When children get to make decisions about how they work and what they create, they build knowledge and learn self-management skills. Also, we’re all happy. This week, our 3rd – 5th grade Anafim (“Branches”) children buzzed with purpose, drive, and joy as we recalled so much knowledge about Pesach (Passover).
It felt wonderful to review Exodus 1 – 15 and see what questions we have this time through the text. We heard different things in the text, now that we’re older, and because we read it with a new partner.
Children chose Hebrew goals for themselves. What do I want to master for this year’s Passover celebration?, children asked themselves. Then children chose how they wanted to work towards mastery: alone or with friends, playing games or singing aloud. (It is a truly beautiful sound to hear children’s voices singing different Passover songs in Hebrew all at once!) We’ll continue to reflect on our choices and make new ones over the next few weeks.
