I recently received an interesting question about mastering decoding: how long does it take? The educator who posed it was impressed by the fluency of children featured in a section of #OnwardHebrew's "Conquering the Challenge of Hebrew Decoding" webinar that was held in summer 2024. To hear what prompted this question, view this section of the webinar (I've cued it up where you'll catch a little context, but feel free to start a little farther ahead at 24:30; end your viewing at 26:44). The educator who posed the time-it-takes question specifically noted: It seemed that the students really were “master decoders” in the examples that were shared.  From what I could see, they were quite proficient.  She then asked how long it takes to achieve the skill of decoding to this level of mastery.

Indeed, one of the earliest stated goals of #OnwardHebrew is to develop learners who are competent and confident users of Hebrew. But interestingly, if one watches the children in the short video clips carefully, it is easy to see that they are not "decoding," a term that describes the building of words by sounding out letters and vowels. In English, we see this with a 5 or 6 year old who sounds out the letters in c-a-t or j-u-m-p. In Hebrew we would see this with a novice sounding out the Shin and the Kamatz at the beginning of the word Shalom before moving on to blend the other letters and vowel signs in the word. Decoding is often slow and laborious, yet, the children in the video were not struggling with the words at all.

And why not? The children in the linked video clip were not decoding, but rather reciting words and phrases and matching them to the print.  The first child starts by saying, "So when the teacher said 'gomel hasadim tovim' I knew that was in the middle of the prayer ..." Moreso, the child points to the words as he says them. Look and listen carefully - he is not decoding, but reciting a phrase that he knows and matches it to the print on the page. The same actions happen with each of the other learners featured in the video - they recite a word or phrase and can easily point to it on the page. Yes, they CAN decode, but what we see in these video clips are students who have mastered the blessing through the process of recitation, as well as the skill of basic decoding, and can match the two "sound-to-print."

When I teased out what was going on with these children, I admit to being amazed with what they and their teacher (Linda Duke) had accomplished. Linda later told me that they spend a fair amount of time in class learning to recite the prayers and blessings children are responsible for in their synagogue's curriculum. And then they do work sound-to-print. 

In my efforts on behalf of #OnwardHebrew the past few years, I have become convinced that in the time we have and with the Hebrew language skills our children bring to the table (like "not much"), it's an unfair expectation for our learners to become "fluent and accurate Hebrew readers" (or even decoders).** In addition, as many of you have heard from me: if all one can do is decode, one cannot pray at synagogue speed. To be a successful "pray-er" a person must learn to recite the prayers and blessings. But then the magic happens - with the ability to recite and with a knowledge of decoding, a person can pray competently and confidently, siddur in hand. And THIS is what I feel is a fair expectation in part-time Jewish education.

Thank you to Linda and her students for showing the way AND for the educator who sent me the question which forced me to take a closer look at what these video clips were demonstrating. And thank you to all who will take time to consider what this could mean for their own students, in their own program! It's time to change our expectations and to match our teaching strategies to these new goals.

** The video segment comes from the webinar, "Conquering the Challenge of Hebrew Decoding." On behalf of your learners, it is well worth taking 45 minutes of your time to view it to discover research from the "science of reading" as it applies to Hebrew decoding, as well as strategies that are worth our teachers/tutors learning to integrate into their repertoire. 

​

Full article in eJewishPhilanthropy.com, August 31, 2023. [Below includes just the first and last paragraphs]
https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/hebrew-learning-in-synagogues-a-call-for-change/
​
No need to go running for the ice buckets, but I’m officially throwing out a challenge to all involved in synagogue/part-time Jewish education to lower the emphasis on, and decrease the amount of time devoted to Hebrew decoding. We are a quarter of the way into the 21st century, but still holding onto a last-century Hebrew-learning goal — the fluent and accurate “reading” of Hebrew prayers. No, I’m not suggesting that we stop teaching the Alef-Bet, nor Hebrew decoding skills. Rather, I am challenging us to expand our Hebrew learning goals...

[The middle part of the article offers info from research on teaching reading, as well as Jewish historical realities that explain why we need to change our focus. Go read it!]

