HEBREW IN MOTION
8/9/12
Rationale
We are creating a new approach to midweek Hebrew with:
 Grade level classrooms that allow “buddies” to be in class together with a focus on
prayer meaning and skills
 Flexible, mixed-grade groupings of students that focus on Hebrew reading skills and
allow students to progress through skill levels at their own pace
 Weekly age appropriate t’filah experiences for each grade level
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
1. Prayer Classroom (grade level with buddies)
Students are assigned to grade level “homeroom” classrooms by buddy request. Teachers
will work on prayers according to their curriculum outline, using our own workbooks. Each
grade level focuses on a different section of the worship service. Prayer meaning, spiritual
exploration, and prayer reading/chanting skills are emphasized. Students not completing a
prayer in the allotted time will be asked to complete the prayer at home. Teachers will track
prayer completion using a chart in the classroom.
2. Hebrew Reading Skill Groups (mixed grades)
Students will be assessed at the beginning of the year by their grade level teachers and
assigned to one of nine mixed-grade Skill Groups. In this classroom, students will receive a
booklet with the activities for that Skill Group and work in chevruta at their own pace. The
teacher will serve as facilitator, assessing and tracking individual progress. Upon completion
of each page, students will check in with that group’s teacher for assessment. Completion is
determined by comfortable, fluent reading with very few mistakes. Once students have
completed a Skill Group booklet they will move to the next Skill Group with another teacher.
These groups will be fluid and allow students to move up at their own pace. Students will be
able to receive an ice cream certificate for completing Skill Groups Dalet and Zayin, as well
as a small prize for each Skill Group.
3. Snack and Break
Snack will take place at the end of each Skill Group session. A 15 minute activity break will
take place at various locations that teachers will be assigned to. A short 5-10 minute break
will take place in the classroom once a month on all-school t’filah days.
4. Mini-T’filah and All-School T’filah
Students will end the session by attending grade level worship services which focus on the
service section they are studying. This will give students the opportunity to put into practice
what they are learning and explore their spirituality and understanding of God. Once a
month, students will attend an all-school student led service. Parents are welcome to
attend.
Homework
Students will use their Skill Group booklet to review what they’ve studied during that week’s
group time as homework. The focus is to reinforce what they are working on in class.
Homework should be 30 minutes/week focusing on reading practice, and occasionally
including prayer review when requested by the homeroom teacher. We will try to create
sound files so that students can check their reading by using a CD. We eventually will post
the sound files online.
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HEBREW READING SKILL GROUPS
GROUP
Alef
SKILLS
OBJECTIVES
Hay
Letters
Three or more
syllables
focus on fluency
(timing games)
+ Hebrish
sing the aleph-bet song
identify the sounds of
the letter
Vav
name the letters
Silent sh’va
Sounded sh’va
writing practice
Double sh'va
Bet
Letters with "ah"
vowel
One syllable words
- open
+ Hebrish
One syllable words
- closed
Gimmel
Two syllable
words
Vowels
Look alike letters Hebrew
mem-tet, tzadik-ayin,
dalet-resh, yud-vavnun, hay-chet-tet,
samach-final mem, vavzayin, nun-gimmel)
Look alike letter
Heb & Eng
ayin-“Y”
(3 kinds)
Sound alike letters
+ Hebrish
Oh (vav and "vo")
Oh - dot
Shin & sin - "double
duty dots"
Zayin
Ach ending
Silent hay ending
Silent yud
Kamatz katan
("aw")
Eh (two kinds)
EE (two kinds)
A (two kinds)
accent marks
Ooh
Ay
Sh'va
Dalet
Final letters (two
syllable)
Chet
Mem
Nun
Tet
Tzadee
Reading Sentences
- Siddur
Reading for
Comprehension Basic
Conversational
Hebrew
AND
Fay
Reading for
Comprehension Children's Books
Chaf
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