The Gateways Hebrew Decoding Program
The Gateways Hebrew Decoding Program makes the learning process both accessible and intuitive for students with a range of learning profiles. This can include, but isn’t limited to, those with disabilities.
A Multi-Sensory Approach to Language Learning
It empowers every student to connect with Hebrew in a way that is tailored to their unique profiles and needs. The program is multi-sensory, engaging students through sight, sound, touch, and movement. Each Hebrew letter and vowel has its own mnemonic trick based on its shape. Mnemonics help to connect the way a letter looks with the way it sounds.
The letter ג, gimmel, uses the mnemonic “is Going for the Goal.”
The letter שׁ, shin, uses the mnemonic “Shakes with its right hand”
The letter ר, resh, uses the mnemonic “Resh has a Round back because it is Reaching.”
Mnemonics in Action: Multiple Pathways for Learning
We use multisensory cues to reinforce the mnemonic for each letter and vowel.
These include hearing the mnemonic, seeing the visual cue, doing a movement, and saying the sound.
For example, for the letter ג, gimmel, a teacher may bring in a ball and designate a “goal” area in the classroom. When each student gets to “go for the goal,” they are prompted to say the “g” sound of gimmel.
This method is effective because the letters themselves provide clues that help students remember the sounds they make.
Hebrew Decoding In Practice
The Gateways method teaches Hebrew letters out of alphabetical order.
This allows us to separate letters that are easily confused for each other, such as shin and sin or bet and vet. Students therefore learn one letter and master it before encountering the other letter several lessons later.
Once students feel confident with several letters, they work on exercise pages in large print, with a clear font and wide spacing for ideal readability.
Frequently Asked Questions
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