JoHanna Potts, a longtime rabbi and educator, shares some strategies for teaching Hebrew to adults.
Practice and sharpen Hebrew skills with fun - and portable - language practice anywhere, anytime in Shalom Hebrew Digital App.
Shalom Hebrew Digital App is a digital primer designed for students to learn to decode Hebrew accurately and fluently.
that provides a reliable way to reinforce visual and auditory Hebrew recognition—on any device. Created in conjunction with the Jewish Journey Project, Shalom Hebrew Digital App is packed with engaging features, interactive reading exercises that can be recorded and reviewed by educators, and more than a dozen games.
Each of the 24 lessons in the app builds on a foundation of key cultural words, such as mitzvah and shamash, and introduces related letters, vowels, syllables and words, with plenty of practice opportunities. Students learn Hebrew aurally and visually at the same time, hearing the sounds of letters, vowels and syllables. Learners can also record themselves reading and play back the recording, and compare their pronounciation to both Israeli and American voices.
Created as a universal app, it can be used on any PC or Mac desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone. For students in the Online Learning Center, the app links to student accounts and allows their progress and recordings to be saved centrally, no matter where they practice—at home, at school, or even in the car.
Hebrew reading is a skill, and brain-based research shows that even five minutes a day of practice will lead to increased confidence and stronger skills. The more opportunities your students have to practice Hebrew reading, the more proficient they will become. Learn more here.
What does that look like? This valuable digital tool was designed as a companion to any of the Shalom Uvrachah materials, so in a school setting for example, you could read together the pages from introducing a new letter, and if you have iPads, then give students a chance to record themselves reading the Hebrew.
At home, the online practice material can extend the amount of Hebrew learning time. Parents do not need to read Hebrew themselves for their children to use the app!
Keeping decoding skills sharp becomes increasingly important as students move into their bnei mitzvah years. Students can work with Shalom Hebrew invarious settings—in class, at home, in tutoring sessions, or via distance learning—on any kind of device—tablets, smartphones, or laptops—either individually or with a partner.
View a demo of the app below. There's also a free Educator's Guide to Using Shalom Hebrew Digital App, available for downloadhere.
How to Get the Shalom Hebrew Digital App
The app is designed for lessons to be completed sequentially. As one lessons is completed, the next one unlocks. However, you may choose to switch this and unlock all lessons at once. In the main screen of the app, go to Settings > Unlock All Lessons.
