Greek - recommendations please!

[Allearia]

My older son has been wanting to begin Greek. We have been doing Latin for almost two years, 1 1/2 with Lively Latin, then about 4 months of Latin Prep with a tutor, which we will hopefully begin again in a few weeks. So a high elementary/junior high level of Greek is what I am hoping for. Has anyone used the Beginning Greek course by Kristian Waite that Galore Park sells? Is this doable for someone with no experience? I will probably work with him and we will learn together, I won't just hand him the book. We prefer a secular approach which is why I don't know if some of the other Greek programs for younger students will work but am open to considering them.

 

Thanks!

[Allearia]

Anyone? Please? :bigear:

[Alphabetika]

Well, if you don't mind doing Bible verses as memory work (and you could skip these, I suppose), Elementary Greek by Open Texture Press is worth looking into. :)

[ELaurie]

EG. Well done, easy to use, includes an audio CD for pronunciation.

 

:iagree:

[Laura Corin]

Has anyone used the Beginning Greek course by Kristian Waite that Galore Park sells? Is this doable for someone with no experience? I will probably work with him and we will learn together, I won't just hand him the book. We prefer a secular approach which is why I don't know if some of the other Greek programs for younger students will work but am open to considering them.

 

Thanks!

 

I have no Greek background and we got on fine with it. I did search out some extra worksheets to help Hobbes with learning the alphabet, but otherwise the book was fine.

 

Laura

[christine in al]

That may inform your decision.

 

Are you wanting them to read the New Testament Greek, or classical writers.

I HAVE heard that one can move from Classical to Kione more easily than the other way. So Classical may eventually give you more breadth of material, But I have no first-hand experience.

 

Greek,,, cool. good for y'all.

~Christine in AL

[egomet_bonmot]

Assuming Attic Greek since allearia said secular...

 

We're going that route too and I highly recommend "Thrasymachus" by Peckett & Munday, long out of print. There's an online study guide to the book that's really great & comprehensive. For you as a parent teacher I'd add "Introduction to Attic Greek" by Mastronarde (who teaches at Berkeley btw). Is Cody's Books still there on Telegraph? They have a wonderful Attic Greek section.

 

Also "A Greek Boy at Home," available for download from Google Books. A guy in Australia teaches from that text in a great series of podcasts.

 

Also on Google Books is "A Greek Ollendorff," geared for kids.

 

Finally the Yahoo boards, which often proceed through old intro textbooks like Rouse and classics like Plato etc in weekly manageable bites.

 

I find that Latinists read for their edification and Hellenists for love of the language. The momentum that builds while learning Greek is unlike any other subject imho.

 

Finally "Homeric Greek: A Book for Beginners" by Pharr, which in its intro makes a powerful case for starting kids off with Homer (& *not* Xenophon) after their first Attic grammar.

 

My kid and I start the Iliad in a month, her sixth birthday. :-)

[freerange]

My kid and I start the Iliad in a month, her sixth birthday. :-)

Are you using these materials with your 6yo? All the material I've seen for younger children has been Koine Greek.

[egomet_bonmot]

You're right that virtually all Greek instruction published today for kids is Koine. Almost all the Attic books I listed above are ~50-100 years old, when Attic Greek took pride of place even over Latin for college-bound kids. They're all quite good & maybe geared for beginners a little older, say 8-10. I also agree with a previous poster that knowledge of Attic makes Koine a breeze, no additional study necessary.

[Gratia271]

We are using Athenaze, and my daughter has fared well with it so far.

[Laura Corin]

You're right that virtually all Greek instruction published today for kids is Koine. Almost all the Attic books I listed above are ~50-100 years old, when Attic Greek took pride of place even over Latin for college-bound kids. They're all quite good & maybe geared for beginners a little older, say 8-10.

 

It's a modern Attic text.

 

Laura

[Allearia]

Assuming Attic Greek since allearia said secular...

 

We're going that route too and I highly recommend "Thrasymachus" by Peckett & Munday, long out of print. There's an online study guide to the book that's really great & comprehensive. For you as a parent teacher I'd add "Introduction to Attic Greek" by Mastronarde (who teaches at Berkeley btw). Is Cody's Books still there on Telegraph? They have a wonderful Attic Greek section.

 

Also "A Greek Boy at Home," available for download from Google Books. A guy in Australia teaches from that text in a great series of podcasts.

 

Also on Google Books is "A Greek Ollendorff," geared for kids.

 

Finally the Yahoo boards, which often proceed through old intro textbooks like Rouse and classics like Plato etc in weekly manageable bites.

 

I find that Latinists read for their edification and Hellenists for love of the language. The momentum that builds while learning Greek is unlike any other subject imho.

 

Finally "Homeric Greek: A Book for Beginners" by Pharr, which in its intro makes a powerful case for starting kids off with Homer (& *not* Xenophon) after their first Attic grammar.

