Το Μικρό μου λεξικό Free picture dictionaries

Some parents have requested summer review materials. I will try to post new material weekly to keep our little students speaking Greek over the summer.

The following are a series of picture dictionaries produced by ΚΕΔΑ for students in Greece learning Greek as a second language. There are four in all.

Picture dictionary #1

focuses on the Greek alphabet

Picture dictionary #2

focuses on the school environment

Picture dictionary #3

focuses on home, family and neighborhood

Picture dictionary #4

focuses on transportation, colors, clothing, seasons, time, weather and months.

I hope you enjoy these wonderful free Greek learning resources!!

Resources from the National Book Center of Greece

I know I say it all the time, but I am a big fan of Evgenios Trivizas! Every time I introduce his books to my students they are always so excited and really have a good time listening. Today in one of my Kindergarten classes, we began reading the book ΠΟΙΟΣ ΕΚΑΝΕ ΠΙΠΙ ΣΤΟ ΜΙΣΙΣΙΠΗ and we had so much fun listening for rhyming words in Greek.

If you would like to listen and follow along to one of Trivizas' books on-line for free take a look at The National Book Center of Greece's children's site mikrosanagnostis.gr. They have a number of books that children can listen to. A new book is added weekly, so make it one of your favorites and and introduce your child to the wonderful world of Greek authors and children's literature.

Happy reading!

What I'm using in 1st grade

Παίζω και μαθαίνω

reader/flashcards, workbook, teachers guide

This is my first year teaching 1st grade. Along with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese book Τα Ελληνικά μου, I am using this book. The teacher's guide is so helpful in helping plan out and execute the lessons! See for yourselves.

Kindergarten Curriculum- Αναλυτικό Πρόγραμμα Νηπιαγωγείου

The following is an offering from the Direct Archdiocesan District Office of Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North America.

In response to the need for a uniform course study for the kindergarten classes of the parochial day schools, the Direct Archdiocesan District Office of Education recently created a Curriculum for the Kindergarten to assist the teachers who teach Greek as second language to children of this age group.

Based on the developmental needs and the learning abilities of the kindergarten child, the Kindergarten Curriculum places an emphasis on oral communication and, at the same time, aims at instilling in the young learners a sense of pride, love and respect for the Greek cultural heritage and the Greek Orthodox faith.

The Kindergarten Curriculum is divided into 13 units, one of which refers to major religious holidays and customs. Each unit consists of the following: the general goal, the objective of each lesson, recommended activities and materials, basic vocabulary, phrases for oral communication practice, and a vast list of resources (songs, poems, stories, and games) to help teachers introduce each unit.

Teachers are advised to use the Curriculum as a “guide.” They may adapt it to the particular needs and abilities of their students and use various resources to achieve the general goal and the learning objectives of each lesson.

To download the curriculum, click here

Τα Ελληνόπουλα της ξενιτιάς

It's Greek Letters week! The Metropolis of Chicago annually hosts a week long celebration of Greek education and honors the Three Hierarchs: St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil and St. Gregory. Εvery evening during the week, various churches around Chicago host programs and speakers that have the same message... the preservation and continuation of the Greek language. Most Greek schools host their own programs showcasing their students, but there is also a Metropolis-wide program that brings many schools together to perform and present traditional songs, dances, skits and poems. The week ends with a Greek Letters luncheon where Hierarchs, clergy, Greek teachers and students enjoy an afternoon together and honor those students who excel in learning their "Greek letters".

Last Saturday the Metropolis-wide program was held, and as always, the children inspired us with their ability to sing, dance, speak and recite the Greek language. I have fond memories of the same type of performances in my youth ... but things were different, I was second generation Greek-American. My parents came to America in the 1960's and Greek was the language spoken at home. Many of these children on the stage last Saturday were 3rd and 4th generation Greek-American (and in many cases a little Italian, Irish, Polish, Mexican etc) They learn Greek at Greek school, and it is not necessarily spoken at home... and yet, their performances were fantastic! There were no stutters, or funny accents, only confident children proud of their Orthodox faith and Hellenic heritage.

Last fall, while attending a Greek school teachers seminar, a word came up... one that I don't particularly care for...τα Αμερικανάκια. Perhaps it is my own sensitivity to the word, being called that many times in my life, but the term Αμερικανάκι does not have a pleasant connotation to it... it implies that children of Greek heritage living in the United States are not quite Greek, but as many of us know, are not quite American either. We live in this limbo where the homeland of our ancestors doesn't quite understand us and the country that we live in find our faith, customs and traditions strange (don't believe me? Just take a walk with an Orthodox priest in his cassock to see how unaccepting America still is). What should we be called then?

