Despite its reputation as a pursuit reserved for older students, Latin offers a surprisingly rich set of cognitive and linguistic tools for children in the early stages of literacy development. This paper argues that structured engagement with Latin at the primary level can meaningfully support emergent readers across several interconnected dimensions: phonological awareness, morphological understanding, vocabulary acquisition, and metalinguistic reflection. Drawing on research in reading development, vocabulary studies, and second-language acquisition, the paper examines the mechanisms by which Latin instruction produces transferable literacy gains. Latin's highly regular phoneme–grapheme correspondences offer early readers a decoding environment with fewer irregularities than English, reinforcing phonics principles. Its transparent morphological structure — roots, prefixes, and suffixes that recur systematically across English academic vocabulary — provides young learners with a generative framework for word-level comprehension. Studies suggest that even brief exposure to Latin roots significantly improves children's ability to infer the meaning of unfamiliar English words, with particular benefits for pupils from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Beyond vocabulary, Latin instruction cultivates a quality of linguistic attention that supports comprehension and writing development across the curriculum. The paper concludes by discussing practical models of Latin delivery at primary level, including the Iris Project and similar programmes in the United Kingdom, and by addressing common objections to the teaching of Latin to young children. Rather than a luxury, Latin emerges as a powerful tool for equity in literacy education.

Authors:
Darren Lester, University of Reading, United Kingdom

About the Presenter(s)
Mr Darren Lester is an Ed.D. research student at Reading University. His research interests include the holistic benefits of language education, language teacher identity and the role of CPD in teacher careers.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-l-541280299

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Darren-Lester

Additional website of interest
https://substack.com/@darrenlester1

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