Latin, Spanish,
or American Sign Language are good choices for kids with LD issues,
including dyslexia. "Foreign
Language Learning and Learning Disabilities" at LDOnline
address foreign language credit for students with Learning Disabilities
and states, "If your listening/speaking skills are strong, you
may want to try Spanish since the regularity of the sound system in
Spanish sometimes helps. If you are stronger at reading, you may want
to try Latin, which typically does not involve as much oral communication
and often helps build vocabulary in English."
Latin is a good choice because many of the roots relate very closely
to much of the English language, so it is not like learning an entirely
new language. Learning the roots, in particular, can help enhance a
child's ability to "pick out pieces" of large words, thereby increasing
decoding to a degree, and learning Latin certainly enhances vocabulary
skills.
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American Sign
Language is a visual, hands-on language without the written component.
This makes ASL ideal for children with dyslexia or dysgraphia. With
ASL, not every college, nor state, recognizes ASL as a foreign language.
You will have to research to see if American Sign Language is a viable
foreign language choice for your child and his college/educational path.
In all of my research, the two most highly recommended choices for
children with dyslexia seem to be American Sign Language and Latin.
We have begun studying Latin roots and my child actually finds it not
too difficult. We're going to delve deeper into Latin roots using software
from Critical Thinking Books and may end up using Latin for our foreign
language of choice because of the boost it will provide to vocabulary
and in college studies. (continued
below..)
Given that your
child wants to learn any foreign language, or needs one for college
entrance requirements, I highly recommend the language immersion software
by **Rosetta Stone
- Offering Free 2-Day Shipping in the U.S. .
This software allows a child to progress at his/her own pace, and uses
colorful photographs to convey the meanings of words. For my child who
wanted to learn French, the Rosetta
Stone Homeschool
language learning software was ideal. Rosetta
Stone
provides dozens of different foreign languages like Latin
,
Spanish
,
German
,
Italian
,
Arabic
,
and Chinese
The fastest way to learn a language may be through **Transparent
Language's Learn Language Now! 10.0 and get $20 Off .
They guarantee their program and offer 25%
off orders of $75 or 30% off orders of $100. I've downloaded the
"Before You Know It" demo and it does look promising! We already
have Rosetta Stone, though, so let me know how well you like this program
if you decide to use it. Transparent
Language says you'll quickly learn common words and essential phrases.
The program is available in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian,
Arabic, Latin, Portuguese, Swedish, Dutch, Polish, and Multi Language.
Another popular
Foreign Language provider that uses visually based software is **PowerSpeak (formerly called Power
Glide).
The languages provided by PowerSpeak
are Spanish, French, German, and Latin. PowerSpeak
is an award-winning leader in foreign language study for home schooling
and individualized learning. This program offers age-relevant language
courses for children, teens, and adults. Using various learning methodologies
and more than 25 different types of activities, Power
Speak
is able to cater to every learning style. Exciting adventure stories
are threaded through each lesson to enhance students' progress as they
have fun.
Whichever language learning program or foreign language your child decides to learn, he will benefit from the exposure to different cultures and language structures. With American English deriving words from around the world, there may be more to learning a foreign language than is outwardly obvious. For Fun, you might want to check out our Playing with Foreign Languages International Studies page.
I Hope this
information helps you decide!
SandyKC