Memorizing Prayers and Scripture: Latin Homeschool Helps
One of my favorite parts of doing a classical style curriculum is the Latin we learn together. In high school, I was one of “those kids” who mocked Latin, wondered why on earth anyone still studied a “dead language”, and was certain that my friends who did study Latin had super-brains to remember all the words and variations and declensions. Not much of that changed until a few years ago. It was then that I slowly introduced Latin into our homeschool, just with flash cards to begin.
My world opened up to me with those flash cards. “What?! Wow, I never knew this! Now these words we use in English make so much more sense!” I’d exclaim every day, probably making my daughter think I was a little too excited. Who gets excited about Latin and Greek, anyway? Well, now I do, and now I understand why so many people have continued to study that so-called dead language.
This year, we’re memorizing classic prayers and some Scripture in Latin.
“Sanctus, sanctus, santus, Dominus Deus, Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua.
Hosanna in excelsis.
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.
Hosanna in excelsis.”
Now, it’s all fine and dandy to just read and repeat, read and repeat until the words stick. Until a few weeks ago, that’s all we had been doing. But I do so love it when a blogging, homeschooling friend who is wiser and more clever than I has a brilliant idea to improve our studies.
Pam is just such a friend. She just keeps coming up with great printables! My latest favorites are the prayer folders and memory cards, for the Sanctus (Holy, Holy), Gloria Patri (Glory Be), Pater Noster (Our Father), Table Blessing, and John 1. (**affiliate links. All my commissions go to help others, like a friend’s need for a diabetic alert dog for her son**)
These are so great! With the various ways to learn and practice the prayer, I am also learning the prayers faster! Don’t tell my oldest, but I think while she’s away at her outdoor learning program today, I’ll be using her memory cards and trying to accurately piece together the prayer puzzle. She is so quick at memorizing and learning her prayers! I’m about to start a friendly competition with her! (*wink *wink) When assembled in a file folder, the light grey page can be a quick and helpful reminder to the student about which word comes next. The memory cards can be laminated and put on a ring for safe-keeping, and then removed to mix up and then place in the correct order. Also, these are perfect for the whole family! 
The Table Blessing has a bonus printable tent for your dining table, so everyone can learn and practice before meals!
You can’t go wrong with these sets. They are a great addition to our homeschool, and I hope they will be for you, too.
Ipieta app has Latin – English side by side, great for learning prayers! I commend you. My elementary students seem to enjoy singing the tantum ergo.
Thanks for the tip! I will look it up, as well as try to learn the tantum ergo. Any other song suggestions? I do love knowing the words to worship songs in Latin (admittedly, I’m still working on remembering the Sanctus when we sing it at Mass for solemnities!)