Summer Hebrew Assignment First Week (Week of 7/10 Class)
1. Master lines 1-21 of the Avot V'Imahot, use the CD, practice 10 minutes every day.
(Prayer fluency 60 seconds for lines 1-21; students have transliteration pages for parents use only)
2. Go to www.anshetikvah.org and print out Reading Practice 1 and practice once a day.
(Parents can print transliteration page to study with their child)
3. Get your assignment page signed every day you practice for 10 minute or more.
PRACTICE TIMING PRAYER READING
In each year of Hebrew, different prayers and blessings are covered. Our goals for each year are to have all the
students learn some of the vocabulary from the prayers, learn about the background of the prayers, learn to read
the prayers well enough to participate in the services while someone else is reading and eventually read the
prayers well enough to lead the service, which they have the opportunity to do for the first time when they
become Bar/Bat Mitzvah. In order to achieve these goals, it is necessary for the students to obtain a certain
level of fluency in the reading of the prayers. Because most people cannot tell if they are actually reading
fluently enough to keep up at a service, we offer the study tool of giving students an amount of time in which a
prayer should be read. This way, each child knows when he/she is practicing whether they are in fact reading
the prayer with fluency.
SUGGESTED TIME GUIDELINES
BARCHU
10 SECONDS
SHEMA
10 SECONDS
BLESSING OVER WINE
10 SECONDS
BLESSING OVER BREAD
10 SECONDS
SHABBAT CANDLE BLESSING 15 SECONDS
SHEHECHEYANU
10 SECONDS
MI CHAMOCHA
25 SECONDS
AVOT V’IMAHOT
60 SECONDS
V’AHAVTAH
75 SECONDS
GEVUROT
60 SECONDS
OSEH SHALOM
10 SECONDS
AYN KAYLOHAYNU
45 SECONDS
BLESSING BEFORE TORAH
20 SECONDS
BLESSING AFTER TORAH
20 SECONDS
BLESSING BEFORE HAFTARAH 40 SECONDS
BLESSING AFTER HAFTARAH 60 SECONDS
ALAYNU
45 SECONDS
KIDDUSHA
20 SECONDS
KIDDUSH
50 SECONDS
MOURNER’S KADDISH
85 SECONDS
BIRKAT HAMAZON
155 SECONDS (2 MIN. 35 SEC.)
SOME SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO STUDY
Hebrew is a great language, and is a lot of fun to learn. Sometimes, though, you practice a lot and it
doesn’t seem to do much good. To help make the most out of the time you put in practicing, try these tips.
Study shorter sessions several times a week. Sometimes, we think that it is easier just to sit down and do all of
our Hebrew homework in one sitting. Your brain and your long-term memory, however, like it better when you
study many times for a shorter period of time. Try studying for 10 minutes at a time 5-7 times a week.
Read out loud. When you are learning Hebrew for conversation or for prayers, you are using the language out
loud. It helps you read better out loud if you practice out loud. Reading to yourself and reading out loud are
two different skills. Sometimes it feels like you are reading really well in your head, but you have a hard time
in class. Always practicing reading out loud will help a lot.
Master one section at a time. When you sit down to learn something new, a lot of people think they should be
able to master the entire lesson in one sitting. This is extremely difficult to do. Instead, try working one line at
a time. Try this method:
Step 1: Practice reading that line until you can read it perfectly. When you have
read the line perfectly three times in a row, you can go on to the next line.
Step 2: When you have read that line perfectly three times in a row, read both
lines two times.
Step 3: Only after you have read both lines together perfectly two times should
you go on to the third line.
Use this method of practicing to learn new material quickly.
Remember that the most important part of practicing is actually to practice! If you use these tips when
you practice, you will make Hebrew easier and class time much more enjoyable. B’hatzlachah! Good luck!
READING PRACTICE 1
Look Alike Letters - Read Aloud Study Guide for Students
Look Alike Letters - Read Aloud Study Guide for Parents