Based on the overwhelming success of our 1:1 Hebrew sessions in 2020-2021, we plan to continue offering 1:1 Hebrew sessions in 2021-2022. Children have loved this special time with their educators, and we’re seeing Hebrew learning grow by leaps and bounds as educators are able to develop individualized learning strategies.
Here’s what you can expect:
- Children will be assigned to an educator and will schedule directly with that educator.
- Sessions will be offered on Tuesday afternoons (in-person and online); evenings (online); and a few sessions Sunday mornings (in-person and online).
- For in-person Hebrew sessions, enroll for Super Tuesdays! Children in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade can enroll in Super Tuesdays. On Tuesdays, we’ll offer Jewish after-school care that includes mixed-age play, snack, outside time, homework time, and 1:1 Hebrew time. Super Tuesdays do not count toward the two-days-per-week schedule for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.
- While Hebrew 1:1 sessions are optional for nursery through second-grade children (but we recommend starting Hebrew young! See why below.), they are included in the curriculum for third through fifth grade.
- Hebrew sessions are about 20 minutes.
- Scheduling for 1:1 Hebrew sessions will take place in the fall.
Hang on. Will my child still learn Hebrew during their regular session?
- Absolutely! Children of all ages will still hear and speak Hebrew onsite just as they always have. They’ll still practice a daily Hebrew snack time routine, use Hebrew color names when referring to tushim (markers), and sing Hebrew songs at pegishah (meeting).
How will this shift benefit my child?
- Our Hebrew curriculum is based in research which demonstrates the importance of children developing a strong aural and oral foundation in a language before they learn to read it. What that looks like at the Jewish Enrichment Center is hours and hours of young children listening, speaking, and playing with Hebrew words before we ever ask them to decode (sound out) written Hebrew.
- A 1:1 Hebrew session lets us keep the best parts of our onsite aural and oral Hebrew program while strengthening and individualizing Hebrew decoding and prayer-learning.
- In a child’s fourth grade year, if appropriate, we begin teaching a child to decode.
- Here are some of the benefits of learning to decode in fourth grade:
- By fourth grade, children know LOTS of Hebrew words and it’s easier for them to sound out words they know and understand.
- By fourth grade, children have heard LOTS of Hebrew words and are more familiar with the patterns of sounds in Hebrew language, so they can self-correct.
- By fourth grade, many children are proficient readers in English. They can draw upon the strategies they used when learning to decode English and learn to decode Hebrew quickly with (hopefully) little frustration.
- While 1:1 Hebrew sessions are optional for nursery – second grade children, we do recommend starting these sessions before third grade! Read more below.
What are the benefits of enrolling my nursery – second grade child in 1:1 Hebrew sessions?
- Children nursery – second grade who enroll in Hebrew sessions develop mastery of Jewish life vocabulary – words that Jewish people around the world know and use. Children gain fluency with the symbols and rhythm of a Jewish year more quickly. A dedicated Hebrew session with a beloved grown-up means that a child will hear and speak Hebrew words even more often!
- These children often feel great confidence and pride in their Hebrew knowledge by fourth grade, giving them a stronger motivation to “crack the code” and learn to sound out Hebrew. Sometimes children’s brains switch fairly seamlessly into decoding before fourth grade. We can work with your child to begin decoding Hebrew if that’s the case.
What does 1:1 Hebrew cost?
- 1:1 Hebrew is included in your Sunday/after-school tuition!
- If you would like your child to only participate in 1:1 Hebrew sessions outside of our flagship Sunday/after-school program, tuition is $750 for the 2021-2022 school year.
We’re here to chat!
If you have any questions or concerns about our Hebrew program, we’d love to talk! Reach out to Sara (sarag@jewishenrichment.org) directly. We look forward to hearing from you!
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