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Intro: The students were able to find the words on the second page of the worksheets but weren’t able to do the matching. So it was back to the drawing board for another way of teaching it so it sticks. I asked the students questions from each line. “What word in line 1 tells us that Hashem made the world with his words?” שאמר This specific reading of the text led to some very interesting questions that showed a deep comprehension. Why does it need to repeat the word מלך so many times? (we discussed themes in poetry.  I have a son in the class so I know thatRead More →

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So, I was really excited about http://www.nakdan.com/Nakdan.aspx but it was only a trial period and I used it to much in the trial period. I realized that I loved not having to put in nekudos. I like nakdan, From what I could tell in the Israeli reviews was that it works 85% of the time. Then I found out that Dagesh Pro was on sale for $69.95 and it comes with 10,000 graphics and auto-nikud. The extra features from Dagesh seemed worth the extra $20 that came with the shipping and tax.  I’ll let you know how it goesRead More →

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Language is learned visually. A mother says “shoe” to a baby as she dresses him. She points to her nose and names it. I try to provide as many visual cues for all my hebrew vocabulary lists. It takes me so much time to find the right Here is a great resource for this which requires a number of extra steps but will save you so much time having to find all the pictures yourself Word lists Enchanted Learning – An English Picture Dictionary Choose a topic –  Select all the pictures on the web page & Copy (Ctrl-C)   Make a usable format for theRead More →

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Are you looking for some hands-on science curricular materials Free: check out http://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&tbo=1&q=Carolina+Biological+Supply+Co&btnG= for older versions of hands on science units that still have what to offer. Also, you can go to http://www.caboces.org/mst/science-kits for some free science kits that meet NY State standards. inexpensive: Finally, http://www.espsciencetime.org/ who have science kits which are relatively inexpensive. It might cost you more to print out the science units on your own printer than to order theirs online.Read More →

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Click here for larger version אבד-lose, בטח-trust, בין-understand, גאל-save, גדל-grow, גור-live, גלה-reveal, דרש-seek, הלל-praise, הרג-kill, זבח-sacrifice, חלל-profane, ירה-shoot, יתר-remain, כבד-heavy, נבא-prophesy, נגע-smite, נוס-flee, נסע-travel, סבב-surround, ספר-tell, עזב-leave, פנה-turn, קבץ-gather, קדש-make holy, רוץ-run, רעה-shepherd, שאר-remain, שבע-satisfy, שוב-return, שכח-forget, שלך-send, שמח-happy, שנא-hate, שפך-pour, שרת-serve  Read More →

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Click here for larger version אהב-love, אמן-believe, בוש-embarrass, בכה-cry, בקש-seek, זכר-remember, חזק-strengthen, חטא-sin, חיה-live, יטב-do good, ישע-save, כון-prepare, כסה-cover, כפר-atone, כתב-write, לבש-dress, לחם-fight, לכד-capture, מלך-throne, נגד-tell, נגש-approach, נכה-hit, נצל-save, סור-turn, עבר-pass over, קבר-bury, קרב-bring close, רדף-chase, רום-raise, שאל-ask, שבר-break, שחת-destroy, שכב-lie down, שכן-dwell, שלם-complete, שמר-guard, שפט-judge, שרף-burnRead More →

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I made these online games a few years ago – they are arcade style games to learn the top 125 shorashim. I don’t teach this way anymore because I like to teach shorashim in context only but it might be a good review for the middle of the year. students.   Shorashim Common List 1  Click here for full screen version אכל- eat, אמר- say, אסף- gather, בוא- come, בנה- build, ברך- bless, דבר- speak, היה- was, הלך- go, ידע- know, יכל- able, ילד- birth, יסף- add, יצא- go out, ירא- fear, ירד- go down, ישב- sit, כלה- finish, כרת- destroy, לקח- take, מות- die,Read More →

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So, now that I am teaching elementary school, I have noticed how many texts for young kids don’t include nekudos. It really helps with comprehension but it is a pain to type out all the nekudos. I just found this resource that has saved me SO much time. Nakdan allows you to paste a short amount of text and it adds nekudos for you automatically.Read More →

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Before a new unit (1/2 perek – whole perek) a) the students try to translate every word/root/prefix/suffix on the PPP (pre-Perek-Prep) as they can.     I divide each section into 2-3 levels so the students can always feel mastery over a section. This mastery gives them confidence as well something for which to strive.  Pre Perek Prep for פרק ל. b) they look up the rest on the reference sheets in the front of their binder.  Vayeitzei Shorashim List  Vayeitzei Noun Word List Binyanim charts c) the students put flashcards for each word on large felt pieces. Orange is for verbs Yellow is for common nouns and adjectives.Read More →

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So many people come to my blog after googling “teaching shorashim.” Obviously this is a topic of great interest. Knowing hebrew roots (shorashim) is the foundation for being interested in learning independently.   In other words, the more basic hebrew vocabulary a student knows, the more likely he is to experiment and try to learn more pesukim on his own.  According to Jeanne Gunther, Students learn independently when they can understand 94% of the text. Instruction takes place when they understand 90-94% of the text. Frustration comes when they know less than 90% of the text. The goal is to have the students at the 90-94%Read More →

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I spent some time teaching students who insisted they couldn’t translate a pasuk. I tried to create a systematic way of reaching them. Here are my ideas Rationale for system – The best learning comes through authentic involvement in the process. The process is modeled after being an apprentice rather than a student. An apprentice is involved to the best of his ability, while a student is perceived as an empty vessel to be filled by the teacher. To be authentically involved, the student must be provided with scaffolds so that they can act like the experts and can learn gradually how to be an expert. TranslatedRead More →