What's News!
Rosh Chodesh Shvat
Over the past few years I have created a number of different style Kriah games; Bingo, Path games, Matching and more!
While I was learning with Esther*, I noticed she was reading words backwards as we followed the path. The reason soon became clear when I took a closer look. As Esther followed along the path, the words sometimes needed to be read in reverse. The path began right to left and then switched, left to right. This switch created a big confusion when reading words. The words were now being read in reverse. To help fix this issue I created a new style path game. The same fun path, yet there are breaks at the end of each row. This enables the letters or words to be read in the proper direction.
Have fun!
*Name changed to keep anonymity
While I was learning with Esther*, I noticed she was reading words backwards as we followed the path. The reason soon became clear when I took a closer look. As Esther followed along the path, the words sometimes needed to be read in reverse. The path began right to left and then switched, left to right. This switch created a big confusion when reading words. The words were now being read in reverse. To help fix this issue I created a new style path game. The same fun path, yet there are breaks at the end of each row. This enables the letters or words to be read in the proper direction.
Have fun!
*Name changed to keep anonymity
Ideas from our fellow teachers.
Question: How can we encourage children to practice Hebrew reading over the summer?
2 ways to encourage Kriah practice over the summer.
1. I give students a calendar with 3 check boxes per day (Tefillah, Chumash, Kriah). The students need to daven daily. They need to practice kriah 4 days out of 7 and Chumash 3 days out of seven. If they check off all of the necessary boxes for a week they can e-mail me a picture of their chart and I mail them a small prize. If they complete the entire chart they get a really nice prize in the beginning of the following year.
2. In the beginning of the year we give our students a beautifully designed large print Tehillim. Any student that completes the entire Sefer Tehillim (must be read out loud to a parent) makes a Siyum. We make a big deal out of this Siyum - the child can invite any special visitors and brings in a treat for the class. Students who have not yet finished Sefer Tehillim are really really motivated to do so, so they can make a Siyum the following year.
Yaffa Wygoda
1. Have an ice cream party the first week after school starts. Create an amount of scoops and toppings depending on how many weeks they have done their summer homework. (i.e. 4 weeks gets you 1 scoop of ice cream, 6 weeks 1 scoop + 2 toppings etc).
2. Create a Hotline using a google voice number. Students call in and read a few lines. You can listen to it at your convenience.
Shulamis Bennish
North Carolina
1. I give students a calendar with 3 check boxes per day (Tefillah, Chumash, Kriah). The students need to daven daily. They need to practice kriah 4 days out of 7 and Chumash 3 days out of seven. If they check off all of the necessary boxes for a week they can e-mail me a picture of their chart and I mail them a small prize. If they complete the entire chart they get a really nice prize in the beginning of the following year.
2. In the beginning of the year we give our students a beautifully designed large print Tehillim. Any student that completes the entire Sefer Tehillim (must be read out loud to a parent) makes a Siyum. We make a big deal out of this Siyum - the child can invite any special visitors and brings in a treat for the class. Students who have not yet finished Sefer Tehillim are really really motivated to do so, so they can make a Siyum the following year.
Yaffa Wygoda
1. Have an ice cream party the first week after school starts. Create an amount of scoops and toppings depending on how many weeks they have done their summer homework. (i.e. 4 weeks gets you 1 scoop of ice cream, 6 weeks 1 scoop + 2 toppings etc).
2. Create a Hotline using a google voice number. Students call in and read a few lines. You can listen to it at your convenience.
Shulamis Bennish
North Carolina
Question: What are some ideas you plan on incorporating into your end of year / Siddur Party?
I am a first grade teacher and we have a Siddur party right at the end of the year. The first graders all know that the day of our Siddur party is like a Yom Tov for them because they are reaching a new level in connecting to Hashem. On that day the first graders come in black skirts or pants and white shirts. Each child is given a vest to wear for the ceremony. The girls have a black flower on theirs and the boys have a black bow tie
Prior to the party the children write down three things they await to ask Hashem for and three things they thank Him for. These ideas are written on fancy paper and glued into the Siddur. On the day of the party the parents who want to, can take a matching piece of paper and write a letter to their child which is also glued in. This is in addition to the poem which is on the book plate which the school makes.
The parents are called up to give the child their Siddur. After we sing some songs we have an ice cream party. I like to read the book "if a siddur could talk" after the party
Gili Segall
Prior to the party the children write down three things they await to ask Hashem for and three things they thank Him for. These ideas are written on fancy paper and glued into the Siddur. On the day of the party the parents who want to, can take a matching piece of paper and write a letter to their child which is also glued in. This is in addition to the poem which is on the book plate which the school makes.
The parents are called up to give the child their Siddur. After we sing some songs we have an ice cream party. I like to read the book "if a siddur could talk" after the party
Gili Segall
Question: What
are some tips you use, to help a child differentiate similar looking letters?
" I am a third grade teacher at Congregation Etz Chaim in Marietta Georgia and have taught third grade Hebrew for the past 17 years.
I have used various mediums to engage the students when learning their letters. A fairly new one is forming their bodies into the letters in yoga poses.
Clay is wonderful for the children to form the look alike letters. It is tactile and visual in that they can feel the letters and see their differences.
I also use magnetic letters so they can feel the letters and create imprints in the clay. I use plastic stencils so they color in the letters correctly and discuss the differences that they see.
A favorite is always forming the letters with shaving cream.
Keep up these terrific games, my class loves them."
Risa Mendelsohn
Atlanta
I have used various mediums to engage the students when learning their letters. A fairly new one is forming their bodies into the letters in yoga poses.
Clay is wonderful for the children to form the look alike letters. It is tactile and visual in that they can feel the letters and see their differences.
I also use magnetic letters so they can feel the letters and create imprints in the clay. I use plastic stencils so they color in the letters correctly and discuss the differences that they see.
A favorite is always forming the letters with shaving cream.
Keep up these terrific games, my class loves them."
Risa Mendelsohn
Atlanta