Last week I was so impressed by the way that Nitzanim (“Buds” for 1st/2nd grade) children willingly and confidently practiced the chavrutah (partner text study) skill of hearing the voice of the text and restating what they heard in their own words. (Click here for the blog post). We’re continuing to practice the skills of taking turns speaking, making eye contact, and using our own words to express what the text said.
This week, we’ve added a second step to our text skills—wondering about the text. Children have wholeheartedly embraced this next step, and the questions and interpretations are pouring out!
First, we wondered what that “fine, flaky thing” might be or look like. We thought “snow,” “cornflakes,” “quail psoriasis,” and “crustless bread” among other ideas.
Exploring ideas about the “flaky stuff” with collage materials.
Then, I really let children loose to wonder freely. Children had FORTY different questions about the text! Here are only a few examples of our questions:
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Why would Adonai give them bread?
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Wouldn’t the bread get dirty?
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Why would they eat bread instead of something else?
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How did Moshe know it was bread?
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What if there’s not enough bread?
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How long is the bread gonna last?
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Why would he [God] even bring bread and not water?
Using collage to ask and answer questions about the text.