Hebrew has the potential to touch our children’s hearts if we expand our learning goals, moving beyond an almost singular focus on prayers. I challenge educators and clergy to invite stakeholders to new conversations about Hebrew learning goals and to reconsider their assumptions about successful Hebrew learning.

I also challenge colleagues to discover ways to create a more symbiotic relationship between Hebrew recitation and decoding. If a child can recite/sing G’vurot, can we not count that as an equal success to decoding it? And once a child can recite G’vurot, how can we help them complement their oral mastery of the blessing with the printed words on the page? This is relatively new territory – it needs all of our brain power.

The gauntlet has been thrown down! On behalf of our learners, will you accept the challenge?

*****
Rabbi Andrew Ergas, director of Hebrew at the Center, took the theme from the article above one step further in his own eJP opinion piece the next week: 
​https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/its-time-for-teshuva-for-hebrew-education/. His words can inspire us to consider how else we can be connecting our learners to Hebrew, whether within or beyond our doors.

[Updated 7/31/2024]
At its core, #OnwardHebrew is a grassroots initiative that supports sound-to-print Hebrew learning in part-time synagogue settings. The rest, as we say, is commentary. It is not formal curriculum, nor a prescribed list of do's and don'ts, but an approach based on the research of how children learn languages sound-to-print.

#OnwardHebrew had its beginning almost fifteen years ago when several education directors began chatting about their frustrations with Hebrew "reading" skills of children who completed sixth grade. Informally, the directors committed to piloting experiments that could change assumptions about Hebrew learning in part-time/synagogue settings.  In the fall of 2017, they gathered in Cleveland to share successes, challenges and hypotheses for future efforts. From this beginning, #OnwardHebrew launched.

Seven years later, what have we learned? 

• Indeed, it was time to challenge the decades-old assumptions of how to teach Hebrew in part-time/synagogue settings. In recent years, this became especially poignant in light of decreased annual weeks/days/hours for Hebrew learning and the much spottier attendance patterns of our students. 
• Over the years, Hebrew learning in synagogues had been tweaked, but not meaningfully changed. Often, the less success children had, the more years were added ("let's begin decoding in third grade instead of fourth", or "second instead of third") or a new textbook was purchased with its accompanying technology. However, those "in" with #OnwardHebrew have come to believe that success is achieved by adapting what we know about language learning to the parameters of synagogue educational environments. More time is not the answer, but a different approach is.
• #OnwardHebrew isn't "all or nothing." For some, it will be only about supporting their teachers in taking a sound-to-print teaching approach. Others will never move their initial decoding to fifth grade. Both are fine! There's at least one synagogue that is deeply committed to Project-Based Learning and doesn't want to interrupt the flow of learning by introducing Hebrew Through Movement. Not a problem! Really it's a "no judgement zone." Directors have to figure out what works for their program, but with commitment to sound-to-print learning that builds children's confidence and competence along the way. 
• There is no one way to adopt/adapt the learning approach. A couple of years ago, there were one-on-one conversations with three-quarters of the 44 education programs "in" (formally defined as On-the-Way or All In). Not one exactly matched another program. Read their stories here.
• Many places begin by experimenting with low-hanging fruit, often attention to Hebrew t'fillah or Jewish Life Vocabulary. Also, starting with a "pilot" allows time for continued conversations and reflection with clergy, teachers, parents and children.
• It can (and should) take years to fully bring the #OnwardHebrew approach into an educational program with serious planning, iterative reflection, lots of teacher support and patience. This is definitely not a one-and-done process!
• There is no set curriculum, required textbooks or structure. Choose what you wish! If Tiyulim works for you in introducing decoding, great. If you're working with one-on-one learning and want to try Let's Learn Hebrew Side-by-Side or Alef Bet Quest, go for it. If you like Hebrew in Harmony, then use it. Prefer the JEC's jPrayer curriculum, that's fine! Can't set up learning one-on-one? Do what works for you, but as you gain more experience, keep in mind the voices of your colleagues who say one-on-one is a game changer. As noted earlier, whatever you choose, the bottom line is supporting children sound-to-print. To that end, check this webpage with research-based strategies for teaching decoding in our part-time settings.
• While nothing is in stone/required, #OnwardHebrew has developed curricular supports for sound-to-print. Let's Learn Hebrew Side-by-Side was originally created for older students (5th grade up) who were learning decoding for the first time, working one-on-one (click on the "Explore 1:1 Curriculum." ​Hebrew Through Movement efficiently and quickly builds Hebrew language. For over 22 years, HTM's learning principles and supports have been refined; indeed, a deep revision of the curriculum guide was published in 2023. And an earlier JEC curriculum (jPrayer) teaches the Sh'ma and Its Blessings plus Amidah, sound-to-print. Use them, or not. Other than the online HTM seminar, all are available at no charge.
• The #OnwardHebrew Leadership Team developed new assumptions for Hebrew learning in the 21st Century. You might want to check them out here.

