Bite Size PD

Bite Size Professional Development

"Teaching Hebrew - Let's Do it Better" is a series of 3-minute reels that offer Hebrew teachers and tutors easy-to-implement teaching strategies in part-time/synagogue education programs.

This page is set up to make it easy for teaching staff to access reels that personally interest them AND to enable directors to set up PD opportunities that open conversation with staff about potentially new (and research-based) strategies for teaching decoding (a list of ideas has been started at the bottom of this page).

The full playlist in YouTube format is here.

so many reels! which will you choose?

Start here to learn the definition of three words and one phrase that are used consistently in the rest of the collection. This context helps set the scene!

Learn a variety of ways to introduce Hebrew letters more intentionally using strategies that build multiple learning pathways in the brain, thus strengthening retention.

Too many of our students do not remember all their letter names, shapes and sounds, even after multiple years of learning. This video offers strategies that help build stronger neural pathways for students, especially those at the beginning of their AlefBet learning journey. The ideas here also work with older students who have AlefBet letter gaps.

Most teachers and tutors ensure that their students learn the names of the Hebrew letters, but not all do so with the vowel signs. This raises the question whether students need to learn vowel names as well? With a "yes" answer, the video shares a highly effective (and fun!) movement-based chant for helping students learn the Hebrew names of the vowel signs.

In the fall of 2025, on behalf of Onward Hebrew, a group of Hebrew teachers began experimenting with more intentional ways of teaching Hebrew vowel signs. The results of their work was published in "Teaching Hebrew Vowel Signs." This video introduces the strategies and resources offered in the publication. Note that the same game-like strategies may be adapted to Hebrew letters, as well.

An easy-enough change in the learning materials offered to students can make a difference in decoding ability. This video explains why and offers a link to easy-to-access resources for teachers and tutors.
PS - The same kinds of materials help students more easily learn Torah and Haftarah verses. These sheets may be made using Sefaria.org's texts that include Torah trope signs.

Oy, listening to a student read Hebrew slowly and laboriously takes a lot of patience. But, allowing them to continue decoding this way is not the best strategy to help them to gain decoding fluency. [It's also not great for their self-esteem!] This video introduces a variety of successful ways to help students stop decoding Hebrew with a lot of hiccups!

When students are overwhelmed by all the Hebrew words on a page, word cards can minimize visual distractions that get in the way of smooth decoding. This video offers several creative ways strategies to use word cards.

Sound-B4-Print is a teaching strategy that helps students learn the words of prayers and blessings auditorily and verbally BEFORE they learn to decode the print on the page. The Onward Hebrew resource of the same name (linked at the end of the video) offers 12 game-like strategies that help students learn to recite prayers, leading to more fluent decoding. And, as you'll learn, no, this is not "cheating!"

This video opens conversation about the traditional goal in synagogue settings of "students being able to decode any Hebrew placed in front of them, fluently and accurately." In light of available learning time, it offers a robust, but more realistic goal for today's students ... achievable using many of the strategies offered in the other videos.

For directors / Supervisors
using the reels with staff

OPTION ONE: Share one reel with Hebrew teachers/tutors in a staff meeting or send it in advance for previewing at home. Then, provide time for staff to discuss its ideas using the format of "I notice, I appreciate and I wonder." After this discussion, challenge staff to experiment with one or more of the learning strategies offered in the reel, reporting back to the group at a future meeting.

OPTION TWO: During a staff meeting divide teachers into 3-4 groups, giving each one of the reels. Ask them to watch their reel and discuss its ideas, preparing to share them with other staff. Then, make new groups with at least one representative from each of the original ones. Teachers/tutors should share what they learned, offer impressions and launch into a broader discussion of options for teaching/ tutoring Hebrew. With this setup, also challenge staff to experiment with one or more of the learning strategies offered in the reel, reporting back to the group at a future meeting.

OPTION THREE: Choose one video to view with a teacher or tutor in a one-on-one supervisory session.

OPTION FOUR: Be creative! How else can you use these reels?

Bring your comments, questions and challenges to the
Onward Hebrew Facebook group!

Bite Size Professional Development

so many reels! which will you choose?

For directors / Supervisorsusing the reels with staff

For directors / Supervisors
using the reels with staff