Hebrew at the Center: Advancing Hebrew Teaching and Learning
“Compared to our children who previously attended the school, our child has a much higher level of ability to read, write, and speak Hebrew.”
“I have been pleased with the progress – especially with the change in the approach and materials used in Hebrew class.”
“My daughter is reading Hebrew books fluently and answering questions referring to the text she read. Her understanding and enjoyment of the Hebrew language is quite fascinating.”
[responses of parents of students at schools using the HATC approach]
LANGUAGE EDUCATORS RETHINK THEIR
HEBREW LESSONS
"...Typically, professional development for Hebrew-language teachers has been limited to training in a given curriculum. HATC departs from this practice, aiming to transform teachers into independent, critical users and developers of curriculum. Through workshops, mentoring and teamwork, HATC trains teachers to set language-proficiency goals for their students; to understand the cognitive process of second-language acquisition; to perform “assessments”— that is, to be able to pinpoint each child’s skill level at any given moment...."
"Hebrew at HATC 'creates an unbiased and critically informed assessment of what’s going on with teaching and learning Hebrew in a school, then says to the institution: "Ask yourselves, what are your goals? Are you meeting them? What are your shortcomings? What curriculum development, what teacher development, do you need to do better? What issues do you need to address?" Then they offer the support requisite to make those improvements,' said Marc N. Kramer, executive director of Ravsak, a national network of Jewish community day schools that is based in New York City...."
originally appeared in: Language Educators Rethink Their Hebrew Lessons by Jeri Zeder
The Jewish Daily FORWARD
August 22, 2008
http://www.forward.com/articles/13973/
Hebrew at the Center, Inc.
90 Oak Street, P O. Box 73
Newton, MA 02464
Tel: 617-581-6877
Fax: 617-965-7772
janicer@hebrewatthecenter.org
Rabbi Amy Bardack, Lower School Judaic Studies Director
Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston
Excerpts from: Hebrew Proficiency in the Lower School by Rabbi Amy Bardack, Lower School Judaic Studies Director, Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston
“I just heard one of my favorite Schechter stories. A parent who was visiting Israel with her family in February glowed as she told me about her daughter’s comfort and confidence speaking Hebrew. The second grader spoke freely in Hebrew to tour guides, waiters and shopkeepers around the country…. The Israelis were amazed at her ability and had a hard time believing that she was not part of a Hebrew-speaking home. The mother felt that her child ‘could have navigated the country on her own.'
Stories like these are powerful testimony to the efficacy of the proficiency approach to Hebrew, which we have been working on for almost two years. The proficiency approach focuses on improving performance in all four language skills – reading, writing, listening and speaking – with the goal of functioning in real life contexts. With the help of our consultant, Dr. Vardit Ringvald of Brandeis University, teachers work in teams to develop units that incorporate this approach.”
…
“Lower School teachers have been excited about implementing this approach. One veteran teacher commented, ‘I have been teaching for 30 years, and now I am at the height of my creativity.’ Another veteran said recently, ‘My students used to write by rote and required a lot of guidance. Now they understand the language, and the writing just flows.’ … Day schools around the country struggle with how to teach Hebrew more effectively, and many are expressing interest in the proficiency approach. … It is gratifying to have Schechter on the map as one of the leaders on the forefront of effect Hebrew Language instruction.”