You don't have to go it alone! 

• I (Nachama) am happy to have a conversation with anyone interested in more info, in figuring if/how this could work in your setting, in helping you find just what you need on the OnwardHebrew.org website, etc. Contact me by email. 
• The #OnwardHebrew website is filled with all kinds of free-to-download resources. 
• Our Facebook Group is a good place to ask for help from colleagues. Also, ask around at conferences and talk with your local educator groups.

​
#OnwardHebrew started with innovators who were willing to experiment and share their successes and challenges. Early adopters soon followed. In these initial stages of development, the initiative worked on growing its cache of "existence proofs," stories that answer the question, "does this really work?"  Seven years later, #OnwardHebrew has not only grown its base, but education directors and synagogues across North America happily share their own stories of success and satisfaction.

If #OnwardHebrew won't work for your educational program, that's fine, really. But if you are intrigued and find yourself questioning or struggling, don't give up too early!  A change process takes time and benefits from outside support. How can we help?
Nachama Skolnik Moskowitz,
​on behalf of the #OnwardHebrew Leadership Team

​For decades, teachers have been told that students produce better answers when the teacher asks a question and then waits 3 seconds before asking a clarifying question or saying something else. The 3 seconds of "wait-time" gives learners time to process their thinking and produce a response.

But here's another application of wait-time ... I just read a recently published study that reports on the importance of having students learning new vocabulary wait 2-4 seconds before repeating a new word aloud.  And why? 
“When a person repeats a word immediately after hearing it, cognitive resources are dedicated to preparing the production of the word and, as a result, these resources cannot be used to deeply encode that word. In contrast, if production is delayed for a few seconds, this overlap is avoided, allowing deeper learning and encoding to take place."

So, I'm wondering a couple of things related to #OnwardHebrew:

• Is it possible that one of the reasons why Hebrew Through Movement (and the language learning process upon which it is based - Total Physical Response) works so well is that learners hear vocabulary and do NOT respond. Yes, it's kinesthetic (lots of credit for that!), but might this approach that gives the brain time to encode a word or command be another reason for its success? One conclusion from this study is that, "...the learning processes should focus more on listening rather than on production."  In HTM, we don't encourage any repetition of the commands and this seems to be where HTM gains its staying-power!
• In using Sound-to-Print "cueing" when working with Hebrew decoding, could asking children to wait 2-4 seconds before repeating the words or phrases, help their brains better encode the oral cueing offered to them by their teacher or tutor? This is just a minor tweak to offering cues when decoding S2P.

​I don't have answers to these two questions (nor do I know what this 2-4 second wait time would look like for the decoding process), but maybe someone would find this interesting to explore in their teaching. If you do, let us know what you discover via the #OnwardHebrew Facebook group!
​
Nachama Skolnik Moskowitz

I'm not sure where the phrase "breaking teeth" originated, but it has been used to describe the painful process of decoding, letter-by-letter. For decades, when new Hebrew learners (whether children or adults) have been asked to read aloud and the process is usually very very slow and laborious - they "break their teeth." 

But, of course, I'm here to tell you that there's a better way! 

