Mazal Tov! STS 3rd – 6th grade Religious School students are setting off on a journey... a Hebrew journey!! Through this new and interactive curriculum, M'Taylim B'Ivrit, each student will reach the milestones necessary for Hebrew reading fluency at their own pace. Our M'taylim B'Ivrit approach to Hebrew reading allows students to be grouped according to ability level. Through the use of this unique pedagogy, students travel from city to city in Israel as their Hebrew reading abilities continue to strengthen and improve.
Students will review Hebrew reading skills within their grade level classrooms
Students will participate in an "Israel Fair" where they will visit teacher created stations to learn about Israel's geography, culture, food and more
Students will complete their "applications for Aliyah" (Hebrew diagnostic test) in order to determine which city in Israel will be their new home
STS Religious School makes Aliyah (moves to Israel)! We will begin our day with a grand celebration in which every student will receive their "Teudat Zehut" (Israeli ID card); informing them as to which city in Israel they will be moving.
Once students are assigned to their new cities, this is the classroom they will go to for "Hebrew time" on both Tuesdays and Sundays.
Reading is a discipline. It must be taught in a step by step fashion with adequate explanation and drills. The most important goals of good reading are accuracy and consistency. However, proper reading habits go beyond recognition of letters and vowels. The acquisition of both rhythm and accuracy is critical.
Even when a student acquires the basic rhythmic habits of reading, reinforcement on the part of the teacher is important. Constant drill is absolutely necessary. It is repetition and constant drill that will maintain and improve skills. Without reinforcement (at school and at home) even good skills can become weaker.
Assessment is a tool that enables our students and our teachers to understand clearly where students are in the learning process and what the next steps should be in their learning. It also helps our teachers plan lessons and check their own performance. Our students see assessment as a reason to celebrate their success and, with the help of our M'taylim B'Ivrit program, as a tool for charting the learning that lies ahead. Systematic and focused assessment of learning enables us to:
During "Hebrew" time on both Tuesdays and Sundays, each of our 3rd – 6th grade teachers and Madrichim are responsible for a "City." Students are assigned to cities based on the results of their diagnostic test. This means that their Hebrew teacher and classroom may or may not be the same teacher and/or classroom in which they spend the rest of their time at Religious School.
When students arrive in their city, each Hebrew period, the first thing their teacher will do is engage students in review using games, drills, worksheets and/or manipulatives. Next, the teacher will teach a new concept in Hebrew reading. In one city, this may be learning new Hebrew letters or vowels, while in another city, this may mean learning the rules for more complicated vowel endings. Finally, students will participate in independent study.
Each city has a series of 7 independent study lessons appropriate for its learner's Hebrew ability level. As students complete each unit of independent study, the teacher will assess his/her learning in order for the student to move on to the next activity. When all seven lessons have been completed in a satisfactory manner, the student will be assessed in order to determine if he/she can move to the next city.
Once a student has completed all of the independent study lessons in his/her city, and has tested out of that Hebrew level, a note will be sent home informing parents that the student will move to a new city with a new teacher. The letter will also indicate which skills the student has achieved and which they will learn in the next city. The student will receive a new ID card and will be recognized in our weekly Tefillah service.
Ma'alah students will have their own set of cities which will be taught completely in Hebrew.
