Family Hebrew
After months of planning, Kavana is ready to launch our first Family Hebrew program. This idea for this program came from parents who wanted to learn Hebrew together with their children. We're excited about this family approach -- it feels very much in-line with Kavana's values and educational mission to be teaching both children and parents -- and we think it also offers lots of potential for the learning to be practiced and reinforced at home. What's most amazing, though, is that we've also never heard of anyone doing it this way. So, it feels smart and innovative all at the same time!
A Child's Hebrew Picture Dictionary, Illustrated by Ita Meshi, Sabra Books, NY
Primary goals: Hebrew reading skills -- learn the alef-bet and vowels, be able to decode (sound out) Hebrew words, increase reading fluency. Gain familiarity with core Hebrew vocabulary, and understand something about how the language works in terms of grammar and sentence structure. Along the way, there will be exposure to Hebrew stories, songs, and prayers.
Target Audience: While we've decided not to put a firm age/grade range on this for now, children need to have solid English literacy skills as a pre-requisite for this class, which probably means that 1st graders (give or take) will be the youngest end of our spectrum. The learning should be fun but not babyish -- we expect this to work equally well for older children (5th or 6th graders). Some participants may be starting with Hebrew absolutely from square one; others may already have some Hebrew reading skills and/or vocabulary under their belts. We hope that everyone will be able to move forward towards increased Hebrew literacy (reading and comprehension) and gain new skills through participation in this program.
Structure/activities: Kavana's Family Hebrew program has a group tutoring kind of vibe. The whole group will usually begin and end each session together (for the presentation of new concepts/vocabulary, for group singing, etc.). In between, we'll have a chunk of time for independent work. Each family will have their own workbook, to move through at their own pace (with one or more teachers providing support during this independent work time). We will use games, music, and dynamic activities to keep it interesting; as with all Kavana programs, we want the learning to be fun and engaging.
Timing: Weekly, on Sundays at 4pm. Exact calendar (vacations, etc.) t.b.d.
Cost: Tuition for partner families is $90/month and $135/month for non-partner families, plus the cost of books for this program.
Teacher: Jason Kintzer is an experienced Hebrew teacher/tutor, who has recently worked with several Kavana kids in preparation for their b'nai mitzvah, and we've been really impressed with his knowledge, enthusiasm, and adaptability in working with kids and parents from very different backgrounds. Jason is really excited about this class, and looking forward to getting to know more Kavana families through it.