 

My kid and I start the Iliad in a month, her sixth birthday. :-)

 

Thanks so much for the detailed info! It is Attic Greek that we are interested in i possible. Unfortunately Cody's has gone out of business :sad: but I will definitely look around for these. It is great to hear from someone so passionate about the subject! How long have you and your daughter been studying Greek? What a unique birthday present, I'd love to hear how it goes with a young kid!

 

Just yesterday I got a notice that someone is setting up a Greek class for 9-12 year olds and my son was jumping up and down excited. I am hoping they will let him take the class even though he is not quite 9. They will be doing Athenaze and also doing some culture and literature studies, starting with translations of the Homeric hymns and then learning to read some lines in Greek when they are able.

[Allearia]

I have no Greek background and we got on fine with it. I did search out some extra worksheets to help Hobbes with learning the alphabet, but otherwise the book was fine.

 

Laura

 

Thanks Laura! I thought I remembered you had used that one. It's great to hear that someone without Greek experience was able to do it.

[egomet_bonmot]

It's a modern Attic text.

 

Laura

 

You're absolutely right, I totally spaced Athenaze! Great for older kids imho and a better choice for the teaching parent than my recc of Mastronarde. Thanks Laura!

[egomet_bonmot]

Thanks so much for the detailed info! It is Attic Greek that we are interested in i possible. Unfortunately Cody's has gone out of business :sad: but I will definitely look around for these. It is great to hear from someone so passionate about the subject! How long have you and your daughter been studying Greek?

 

About three years (since she was three) just basically lumped the time in with English. I'm only ok with the language, lots of mistakes, but father & daughter sure do love it so far. I've gotta credit Thrasymachus for moving her at a pace faster than I could ever have hoped for. It's a Greek reader in dialogue format with a great story, a boy's trip through Hades Dante-style. The interest never wanes.

 

Just yesterday I got a notice that someone is setting up a Greek class for 9-12 year olds and my son was jumping up and down excited. I am hoping they will let him take the class even though he is not quite 9. They will be doing Athenaze and also doing some culture and literature studies' date=' starting with translations of the Homeric hymns and then learning to read some lines in Greek when they are able.[/quote']

 

Man, a class like that sounds great! And I was thinking of the hymns too! (Though they're by another author later than Homer & in Attic Greek I think). I forgot to mention the Perseus site at Tufts, which you might already know through Latin.

 

Also thinking of Theophrastus's "Characters", ~30 short chapters of satire on every Athenian personality type. *Very* funny and in straightforward Greek...

[Laura Corin]

You're absolutely right, I totally spaced Athenaze! Great for older kids imho and a better choice for the teaching parent than my recc of Mastronarde. Thanks Laura!

 

I haven't used that. I was talking about this.

 

Laura

[Allearia]

I haven't used that. I was talking about this.

 

Laura

 

I think all the quoting derailed things.... I knew which one you meant! Thanks! :001_smile:

[Allearia]

About three years (since she was three) just basically lumped the time in with English. I'm only ok with the language, lots of mistakes, but father & daughter sure do love it so far. I've gotta credit Thrasymachus for moving her at a pace faster than I could ever have hoped for. It's a Greek reader in dialogue format with a great story, a boy's trip through Hades Dante-style. The interest never wanes.

 

This is so great to hear about. I think when a parent is so enthusiastic about a topic - even one ordinary people would think very dry like Ancient Greek - a child can absorb that interest and love for the subject.

 

Man, a class like that sounds great! And I was thinking of the hymns too! (Though they're by another author later than Homer & in Attic Greek I think). I forgot to mention the Perseus site at Tufts, which you might already know through Latin.

 

Also thinking of Theophrastus's "Characters", ~30 short chapters of satire on every Athenian personality type. *Very* funny and in straightforward Greek...

 

This sounds great! I will definitely try to get the Thrasymachus as well. I am not sure how long the class will actually be (there is a 5 week trial, and sometimes others' interest in subject will not carry on long term), but hopefully it will get us started and introduced to the language and we can keep going with it.

[Guest AnnMarie]

My older son has been wanting to begin Greek. We have been doing Latin for almost two years, 1 1/2 with Lively Latin, then about 4 months of Latin Prep with a tutor, which we will hopefully begin again in a few weeks. So a high elementary/junior high level of Greek is what I am hoping for. Has anyone used the Beginning Greek course by Kristian Waite that Galore Park sells? Is this doable for someone with no experience? I will probably work with him and we will learn together, I won't just hand him the book. We prefer a secular approach which is why I don't know if some of the other Greek programs for younger students will work but am open to considering them.

 

Thanks!

 

I teach high school beginner Greek (9-12), and we use a Crosby and Schaffer reprint - Bolchazy-Carducci. I find it very satisfying - quite dense, but the exercises really make you learn. No anwer key that I know of, but I really didn't know much when I started, and now things are quite clear.

 

I hope that is helpful... sorry, I didn't read all the posts, maybe someone else has already suggested this.

 

Ann Marie