New Self-Paced Online Training on Gateways’ Hebrew Decoding Method
“If they can’t learn Hebrew, they can’t participate.” This was, more or less, the sentiment of countless Jewish educational programs for many decades. While we’ve moved past that overt exclusion, a quieter version persists—one where students with learning differences are gently excused from learning Hebrew.
But opting out comes at a cost. Kids who struggle to learn to read Hebrew often end up disconnecting from Jewish communities—leaving Jewish day school, feeling alienated at camp, discontinuing Hebrew school, or choosing not to read Torah or lead prayers as part of their Bar/Bat/B-mitzvah. Later in life, many look back and wish they had been given the tools to engage more fully.
Decoding, or the ability to translate written words into sounds and spoken language, is a fundamental step in the reading process. It is also a step where we see many kids struggle.
Twenty years ago, Gateways pioneered an innovative program that transformed Hebrew decoding for our students, strengthening Jewish connectedness for them and their families. When we began training other educators to use this system in their own classrooms, the number of students successfully decoding multiplied many times over.
That’s why I’m thrilled to announce that we are now releasing “Foundations of the Gateways Hebrew Decoding Program,” an online, self-paced course, at a fraction of the cost of previous training. This more flexible model will enable many more teachers and students across North America to embark on this pathway to Hebrew.
Hebrew Decoding Can Be Challenging
Learning to decode Hebrew can present some unique obstacles. Many Hebrew letters look similar: resh and daled, caf and bet, vav and zayin, and more. Moreover, Hebrew vowels can be hard to spot and hard to tell apart.
Students with language-based learning disabilities, ADHD, Autism, and intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as neurotypical students who have struggled to learn Hebrew decoding through other approaches, have found great success in our unique program.
The Impact of Mnemonics and Multisensory Techniques
illustrates the mnemonic ‘
Gimmel is Going for the Goal,’
Two decades ago, the team at Gateways innovated a new, interactive system to help non-readers engage in the Hebrew decoding process.
Both intuitive and accessible, the Gateways method assigns each Hebrew letter a mnemonic trick that helps students make a connection between the way a letter looks and the way that it sounds. Students engage all their senses to learn each mnemonic, getting cues that may include a visual image, an auditory phrase, a movement, and speech. Encoding the information through these different pathways helps strengthen memory. Letters are also taught out of alphabetical order to separate those that are easily confused for one another. When students have the support they need to decode Hebrew, it reduces frustration and gives them confidence.
Bringing Gateways’ Hebrew Decoding Training Online
As the Jewish educational landscape continues to see more diverse learners, students who historically might never have learned to read Hebrew are now trying to do just that—and their teachers want to find ways to help them.
Every year, the Gateways Center for Professional Learning trains educators from tutoring programs, supplementary schools, and Jewish day schools on our Hebrew decoding program. But as requests for the program have grown, we’ve realized that our training format won’t work for a lot of teachers. The expense of running a live session makes it necessary to train groups of multiple Hebrew teachers at once, making it cost prohibitive for individuals or those from smaller settings to take part.
Our new online course is available for any number of individual Hebrew educators to complete, on their own schedule and pace, at the click of a button. Created by experienced decoding program teacher Rebecca Redner, it prepares educators (over a little more than 2 hours) to use the Gateways Hebrew Decoding Program with their students, for $75, or around 8% of the cost of a live training. These decoding skills provide a strong foundation for students to learn to recite Hebrew prayers, read modern Hebrew text, and confidently participate in Jewish life.
Hebrew is at the heart of the Jewish community in so many ways. This expansion of our professional learning programming will open a new world of Jewish experiences and possibilities for so many children, and we can’t wait to get it started.
Sign up for Foundations of the Gateways Hebrew Decoding Program!
Enroll in the course before June 15 to get a 15% discount.
About the Authors
Brian Coonley
Before joining the team at Gateways, Brian Coonley spent 5 years working at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, where he led the state’s significant disproportionality in special education initiative and guided the work of other equity in special education projects. He also provided training and supports to teachers, students, school leaders and families across the state. Prior to working for the state, Brian taught 4th grade, 7th grade world geography, and high school special education. He holds a B.S. in Inclusive Elementary and Special Education and Political Science from Syracuse University and a M.Ed. in Secondary Education from Vanderbilt University. Brian lives in Waltham with his wife, Francine, two daughters, and his in-laws. When not spending time with family or listening to records, Brian is involved with the Boston Jewish community. He volunteers at CJP, served on the board for JBBBS Yom Sport and is co-chair for ADL New England’s associate board. Brian also loves spending time outdoors and anything to do with Philadelphia or Syracuse sports.
Elianna Mentzer
Elianna Mentzer is a graduate of Skidmore College, where she earned her B.A. in International Affairs. At Skidmore, she cultivated a love of writing, minoring in English literature and working as the Head Tutor of the Skidmore College Writing Center, where she tutored undergraduate students from every academic department. Herself a former Gateways teen volunteer, Elianna is enthusiastic about Jewish education and community engagement. She loves working with kids and young people, and has held positions at Temple Israel Hebrew School, MetroWest Jewish Day School, and Camp Yavneh. When not at Gateways, Elianna volunteers at the Dedham branch of the Animal Rescue League and sings with the Boston Cecilia.