Offering early childhood Hebrew classes prepares students for Hebrew learning and entices families to start their children’s Jewish education earlier. Research has shown that younger minds are more apt to learn and absorb a new language, plus the curiosity of a young child contributes to better language learning. In the congregational school setting, teaching Hebrew at the “pre-primer” level (or even earlier) is also a great way to welcome families with younger children to the Jewish community.
About three years ago, Temple Bat Yam in South Lake Tahoe, CA, started a pre-alef level class of Hebrew school. “This was basically to accommodate the needs of ‘what to do with the younger siblings when the parents dropped off the older kids for Hebrew school,’” said educator Pam Braveman-Taylor. “I took on the challenge because I love teaching young kids in ways that might get them excited about learning.”
Pam’s creative teaching methods help children ages 3-8 “learn the alef bet by rote, thus preparing them for the next step of Hebrew school.” One engaging (and healthy!) activity involves jumping rope while singing Debbie Friedman’s Alef Bet Song. They have also taken to the hallways with large flash cards and put them in order.
“My colleague, Alexis, who teaches the Alef class, has told me that what I've been doing with the kids has made an impact on the readiness for kids to learn how to read and write Hebrew,” said Pam.
The pre-alef class activities are not only fun and beneficial for the students, but also for the temple community. To get everyone excited for Israel Independence Day this year, Pam’s students used colorful sidewalk chalk to spell out “Israel” in Hebrew on the synagogue steps. Unfortunately it snowed the following Monday, but, Pam said, “it was their experience that counted.”
“Our class has learned so much just by attending our pre-alef class,” she said. “A young mind is amazing.”
Does your school have a similar “pre-alef” program? We’d love to hear about it!
Looking for materials to use in a pre-alef class? Follow Pam’s example with Jumbo Letter Cards or play a game with Shuffle It In Hebrew cards. Decorate your classroom and review the alef bet with posters in print and script. Engage students in reading and writing with a variety of pre-primer folders and books. Motivate with music by playing catchy Hebrew songs from Shiru Shalom Ivrit or How Good.
For early Judaica classes, check out Early Childhood resources.
What comes after pre-alef? Use our How to Choose Hebrew Learning Materials guide to organize your goals for a Hebrew curriculum.
You can also get older students to help out in younger classes! It keeps teen madrichim involved in the school and provides great mentors for kids. Read “Bringing Camp to School: Are Madrichim the ‘Camp Counselors’ of Your Part-time Program?”
