I start seminary again in a couple of weeks and as it gets closer (and now that I have textbooks in hand not to mention cute pencils from my friend Ali) I'm getting super excited. I love to learn!
I'm just taking one class this semester to ease back into school--especially since we are homeschooling again this year. Toben is encouraging me not to spread myself too thin and I'm listening to him. (There's more to that, but that's another post.)
All that to say, I'm taking Greek on Monday nights.
So I've already started learning the alphabet (alpha, beta, gamma, delta...) and some grammar (breathing marks, dipthongs, and diaeresis) and have begun some of the worksheets in my workbook. I figure if I can have the alphabet down by the time class starts, I'll be good to go.
Because eta looks like an "n" but makes a long "a" sound. And nu makes the "n" sound but looks like a "v." Not to mention some letters like xi (no idea how to say that one!) which look like funny squiggles. I totally love it.
Here's the super fun part of it. I've wanted to add a foreign language to our homeschool curriculum, but don't really like the options I've found so far. I do have a degree in French (and actually used it for my first job out of college--worked for a French software company in Paris for a summer), but without a good curriculum, I'm not sure about teaching the girls French.Then my friend Wendy said, "Aren't you taking Greek this fall? Why don't you juts teach them Greek?"
Well, duh!
So Audrey and Emma are learning biblical Greek this fall too. I figure I should do well in the class if I'm coming home and teaching the girls what I'm learning at the same time. Nothing like teaching something to make you really, really learn it!
And truth is, I use Greek (even though I haven't learned it yet!) with some regularity. Word studies in my quiet time are one of my favorite things to do, so I figure it'll come in handy for the girls too.
And how neat for them to be able to read the New Testament in Greek at 9 and 12. How cool is that?
Awesome! My school starts on the 31st! I can't wait! I love to learn too! :)
Posted by: Teri Butcher | August 13, 2010 at 07:01 AM
Love this post. First of all, my brother is in seminary and they homeschool their three kiddos (8, 6, 4) and they know a bunch of Greek!
AND. When I taught 5th/6th grade gifted and talented, we did a few big productions as part of our World History curriculum. We spent a couple months with the Ancient Greeks and sang a song to the tune of A, B, C, D (Twinkle, Twinkle).
That was 11 years ago, but I was driving in the car Monday and started singing it out of the blue. And remembered it somehow! I probably don't them all spelled right, but here goes:
Alpha, beta, gamma, delta. Epsilon, zeta, eta, theta, iota. Kappa, lambda, mu, nu, xi. Omicron, pi, rho, sigma, thau. Upsilon, phi, chi, psi, omega. Now you know the Greek alpha-beta!
:)
Posted by: Marla Taviano | August 13, 2010 at 07:17 AM
Oh, I can't wait to follow this adventure!
Posted by: angela | August 13, 2010 at 08:14 AM
Joanne, This doesn't apply to this particular post but I couldn't find where to email you on your blog site.
I'm wondering if you know of any books or resourses where I can learn more about "blessing" in the Bible. I'm just finishing a Bible study on the book of Ruth and the blessings given to Boaz when he accepts the role of kinsmen-redeemer and then the women of the town blessing Naomi has just intrigued me and I want to know why it isn't a part of our Christian practices now, or at least not in my experience. I'm hoping you might be able to point me in the right direction.
Thanks! Good luck with learning & teaching Greek! Exciting!
Gretchen
Posted by: Gretchen | August 13, 2010 at 12:17 PM
Hooray - I am so glad you are all learning this together. What an adventure. Can't wait to hear more.
Posted by: wendy | August 15, 2010 at 07:35 AM