Help New Readers Bridge Hebrew Decoding and Meaning
The beginning of a new school year is a great time review basic reading skills and introduce new readers to larger texts.
"Students become stronger Hebrew learners when they can read text that balance between ease and challenge, are meaningful to them, and that provide context as they progress," says Dina Maiben, director of the Hebrew programs at Gratz College.
Build students' confidence and vocabulary with Shalom, Reader: 57 Hebrew Activities to Show What You Know, created by Maiben, which offers a new way for emerging readers to practice decoding skills in a meaningful way.
Shalom, Reader introduces students to a family and its pets, and follows them through simple stories and scenarios that are familiar to children, such as holiday celebrations, school, family, time, and the weather.
Activities are built on vocabulary that overlaps with the Bible and siddur as well as Jewish culture, making Shalom, Reader an excellent bridge between a Hebrew primer and more complex texts from a reading or prayer learning program.
Each chapter of Shalom, Reader also has games to help students practice and demonstrate their Hebrew vocabulary comprehension, such as Tic-Tac-Toe, Connect the Dots, and Four-in-a-Row.
A downloadable teachers' guide, also written by Maiben, provides specific ideas for enriching the activities, and also includes strategies for teaching the material in remote learning environments. Maiben is also the author of classic Hebrew primers Alef Bet Quest and Z'man Likro.
Shalom, Reader is now available through Behrman House, or on Amazon.
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