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In: Chinuch Tips, Theory

The Problem – we are all ignorant How many times have you read a Jewish periodical that bemoans how little our students know  about the fundamentals of our faith? These articles will extol the virtues of kiruv programs that teach these ideals to our students in a workshop or two. They quote students who were astounded. “How come I never learned this before?,” the students ask. This problem has been on my mind for quite some time. When I started to teach 3rd grade, I decided to try teaching the basics of our faith on a 9 year old level. I began devoting 5-10 minutesRead More →

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In: Chinuch Tips, Teaching Chumash

I am very excited about a recent innovation. Before the latest Chumash test, I sent a  letter to the parents to help them help their kids study. I got great feedback, the students felt successful when they came into the test and best yet – their scores went up – showing real learning had taken place! ************************************************************ ערב שבת,  פרשת שמות Dear Parents, This Wednesday, there will be a test on ________________________. Here are some ideas how to study for the test Test section How to study Checklist Translate phrases Review the פסוקים. Can I translate the Pesukim without the linear translation sheets?Which phrases doRead More →

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In: Chinuch Tips

School is starting in less than two weeks. When I began teaching third grade two years ago, I envisioned backpacks stuffed with crumbled up paper and homework never done. I found a third grade teacher who explained how to use a binder to teach organization and help students gain independence during homework. It has worked for the last two years, and I am excited to use the system again. Here is a write up I did the other year. **************** Goals: 1. Students will gain organizational skills 2. Students will be empowered to complete homework independently 3. Students will complete homework independently Materials needed: 1.Read More →

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In: Chinuch Tips, Downloads

[purchase_link id=”480″ text=”Add to Cart” style=”button” color=”blue”] Learning to read Rashi script was a highlight for many of my students this year. We took a full body approach to learning the new font. While moving, jumping and acting, my students learned their  letters with a lot of joy. Here is the teacher’s workbook. It has some tips about how to make the more confusing letters become very recognizable. The best idea was the rashi letter simon says. Read on to find out more. Rashi Workbook Teacher Edition 2012 Here is the student workbook Rashi Workbook 2012 Happy LearningRead More →

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In: Chinuch Tips

  I was searching for some hebrew handwriting practice and came across some great hebrew language resources from the place that is most logical – Israel! Summer work – http://kaye7.school.org.il/seasons_summer.htm#c2 http://halachayomit.com/rabassummer.html   http://kaye7.school.org.il/reading.htm – links to Israeli websites that have kriyah resources http://kaye7.school.org.il/eng/welcome.htm – Resources for Israeli teachers for reading, chumash, etc. http://www.kaleykaluli.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=21&id=34&Itemid=11 – stories for each new vowel and letter. printable http://www.etze.co.il/ – Lesson plans – Hebrew language vocabulary http://myfamilythoughts.wordpress.com/activitypages/ – Lesson plans – Look for the handwriting sheets in particular http://www.izmargadsys.com/ – Enrichment sheets – on science, yomim tovim, food, in hebrew http://www.yetzira.com/  Read More →

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In: Chinuch Tips, Teaching Chumash

The students learn a lot of new skills and vocabulary each perek. But what happens at the end of the perek? What do they need to remember and what can they forget? This is a process of learning that students must develop as they mature. New knowledge must be stored in the brain in an  easily accessible place. One way to help students understand the process that their  brain is doing  is to have them replicate this process physically in the classroom. After each perek, we empty the chumash section of the binder. The students discard the worksheets and staple the translation sheets together. TheyRead More →

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In: Chinuch Tips

Many chumash test questions are short answer and fill in the blank. I create grading stations in the back of the room for students to self-check their work. The reason I do this is I have found that the students take greater ownership when they are faced with their own mistakes. Some students are prone to skip questions, when they face the disappointment of grading a skipped question, they are less likely to do so in the future. The grading table is set up with answer keys and pens. Students come to the table with their test paper and that is all. I stand nearRead More →

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In: Chinuch Tips, Teaching Chumash

Inner/outer reviews are a great way to review a perek of learning. The desks in my class are set up as a U. Every other student takes his chair puts it on the inside of the U. He sits with his chumash facing his neighbor facing . I set my stopwatch for 2 minutes. The outer student reads the hebrew, the inner student translates. If either of them don’t know a word, they put a light pencil dot next to the word. After two minutes, the timer beeps (or quacks in my case). I poll the class about what was the average pasuk completed. IRead More →

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In: Teaching Chumash, Theory

Today was one of those days that teachers dream about. A chance to see all my efforts over the year come full circle. Here is how it happened. We only had three pesukim left to learn in Parshas Vayeitzei. I had the class read the pasukim aloud without teaching them at all. Of course, as we were reading about Yaakov meeting up with the melachim, the class exploded with questions. Was Yaakov in Eretz Yisrael? How could the melachim of Eretz Yisrael come to greet him as Rashi says? Which malachim did he send to Har Seir? Surely not the melachim of Eretz Yisrael. InRead More →

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In: Chinuch Tips

I hate grading papers. If you are a teacher, you probably understand. Grading papers ranks up there with folding laundry and dusting. And papers do need to be graded. So to help with the tedious work, I have been photocopying the assignments on transparencies, , writing the answers above the blank on  the transparency, and punching holes next to the answer blanks. I also punch a star in the top corner. If the paper is perfect they get the star gets colored. If the answer is correct, I color on the hole. Less thinking = less painful=less time = papers get returned.Read More →

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In: Chinuch Tips

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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In: Downloads, gedolim, Lesson Plans

List of Biographies Why teach Gedolim? Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel Rav Aharon Kotler Rav Henoch Leibowitz Chofetz Chaim The Rambam R’ Irving Bunim Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook Rav Yosef Sholom Elyashiv The Ramban Rav Moshe Feinstein Baal HaTurim Rav Ovadiah Yosef Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg Sarah Schnerir Rav Chaim Soloveitchik Chazon IshRead More →

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In: Chinuch Tips

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 →