Greek "n" Stuff Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! - Level 3 (ElementaryLevel Review)

Way back when I started homeschooling with my Eldest, over a decade ago, I decided to introduce her to a smattering of many languages, and when the occasion arose, we used Greek 'n' Stuff 's Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! Level 1. When the opportunity turned up through the Homeschool Review Crew to try it again with my Youngest, we went for it, using the Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! - Level 3 Set, as recommended for his 4th grade age.  *Other Crew Members received
Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! - Level 2, while others received Bible Studies (in either KJV or NIV on Jonah and Ruth, Esther, I Samuel, and Acts. Be sure to click through the link at the end of my review to see what they thought about these other products.

We received a Biblical Greek Worktext, a full Biblical Greek Worktext Key, and a pronunciation CD for levels 3 and 4.

FIRST THINGS FIRST
The Answer Key is the first thing to read through, with a letter to the Parent/Teacher. This is followed up with a suggested schedule of lessons, with specific teacher tips and "helps" as needed. Those can be looked over prior to each week's lesson. It should also be noted that these "lessons" have been created for those who prefer a lesson approach. The initial set-up for Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! intended for the student to work on one page per day, and I think this is the perfect pace! :) However, for the sake of ease, I will be referring to the lesson grid placed over that framework throughout my review.

STUDENT WORKTEXT

Old Version on Left, New on Right
Isn't it pretty? ;) 

The student worktext has been updated since the version I used years ago~ it's a very nice spiral bound text with full color glossy cover pages, which can help with wear and tear. It was suggested that Level 3 was a good place to start with an upper elementary child, or someone who had completed Level 2.

The first two lessons review the Greek Alphabet, and then move into review vocabulary in the next two lessons, and after that it is all new material for everyone, including those who have done Levels 1 and 2.

From our experience this summer (which may have partially been a result of the "summer vacation" vs "summer schooling" mindset of my Youngest, in addition to his specific personality), I would actually recommend going through Level 1 first, regardless of age, to give your student a solid foundation in the Greek Alphabet. Focusing on fewer letters at a time, adding in review after every 3 or 4 letters or so, and having the alphabet flashcards to practice with would be very helpful prior to jumping right in. You could always speed up some of the lessons if they are catching on quickly, but I really do think the extra time spent and "drill" via matching games, etc... are extremely useful if you want your student to enjoy the process.

Because the Greek alphabet is so different from English, and yet in some ways very similar it was very confusing for my son to jump in as quickly as Level 3 does, and he decided right off the bat that he didn't like Greek very much. Not quite the outcome I was looking for (he is also a very different child from his two older siblings, who enjoyed the puzzle of new languages...).

Because this was such a struggle for him, I decided that we would really chill out the pace of the lessons, and do as I mentioned above, using some of the practice ideas from my old Volume 1 manual, then have him redo the first three lessons in Volume 3 after that. As a result so we didn't really get into the meat (lessons 5 and up) of Volume 3 just yet. However, I can give you a good idea of what they look like.

The first part of the lesson introduces something new, with three or four pages following that offer practice with the new concept or vocabulary as well as review of some of the previous lessons. Once the alphabet has been mastered, this is a very good pace to follow.

 

I really appreciate that the practice pages are engaging, and use different formats for review instead of the same thing over and over again. This should definitely help to keep it fresh for the students. These are some of the "fun" pages that are sprinkled amongst the more typical pages shown above.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention again that we were sent a CD with a pronunciation guide, which is very helpful, especially if you have an auditory learner. It always sounds different when spoken by someone who knows the language well than the version heard int the head when read... ;)

While the timing and pace for this level weren't optimal for my son this summer, I have to say that this is one of the more engaging, simple worktexts for teaching a foreign language that I have seen. It reminds me of Explode the Code for teaching English. Not a lot of bells and whistles, and just enough variety to keep the child engaged. A super choice for those who are easily distracted by color and noise on a page.

  Not So Nutty Nitty Gritty 

• Company: Greek 'n' Stuff 
• Product: Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! - Level 3 Set
• Ages: Upper elementary 
• Student Workbook $21.95
• Full Text Key $21.95
• Pronunciation CD Levels 3 and 4 $10.00 
• We weren't sent these, but I think the optional flashcards on a ring are a great option to consider! 

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Blessings~

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