At the foundation of sound-to-print learning is the principle that people need to know the sounds of a language prior to tackling the print. For #OnwardHebrew, on a macro level that includes being introduced to Hebrew Through Movement, Jewish Life Vocabulary and regular t'fillah. However, on a micro level, when working on decoding, learners can be given cues that preview the sounds for them. Why? It offers them some of the tools that they automatically have gained in their native language.

Our Hebrew prayers, blessings,  and texts like Torah and Haftarah were written 2000 years ago. The complex language and grammatical forms are difficult even for Hebrew native language speakers. Our new learners are at an even bigger disadvantage since they can't self-correct when decoding - think about the challenge when they see unfamiliar words like: וְשנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ.

So, instead of asking students to "sound out" a Hebrew word or phrase, we help them tremendously when we "cue" them in the four ways noted on the embedded image. 

How can teachers learn to do this? 
1) Share and discuss this short video that explains easy-to-implement "cueing up" teaching strategies: tinyurl.com/Sound2Print.

2) Offer copies of the "four strategies" image. Right click on it and either download ("Save As") or Copy. Then, paste the image into a document and print for easy reference. Alternatively, check the "Files" in the #OnwardHebrew Facebook group for a downloadable copy of higher resolution.

3) Experiment with the "cues" and have conversations with colleagues to tweak your practice!

Questions or comments? Please share them on the #OnwardHebrew Facebook group. 

#OnwardHebrew just published a very helpful (and relatively concise!) getting started booklet that offers assistance to educational leaders looking to adopt/adapt the sound-to-print principles of #OnwardHebrew in their educational program.

The booklet answers such questions as:

• What is #OnwardHebrew?
• What actions help create #OnwardHebrew success?
• How does one start?
• What Hebrew learning goals might guide the way?
• What might be #OnwardHebrew's impact on the budget?

In addition, there are What-Why-When-Who quick peeks offered for each of the four elements of #OnwardHebrew - Hebrew language (Hebrew Through Movement), Jewish Life Vocabulary, Hebrew t'fillah and the introduction of decoding after children have built the sounds of Hebrew (for "in" programs, that is in fifth grade or later).  Interspersed are QR codes with links to short videos that provide extra information. And, as if that's not enough, there's a curated set of other resources - just enough to get an education program started, without being overwhelming. 

So, what do YOU want to know?
​

By, Nachama Skolnik Moskowitz

This blogpost is a response to an August 5, 2022 posting in the JEDLAB FB group, sharing a lengthy article by Saul Rosenberg. In it, Rosenberg offered an analysis of the challenges of teaching "fluent Hebrew reading in Hebrew School" and hinted towards a solution he is working on. To understand my blogpost, it would be helpful to first  read/skim the original article.

I apologize in advance for the length of my own response, but as you'll see, it hit a lot of buttons.  Rosenberg’s chief concern seems to be that children in a part-time/synagogue educational program (as he notes, “left of Modern Orthodox”) aren’t learning to read  Hebrew, which begs the definition of three different skills – reading (which is gaining meaning from the printed page), decoding (which is what I think the author really is talking about – letter > vowel > letter, etc., with no understanding) and reciting (chanting or singing from memory). The science of reading explains that one learns to read

1. after having gained a rich aural/oral vocabulary in that language,
2. by demonstrating letter-sound proficiency, and
3. having phonemic awareness (on hearing the word “sit” the child could tell you its sounds /s/ /i/ /t/ and can map the sounds back onto letters). 

Emerging readers in their native language decode, gain an ah-ha of meaning, and then self-correct if needed because of their knowledge of language (“en-gi-ner,” oh wait, that’s “engineer” – I know that word!). In addition, because of a process called orthographic mapping, by third grade a typically developing child can read relatively fluently because they have between 3000-8000 words in “sight vocabulary” – they just look at the word and can tell what it is, without decoding.

