Objections raised by parents, pupils and – dare I say – senior management, to teaching Latin in non-selective schools frequently centre around the perceived difficulties of the subject for SEN pupils. These pupils might already require additional support in core subjects, and the prospect of taking up a second language fills them with untold dread.
And yet, I would argue that, taught well, Latin can benefit every single pupil: its relevance to almost every other academic subject, to intellectual development, and to the development of curiosity, culture, and self-confidence makes it one of the most valuable additions to any school’s curriculum, including for SEN pupils.
After all, Latin is a great help for literacy: practice of the written word, spelling, and a widening of vocabulary (around 60% of English words are derived from Latin; the proportion is higher still in Science, Law, and Music). On the other hand, the Latin lexicon is comparatively small—there are few idioms, and therefore acquisition of a vocabulary base is not hard (although pupils who struggle to memorise will find vocabulary retention a challenge—more on that below).
SEN pupils typically struggle with phonological processing: but Latin is mainly read and written, so they don’t have to worry about speaking it in front of the class.
When Latin words are taught or referred to orally, they tend to be also written down, so pupils can correlate what they hear with its written form much more frequently than when they learn a modern language.
Moreover, Latin tends to be pronounced as it is written, which makes it easy to break down into syllables for those who might struggle to read it.
Latin helps with Maths and coding: you cannot rely on word order to reach the meaning of a sentence. That means every Latin sentence can be turned into a puzzle, a problem to be solved. Although most pupils find this challenging, it is also hugely rewarding. In my experience, even moderate objective success can be a real confidence boost for some SEN pupils, who feel they are achieving something out of the ordinary in even attempting Latin.
The reality is, however, that many pupils still baulk at the difficulties inherent to learning any new language, and a fortiori one which they do not encounter (or think they don’t!) in their day-to-day lives.
Here are a few things I have found to work, both in the short and long term, to make Latin both more accessible and more enjoyable for pupils with SEN:
1. Motivation
- Rigorous structure to every lesson, but also within the schemes of work. I share these with my pupils, so that they always know where they stand and where they’re heading next.
- LOTS of repetition, review, and consolidation: we do weekly vocabulary tests, which are low-stakes, frequently self- or peer-marked; and progress in any shape or form is celebrated like an Olympic victory! Extension at the higher end is crucial here to make sure no-one gets left out, and to give the teacher time to address any issues with struggling pupils.
- Related to the above, attention paid to any emotional issues these pupils may be having—showing them you care if they get a bit anxious or discouraged will go a long way to keeping them willing to have a go.
2. Presentation
- The use of colour and pictures on slides and in books not only helps to visualise learning more easily, but serves as an important motivational draw, and sometimes a welcome diversion from the rigours of grammar. Getting the kids to come up with their own mnemonics or memory pictures also tends to work.
- Explicit explanation of points of grammar: for the most basic points (direct object, active/passive etc.), I always start with the English before introducing its Latin equivalent – “If I were your boyfriend,” anyone?
- Breaking words, sentences, and phrases down into their component parts—repeatedly! Again, using colour here can be helpful to remind pupils of endings. For example: colour-coding sentences to help match up the plural verb with its plural subject, or the 3rd declension noun with its 2nd declension adjective.
3. Recall and assessment
- Using a multi-sensory approach: allow pupils to see, hear, write, act out a word or concept. I would get KS3, each carrying a word or phrase on a mini whiteboard, to place themselves in the correct sentence order: the rest of the class can then approve or help to correct.
- Frequent, low-stakes testing will bear fruit in the long term. Pupils need to be encouraged to go over lessons learnt last week, last term, last year, to help consolidate knowledge.
- Games are a great way to test this consolidated knowledge – I love a good internet-based Connect 4 up on the board (it works for vocabulary, declensions, conjugations…). You can let a struggling pupil get a nice easy sequence, while throwing in a few tricks to keep everyone challenged.
- In class assessments, a little leniency on timings will always help SEN pupils feel like they have more of a chance. It isn’t always possible to mirror any extra time they might be eligible for in exams, but other adjustments can be made to keep them in the game.
- Ask questions and address misconceptions clearly—in writing as well as verbally. Allow “take-up time” for SEN pupils to process and answer a question.
- Allow questions, and take the time to answer them thoughtfully. Anonymous questions are good to defuse excessive competition: pupils write their question on a piece of paper and submit it anonymously; the teacher picks questions out of a hat, and reads and answers them to the class—or asks other pupils to answer them.
Those of you who teach other subjects will notice that much of the above could apply equally in other classes: the idea of Latin being “too hard” for pupils with SEN is a myth.
With much the same scaffolding and support techniques used to engineer success in other subjects, SEN pupils can reap lifelong profit from even a limited exposure to Latin.
Finally, boundless enthusiasm, passion for your subject, and care for your pupils will be the best guarantors of every child’s motivation, willingness to try new things, and enjoyment of Latin.
