Oct 16
In Shorashim (‘roots’ for nursery) and Shteelim (‘saplings’ for kindergarten), we have started listening to and playing our Torah theme text, Ya’akov v’Esav (Genesis 25:20-28), which you can find here. For many young children, the first time they hear a text like this, they might only be able to really hear a few words. In our case, the children …
Sep 13
Listen: the children are telling us what we need to know. This week at our end-of-session singing time, we asked children to tell their grown-ups what they love to do as a family and want to do more frequently. We asked children to tell their grown-ups what they wish their grown-ups would do less of. We …
May 04
Hey. Just because we can think critically and have long, respectful conversations to hash out our point of view (and absolutely adore doing it), doesn’t mean it’s the only way we like to learn. Please nurture the whole of us. We love to learn in so many, many ways. We like to learn outside. We like to ask our own …
May 04
You can hear the sound of children’s voices from out in the hallway. Inside of the ענפים (Anafim- “branches” for 3rd-4th grade children) classroom, ten eight- to ten-year-olds are sitting at tables, each across from a partner. And as each pair reads and discusses a Jewish text together, an ancient tradition called חברותא (chavruta- ‘friend,’ or learning partnership) comes to life. …
Jan 25
Joy: connecting with a friend to talk about stuff that matters is fun, and nourishing. To grow our communication skills: we learn to articulate our ideas. To gain Jewish literacy: to know my heritage. To increase sensitivity: we learn to hear more subtleties. We learn to hear the children in a more nuanced way. To imagine: if …
Nov 16
There are so many moments in a day when ענפים (Anafim– “branches” for 3rd-4th grade children) help each other with careful listening. For example: Carefully listening as a peer practices reading accurately, to catch mistakes and celebrate new progress Carefully listening, asking follow-up questions, and filming, as a peer presents his building of a scene from בראשית (bereishit– …