In our part-time synagogue settings, our children do not have enough background or time to learn to read Hebrew or even achieve the thousands of sight words they have in English. Over the decades, synagogues have tried to create smooth decoders, but really, if one can only decode prayers and blessings (or even Haftarah, as the author would like to achieve), one cannot stay up at synagogue speed. Really, it is hard to smoothly read (or self-correct after trying to decode) siddur words like במשמרותיהם or לבבך because these are not words children instantly recognize in everyday language. To pray at synagogue speed, one has to have put the prayer/blessing in memory and then use the print to follow along. I suspect that a native Hebrew speaker who is in 4th grade or even 6th would stumble when asked to “read” the siddur or Torah; the vocabulary and structure aren't known to them.

While Hebrew learning is important, I would argue that the way we have been teaching Hebrew in our part-time/synagogue settings has held the curriculum hostage. In some places, we have dedicated many more hours to Hebrew prayer practice than we have to focusing on the big, compelling ideas of Judaism. Hebrew decoding is a skill, but it doesn’t always touch the heart nor help learners grow and “become” in dialogue with Jewish tradition.

In the last five years, a new model for Hebrew learning has been spreading across North America. Called #OnwardHebrew, synagogues and part-time programs that have adopted this approach spend years introducing their learners to the sounds of Hebrew, before moving to print. Children learn vocabulary with Hebrew Through Movement (HebrewThroughMovement.org) – an adaptation of the Total Physical Response (TPR) approach that is used to introduce vocabulary of holidays, rituals and prayers/blessings. They are also gain a rich collection of Jewish Life Vocabulary in context – “grab your siddur, we are going to t’fillah” is just one example. And, they pray regularly in Hebrew, learning to chant/sing t’fillot, thus placing words/phrases in memory. Unlike the decades old “traditional” model of learning Hebrew in part-time/synagogue settings, decoding isn’t introduced early, but rather later (often in 5th or 6th grade) which means that learners can take the sounds of Hebrew in their head and attach them to the print on the page. These older children are more experienced and motivated learners – learning moves relatively quickly and seems to stick.

Teachers and educational leaders in #OnwardHebrew programs tell us that there is energy and excitement around learning Hebrew in ways they hadn’t previously experienced and that their children show both confidence and competence. Success is expressed differently from what the author of the Sapir Journal article has defined.  Our programs have moved Hebrew learning from a bounded time (e.g., Sundays 9:15-10:15 and Tuesdays at 4:30) to one that creates a rich Hebrew environment throughout the time children are with them. And they are able to shift their focus from “Hebrew School” (check out this CASJE research study titled, "Let's Stop Calling it Hebrew School") to programs that create compelling Jewish learning, broadly defined.

I'll end with two resources for those desiring to learn more about decoding with an #OnwardHebrew context. For a powerful webinar that provides a great overview, click here: https://youtu.be/0ayl0i0XpLA. For a webinar segment that explores why we are having trouble with Hebrew learning in part-time/synagogue programs and how the “science of reading” might influence changes, click here: https://youtu.be/zBX0Kz8DfJg?t=1487

Want to know more? Feel free to join the conversation on the #OnwardHebrew FB group.
 
 

Are you "just curious"about #OnwardHebrew or are you ready to initiate a change process in your educational program? No matter your answer, the relatively concise list of curated resources, below, will help you more easily gather background information and begin plotting your change process:
 
This is a blog post that offers a pretty comprehensive (but quick!) overview of #OnwardHebrew. Of special interest is a chart towards the end that shows in one synagogue the impact on decoding of less years and less hours for Hebrew learning in a synagogue setting (spoiler alert – the learners did just as well with fewer total years and hours!). 
 
This is the video that got #OnwardHebrew started - it explains why we have been having issues with Hebrew learning in part-time/synagogue settings. This video is a good conversation starter for faculty, committee members and parents. Much has happened in the world of Hebrew learning since it was created (2013), but its foundation is still solid. 
 
This is a webpage with targeted resources for learning about each of the elements of #OnwardHebrew. All are videos, some are webinar-length and others are shorter. For links to many more resources, click on any of the icons on this webpage.

This is a "getting started" booklet that offers background on #OnwardHebrew for those who have been curious about the initiative, but not sure where to begin. A special feature is the use of QR codes for those who want more info on a topic than is on the page. 

