New Testament Greek – Memory Work

 

I love everything we learn in our Classical Conversations curriculum. It has opened my eyes to just how much we can memorize as a family through music and motion! While I see the value in learning Latin, I personally feel more challenged and earnest to learn New Testament Greek. Koine Greek is the language of the New Testament, and hearing the words of Jesus in the language he spoke is so incredibly motivating to me!  What greater gift than to enable your children (and yourself) to read the NT in its original language!

This desire has led me to try to find a way to lay a foundation for our kids to learn Koine Greek when they get older. The classical education model (and really anytime you try to learn something) starts with memorizing the basic vocabulary and ideas behind the topic before moving onto the application of those concepts. 

When I first decided to learn Koine Greek, I wanted to select a resource that would work for me, and for my kids when they get older.  After much research, I decided to use Bill Mounce’s Basics of Biblical Greek resource.  I will be using the textbook, workbook, and DVD’s, and Survival Kit for my own studies.  When the kids reach more of the logic stage, they too will dive into some of this resource.  For now, I want them to gain a foundation for the Greek language by studying the alphabet, declensions, and a handful of vocabulary words used in the NT.  To do this, we will use these worksheets to practice writing our letters, these flashcards (the ones under bullet point number 3) to memorize the alphabet and the sounds of the letters, and this awesome CD that contains the grammar rules all to music – YAY!!!  I am planning to spend four weeks on the Alphabet and sounds, then two weeks per track on the grammar CD.  Towards the end of the year we will memorize a few vocabulary words from Chapter 4.   I plan to repeat this basic memory work every year, potentially adding more vocabulary, until they are old enough to begin studying Mounce’s resource.  

Do you have aspirations of your family learning Koine Greek? I have posted our schedule in hopes that it might be useful for you!

 

Here is the information and weekly schedule, or you can Download it as A PDF Here.

Schedule for a 36 week school year:

Click the image to download the PDF

 

Necessary Resources:

• Use the “Greek Alphabet Flashcards, front and back” (no.3 in the post)
• Sing and Learn New Testament Greek
• Greek Vocabulary such as the ones found HERE (these correspond to the BBG text below).  You could also choose to make notecards of your own using the most common words in the NT.  List found HERE.

Useful Resources (especially if you want to learn more than the memory work):

• The Basics of Biblical Greek by William Mounce (BBG)
• The Basics of Biblical Greek Workbook by William Mounce
• Biblical Greek Survival Kit (includes vocabulary flashcards that correspond with BBG, as well as an AUDIO CD – great idea so you can hear the words pronounced correctly)
• Basics of Biblical Greek Video Lectures (DVD) by William Mounce
• — OR – Save a few bucks and get ALL OF THE ABOVE IN A KIT

Optional Resources:

• Greek Handwriting Worksheet – http://www.livingwaterbiblegames.com/greek-alphabet-handwriting.html
• Greek Alphabet coloring pages – http://www.livingwaterbiblegames.com/greek-alphabet-coloring-pages.html