I received a nice comment from the author of the blog To χαμομηλάκι where Time for Greek School readers were greeted as τα Ελληνόπουλα της ξενιτιάς..how beautiful is that?! It is a term that unites children all over the world who go to regular school and then go off to afternoon school to learn about a distant land and language. It unites all of those who left Greece to go to America and Australia, Germany and England, South Africa and Brazil, Hong Kong and Russia... we are all Ελληνόπουλα της ξενιτίας.. united by faith, language and culture. Lets keep all these Ελληνόπουλα in our prayers this Saturday as we attend Liturgy in honor of the Three Hierarchs of our church.

To learn more about the Greek experience in the diaspora, take a look at these books produced by Ε.ΔΙΑ.Μ.ΜΕ

Από τη ζωή των Ελλήνων της Διασποράς

Από τη ζωή των Ελλήνων στην Αυστραλία (Australia)
Από τη ζωή των Ελλήνων στην Αμερική (United States)
Από τη ζωή των Ελλήνων στο Βέλγιο και στην Ολλανδία (Belgium/Holland)
Από τη ζωή των Ελλήνων στον Καναδά (Canada)
Από τη ζωή των Ελλήνων στη Μεγάλη Βρετανία (Great Britain)
Από τη ζωή των Ελλήνων στη Μαύρη Θάλασσα (Black Sea)
Aπό τη ζωή των Ελλήνων στην Αργεντινή (Argentina)
Από τη ζωή των Ελλήνων στην Ν. Αφρική (South Africa)

Passport please

Wall in my classroom depicting various traditional costumes from Greece

The first semester of Kindergarten/Νηπιαγωγείο is dedicated to learning the alphabet and letter sounds. Each class session, we review a letter and break up into stations to do various activities related to that letter. Thanks to my parent volunteers, these stations usually include: a craft/project related to the letter of the day, letter recognition and reading skills with me, a game, and writing. Last Monday, we learned our last letter... so now we will be starting the fun stuff!

The second semester, we re-visit our letters, but also add in units that build vocabulary, counting skills, and general knowledge of Greece and Greek culture. In the next few weeks we will begin "traveling" to different parts of Greece. Each child will be given a "passport" to help them remember places they have visited. We discuss traditional costumes, local customs, as well as landmarks and history. I am often amazed with what my students remember, and what interests them.

Γεωγραφία Ε' Δημοτικού Μαθαίνω για την Ελλάδα

comes in handy when I prepare my lessons.

Music

Download traditional Greek song lyrics and sheet music to be used in class or at home from the Greek Minstry of Education and Religious Affairs' Παιδαγωγικό Ινστιτούτο.

Teacher's Edition Music Book for grades 1-6

http://pi-schools.sch.gr/dimotiko/mous_anth_a_st/dask/s_1_200.pdf

Παίζω και Μιλώ

Παίζω και μιλώ-I play and talk student book

http://ediamme.edc.uoc.gr/diaspora2/index.php?id=60,198,0,0,1,0

Παίζω και μιλώ-I play and talk student workbook

http://ediamme.edc.uoc.gr/diaspora2/index.php?id=60,204,0,0,1,0

Παίζω και μιλώ-I play and talk instruction manual

http://ediamme.edc.uoc.gr/diaspora2/index.php?id=60,205,0,0,1,0

Resources

The main reason this blog was created was to disseminate information about Greek education. Greek education in America has changed drastically since I was in Greek school. The demographics are different, lifestyles are different, priorities are different. There was no getting out of Greek school when I was younger, we never even dared to ask our parents to skip school, because we knew it was so important to them (1st generation) for us to learn the language of their homeland.. they needed that connection. They sacrificed and worked at factories and restaurants so we could have the best education, including Greek School, and in return they expected us to study. They expected us to be good Orthodox Christians and honorable "Ellinopoula". But as I stated before, times have changed and many things take priority over Greek school... baseball, birthday parties, life. Every family has its priorities, and sometimes, Greek education does not fit in... and there is nothing wrong with that, it just comes with the territory of being Greeks in the diaspora.

Thirty years ago, Greek textbooks used in America were the same ones used by Greek children in Greece. As a matter of fact, when I went to Greece at 8 years old, I went to school with my cousin and guess what... we were on the same lesson . These books worked then because mom and dad in most cases spoke Greek and if not, Γιαγιά and Παππού did and they would help with homework. But now the books used by children in Greece do not work for us. The Greek government knows this and spends a lot of money developing books to teach kids in the diaspora Greek (your talking about over 40 countries speaking that many different languages with kids learning Greek as a second language).

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has also started producing a series of leveled books (not grades) called Τα Ελληνικά Μου. These books have been created for the Greek American student, using stickers, music, a dialogue CD and a supplementary book that explains everything in English for the non-Greek parent who does homework with the child. Anyway, I can go on and on.

Please take a look at what the Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs and the Univeristy of Crete (Rhethymnon) in has produced for us...

http://ediamme.edc.uoc.gr/diaspora/index.php?yliko