This is our blog. All the postings are relatively short and help you gain a broader understanding of #OnwardHebrew. There are a number of postings that would open conversation among stakeholders. 

This offers an interesting set of reactions to #OnwardHebrew implementation by education directors who have taken on the initiative in their own program. They talk about successes, as well as challenges.
 
This is an article that explores the question of why an educational program might change the grade level in which it teaches decoding. In a traditional Hebrew program, children are introduced to Hebrew decoding in third or fourth grade. However, one of #OnwardHebrew’s innovations is moving the teaching Hebrew decoding to fifth grade or later, after children have built a repertoire of Hebrew sounds and vocabulary. [Feel free to check out this decoding resource developed for #OnwardHebrew's older learners called Let's Learn Hebrew Side-by-Side. In a one-on-one setting, children quickly and easily build decoding skills working sound-to-print.] That said, teaching decoding later is not a requirement for #OnwardHebrew participation; currently, about half of the #OnwardHebrew programs have not shifted their grade level for teaching decoding. NOTE: The decoding article linked here is one of many blogposts on the #OnwardHebrew website, most of which would make for interesting reading and conversation with faculty, clergy and volunteer leadership. Scroll through to see what else interests you!]
 
This is the recording of an American Conference of Cantors webinar with Cantor Leigh Korn (previously the head of the ACC) and Rabbi Nicki Greninger - they are both at Temple Isaiah in Lafayette, CA and have worked for years with #OnwardHebrew's philosophy and elements. Your cantor or clergy team may find this a helpful resource.
 
These are the results of a survey done in summer 2019 with the congregations involved in #OnwardHebrew at the time. Results are in infographic form and may be of use to you, your committee, and possibly teachers.
 
This is a list of assumptions for teaching Hebrew in the 21st century - it would make for good discussion with your committee and/or teachers.
 
This is an edited video of Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” TedTalk. A good place to begin a change process is to consider “why Hebrew” … like, why is Hebrew important to your host institution or educational program? As Simon Sinek says, “People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.” So what are your bigger purposes to Hebrew learning and use? Your “why statement” will provide a touchstone for continued conversation and course correction over the years. Click here and here for some thoughts on why Hebrew.
 
Finally, while this may seem like a bit of a non sequitur, it’s a helpful resource for those involved in a change process. If you are the kind of educator who likes to start meetings with text study, the Experiment in Congregational Education (ECE) assembled some great Jewish text study resources for change processes. You’ll find them here. A caveat: In many, the Hebrew font used appears in an unintelligible symbol-font – if you wish to use the Hebrew (of course you do!) you may need to grab a printable version of each text from a resource like Sefaria.
 
##
 
So, are you ready to explore or are you ready to start? #OnwardHebrew is here to help. Please post your comments, questions and additional resources below and/or on the #OnwardHebrew Facebook group. Also, let me - Nachama Skolnik Moskowitz ([email protected]) - know that you are dipping your toes in the #OnwardHebrew waters. I would be happy to offer supports along the way!

eJewishPhilanthropy,
December 18, 2019 
​A long-standing assumption at the heart of synagogue Hebrew education is that if our children learned to read English, it should not be that hard for them to learn to read Hebrew fluently. Yet, even with four years or more of “Hebrew school,” young learners struggle with prayers and blessings. The culprit is often identified as lessened days/hours of learning time or competing family priorities. But, consistent and well-replicated reading research offers us another possibility – countless studies conclude that reading fluency is “… a by-product of having instant access to most or all of the words on the page.”

Instant access.

Stop and consider your own experience with English as you read the words in this article – you are not decoding letter-vowel-letter-vowel-letter, but rather are instantly and accurately reading each word with understanding. You could do so even if you saw words out of context. For the most part, your fluent reading of tens of thousands of English words was not developed through the use of flashcards, drills or re-reading (“hmm, not quite right … practice reading that again three more times”); none of these skill-based activities create fluent readers.

