Hebrew through TPR

This year we have a new "Hebrew Task Force" that is looking at better ways to teach Hebrew in our Religious School in the coming months and years.  As part of this effort, we have implemented a form of language learning called TPR (Total Physical Response), based on a curriculum called "Ivrit Bitnuah - Hebrew through Movement" developed by Dr. Lifsa Schachter and edited by Nachama Skolnik Moskowitz and Paula Sass at the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland.

TPR is a method of language learning that was developed in San Jose in the 1970s by Dr. James Asher, and it is based on the belief that people learn languages best the same way they do when they are babies / toddlers.  You begin by listening and watching, then doing, then a long time later, you learn how to speak.  We are implementing TPR in a few of our Religious School classes this year as an experiment to find out how it helps our students learn Hebrew.  My two primary goals for TPR at Isaiah are for kids to find Hebrew learning fun / engaging, and to provide a better aural / oral basis for learning how to decode and recite prayers.

The following links take you to videos of TPR with kids and adults of all ages... see below these links for videos of very our own students learning Hebrew through TPR at Temple Isaiah!

TPR and language acquisition

6^th grade Spanish demonstration of TPR

4-6 year olds learn German (definitely not the first TPR lesson!)

TPR with adults (learning English)

TPR, young kids learning English, run / stop / jump / etc.

TPR in Africa

Hebrew TPR with our Kindergarteners & 1st graders:


Hebrew TPR with 3rd and 4th graders in Teva (nature track):


Hebrew TPR with 5th & 6th graders in Edot (culture track):