Unlock the ancient language hiding inside every English word
A lively introduction to Latin built specifically for middle schoolers — unlocking vocabulary, grammar, and the ancient world one lesson at a time. Students who learn Latin don't just study a language; they supercharge every subject they already take.
"The moment a student spots Latin hiding inside an English word they already know, the whole ancient world suddenly feels like it was built just for them."— Kenneth F Johnson
What you'll learn
What you'll be able to do
- Read and translate simple Latin sentences using correct noun cases and verb conjugations
- Identify the nominative, accusative, and genitive cases and explain how they control meaning
- Recognize at least 150 high-frequency Latin root words and connect them to modern English derivatives
- Conjugate regular first- and second-conjugation verbs in the present, imperfect, and future tenses
- Describe key aspects of daily life, mythology, and geography in ancient Rome using primary vocabulary
- Write short original Latin phrases and simple sentences with accurate grammar and spelling
How it works
A school that adapts to you
This isn't a set of static videos. Every lesson is generated live and tuned to where you actually are.
We learn your level
A quick placement check tailors your starting point so you're never bored or lost.
Lessons adapt as you go
Each lesson is written for your pace and your goal, adjusting as your skills grow.
Your AI coach keeps you moving
Checkpoints, feedback, and gentle nudges turn progress into a real result.
The curriculum
What's inside your school
6 modules · 20 lessons
Foundations: Sounds, Roots & the Roman World
Students build the essential groundwork for all Latin study: correct pronunciation, awareness of Latin's living legacy in English, and a vivid picture of the ancient Roman world that will contextualize every lesson ahead. No prior Latin knowledge is assumed.
- 1.1Pronouncing Latin Like a RomanIncluded
- 1.2Latin Lives in English: Roots & DerivativesIncluded
- 1.3Meet Ancient Rome: People, Places & Daily LifeIncluded
Nouns & the Case System: Who Does What to Whom
Students master the Latin case system — the engine that drives sentence meaning — focusing on the nominative, accusative, and genitive cases and their declension endings. This module fulfills the core outcome of identifying cases and explaining how they control meaning, and serves as an essential prerequisite to all reading and writing work.
- 2.1Why Cases? The Nominative and Latin Sentence LogicIncluded
- 2.2The Accusative Case: Direct Objects in ActionIncluded
- 2.3The Genitive Case: Possession & RelationshipIncluded
- 2.4Decline It! Putting All Three Cases TogetherIncluded
Verbs: Conjugating the Action
Students learn to conjugate regular first- and second-conjugation verbs in the present, imperfect, and future tenses, connecting verb forms to the nouns from the previous module to build complete, meaningful Latin sentences. This module directly fulfills the conjugation outcome and is sequenced after the case module so that students can immediately combine nouns and verbs.
- 3.1Present Tense: The Four Steps to Any VerbIncluded
- 3.2Imperfect Tense: Telling Stories in the PastIncluded
- 3.3Future Tense: What Romans Will DoIncluded
Vocabulary Power: 150 Roots & the Roman World
Students systematically acquire at least 150 high-frequency Latin root words organized thematically around the Roman world, while continuously connecting each root to English derivatives. This module is sequenced after grammar foundations so that new vocabulary is immediately applied in case and verb contexts, and it runs alongside reading and writing preparation.
- 4.1People, Family & Roman SocietyIncluded
- 4.2Nature, the City & the Roman LandscapeIncluded
- 4.3Actions, Movement & Everyday VerbsIncluded
- 4.4Mythology & the GodsIncluded
Reading & Writing in Latin
Students apply all grammar, vocabulary, and cultural knowledge in extended reading and original writing tasks. Sequenced after grammar and vocabulary modules, this module develops the translation strategies and compositional skills needed for the capstone project, and directly addresses the outcomes of reading simple Latin and writing original Latin sentences.
- 5.1Translation Strategies: How to Unlock a Latin SentenceIncluded
- 5.2Reading Adapted Latin: Stories from RomeIncluded
- 5.3Writing in Latin: From Words to Sentences to PassagesIncluded
Capstone: Putting It All Together
Students synthesize every outcome from the course — pronunciation, case grammar, verb conjugation, vocabulary, cultural knowledge, translation, and original writing — in a structured review, a creative capstone project, and a final celebration. This module confirms mastery and gives students an authentic sense of accomplishment.
- 6.1Review & Mastery: Cases, Verbs & VocabularyIncluded
- 6.2Capstone Project: Create Your Roman WorldIncluded
- 6.3Final Assessment & Celebration of LatinIncluded
Who it's for
Is this you?
The Homeschool Student
A self-motivated 6th grader who wants a real language credit and loves the idea of cracking a code no one else at the park day knows.
The Classical Curriculum Kid
Already studying history and logic; ready to add Latin as the cornerstone of a rigorous classical education.
The Word Nerd
Obsessed with vocabulary, spelling bees, or reading — and about to discover that Latin roots are the ultimate cheat code for the English language.
The Homeschool Parent
Looking for a structured, engaging Latin course that works independently so they don't need to be an expert themselves.
The Private School Enrichment Seeker
A parent supplementing a traditional school curriculum with classical studies to give their child a deeper academic foundation.
The Co-op Teacher
Running a classical or enrichment co-op and needs a sequentially sound, ready-to-teach Latin curriculum for a mixed-age middle school group.
Questions
Frequently asked
Your teacher
A note from your teacher
Kenneth F Johnson
If your middle schooler has ever asked "why do we have to learn this?" about a subject — you know the feeling. Latin, of all things, can look like the hardest sell in the world. Ancient. Gone. Not spoken anywhere. So why on earth would a 12-year-old care?
Here's what I've seen happen, over and over: the moment a student realizes that "aqua" is hiding inside aquarium, that "terra" is right there in territory, that "tempus" is the root of temporary — something clicks. Suddenly Latin isn't a dead language. It's a living decoder ring for the English language they already speak. And once that door opens, it doesn't close.
That's why I built Young Latin Academy specifically for 5th–8th graders — not as a watered-down version of a college Latin course, but as something designed for the way middle schoolers actually think and learn. Short, concrete explanations. Stories from the ancient world that make Rome feel real. Grammar introduced as logic puzzles, not memorization marathons. Every lesson is built around the question: "What's the aha moment here, and how do we get there as fast as possible?"
I know that parents and teachers choosing this course are also making a bet — that the time invested in Latin will pay off across every other subject. And it does. The case system teaches sentence logic that transfers straight to English grammar. The 150 root words we study unlock vocabulary across science, history, law, and literature. The translation strategies in Unit 5 build the kind of slow, careful reading comprehension that standardized tests reward and that great books demand.
There's also a capstone project at the end — "Create Your Roman World" — where students synthesize everything: cases, verbs, vocabulary, culture. It's meant to feel like a finish line and a launching pad. Because the students who complete this course don't just know some Latin. They see language differently. And that changes everything.
If you're ready to give your student that edge — and a genuine taste of one of the most rewarding intellectual adventures in classical education — I'm so glad you're here. Let's get started.
— Kenneth F Johnson
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- 6 modules, 20 lessons
- AI-adaptive lessons tuned to your level
- Quizzes & checkpoints to lock in progress
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