What does? When beginning English readers decode (i.e., sound out) the word p-o-n-y they already know how it is pronounced and have a clear understanding of its meaning. Early English readers can self-correct, if necessary (“oh, that’s not ‘poony,’ it’s ‘pony!”) and then understand the sentence in which it is embedded. Moreso, native language reading research reports that readers turn new-to-them words on a page into instantly accessible sight words via a self-taught and subconscious process that depends on three factors:

• knowledge of the sounds produced by every letter
• phonemic awareness, which means that the student can break apart the sounds in a word (i.e., recognize “pony” as having four sounds /p/ /o/ /n/ /y/) and
• familiarity with the word’s pronunciation and meaning.

By second grade, a typically developing student who meets the three factors above in her native language needs only 1-4 times of decoding a word to store it in memory as a sight word that can be instantly and accurately identified, even if out of context.

What does this mean for synagogue education? Unfortunately, it suggests that we set the majority of our Hebrew learners up for failure when “fluent and accurate reading of prayers” is a stated goal. New-to-Hebrew students usually have little idea of the pronunciation (never mind the meaning) of the complex Hebrew words in most Jewish prayers and thus cannot self-correct when decoding. The reading research noted above suggests that unknown words cannot become a fluently-read sight word because the learner does not have the foundation to achieve instant recognition. Not surprisingly, a person who only can decode Hebrew – especially at the halting pace of many new learners – cannot read prayers at synagogue-speed.

Yet, we know of young Jews who competently daven. How? These children have stored Hebrew prayers and blessings in memory through multiple exposures to authentic worship. They recite prayers and, if paying attention to the siddur, can match the sounds in their heads to the print on the page. They pray sound-to-print, much like very young children who learned to orally recite entire picture books and then later use known letters to unlock the print on the page. The bonus comes when Hebrew teachers scaffold sound-to-print learning, giving children the foundation to more easily tackle decoding with stronger skills and confidence to self-correct. More so, the originally unfamiliar Hebrew has the possibility of snapping into memory for future access.

Based on what researchers tell us about the factors that enable fluent reading, it is time for synagogue educators to reconsider their learning goals and teaching techniques – we cannot expect our learners to achieve Hebrew reading fluency as they have with English. While the native language reading research does not speak directly to our settings, it suggests that

• We should not be afraid of offering avenues for our children to store Hebrew prayers and blessings in memory via consistent use in frequent, authentic contexts (prayer services, home rituals, song sessions).
• We should shift our focus from years of drilling Hebrew decoding to laying a strong foundation in the sounds of Hebrew language in low-stress but powerful learning approaches like Hebrew Through Movement, Jewish Life Vocabulary, and age-appropriate t’fillah.
• We should have the patience to wait to introduce Hebrew decoding at an older age, for once children build their exposure to words used in prayers and blessings, the learning is quicker, more efficient and sticks.
• We should help teachers gain the skills to scaffold sound-to-print decoding.

​Bottom line, we must more strongly and intentionally honor the sound-to-print progression of learning to read in one’s native language, while paying attention to our unique circumstances.

It is true that our pre-bar/bat mitzvah Hebrew learners will never have at their disposal the benefits they had prior to learning to read English – a rich environment in which they heard, responded to and spoke the language before introduced to print. For a whole host of reasons, it would be unusual for our learners to reach the level of fluent Hebrew reading that they have achieved with English – i.e., instant and accurate recognition of a word out of context. To suggest that our students can become fluent Hebrew readers sets them, their teachers, parents and the system up for frustration, even failure.

But in the time we have, can we help learners become competent and confident with synagogue Hebrew? Absolutely! By attending to research, rather than our kishkes, we can shift Hebrew learning in our part-time/synagogue settings to more closely honor what the experts tell us. When we do that, it doesn’t have to be hard!

Want to know more? Join the conversation with #OnwardHebrew, an initiative that champions better Hebrew learning for students in part-time/synagogue settings.
​
Want more details about the reading research and its application with Hebrew learning? View this webinar segment and then check out some compelling articles.
#OnwardHebrew! Join the conversation!

To access the article in its original, click here.