School of the Future: Kindergarten With Compulsory Latin

Mission Dolores Academy in San Francisco, a school of the future, has children from English, Spanish, Tagalog and Eritrean backgrounds. In Latin they find a common ground and unifying language where no student is at a disadvantage in the development of language skills. Therefore Latin is compulsory for kindergarteners through eighth graders.

The program was launched this academic school year. Studies have shown that the study of Latin makes an immediate impact on the development of a student’s vocabulary as well as on reading comprehension. It also has a positive effect on performance in the sciences.

Latin is taught at three levels, in two weekly sessions for each. Kindergartners and first- and second-graders for 20 minutes; third through fifth graders for 30-40 minutes and sixth through eighth graders for one hour.

Picture: Mission Dolores Academy, © Samantha Alfonso, #newsDnehfsbryk