations for language learning – that it isn’t “too hard” or only for the “smart kids” – and rediscover the joy of reading and learning, whether in their native language or in Latin.

Through reading, success is made.

The goal of this project is to build the inherent understanding of and ability with Latin through fun, short, and easy readings about various fictional characters who might have lived in ancient Rome.

Students will meet Rufus, who loves to play in the mud and watch gladiators fight; Drusilla, who learns a valuable lesson about generosity and kindness; and Livia, a strong and brave mother who isn’t confined by her gender.

Students will have the opportunity to read these books, one a quarter (two each semester), alongside the class. Teacher led follow-up activities reuse and recycle not just the words used, but the structures and culture introduced. Students will read about, make connections with, and compare and contrast the lives of these characters with their own lives today.

Each novella chosen has limited vocabulary, but compelling plots, with a wide range of grammatical structures used so that students will pick up the language naturally and learn to speak and write in response to the stories, in Latin.

Won’t you help me make learning Latin a lot more engaging, collaborative, and creative for these students!

If you’re interested in help to fund this project, I’d greatly appreciate it.