Test anxiety is a general type of anxiety students experience in testing situations. Among U.S. children, test anxiety often peaks as early as in 2nd grade. It is related to performance dismay. Test anxiety is reported to be persist over time and there are kids who experience difficulties in handling the pressure [Reference: “Expression and Level of Test Anxiety in a Sample of Elementary Students”, Patricia A. Lowe, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA. Online Published: February 26, 2019, URL: https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v12n3p1].
Religious schools’ educators strive to challenge and inspire every student on their individual learning path, yet not frustrate them. At the beginning of every school year, Hebrew teachers gauge their students’ proficiency in order to provide effective and level-appropriate Hebrew lessons. As in most school system, the majority of returning students have been away from Hebrew practice since May. New students come with varying levels of proficiency. In almost all religious schools, the new kids are usually placed with peers of the same age rather than with kids of similar Hebrew proficiency level. Teachers devote ample hours in preparing lessons that would encourage our students to boost their Hebrew reading skills and comprehension, gain more confidence and actively participate in children’s Shabbat services. Teachers need to determine students’ Hebrew literacy periodically. Testing is a common plan of action and, for some students, could be a turn-off.
In my work, I found, time and again, that there was no need to test students in order to find out their Alef-Bet knowledge, nikkud (vowels) fluency and reading abilities. I strongly believe there is no need to present tests in after school Jewish and Hebrew programs and make some kids uncomfortable. In this article I give a different point of view in determining student’s Hebrew proficiency.
While there are some Hebrew School teachers who use some form of testing to measure letter recognition, vocabulary and reading abilities, there are others who observe the child’s work in the first few lessons in order to determine their starting point for the year. I developed a different approach to find the type and level of activities each of my student’s need: detremining Hebrew skills through play. I successfully use this approach in the classroom and in private tutoring lessons. The kids play various Hebrew letter, vowels and word games and solve puzzles resulting in a fun and exciting educational experience!
Further, Children who are more proficient are encouraged to practice kindness and Gmilut Hasadim by offering help to struggling their peers.
To evaluate recognition of letter symbols and the order of letters, kids are thrilled to play puzzle games. Different Alef-Bet charts are posted in the classroom or are given to each child for a reference. An example is a connect the dots activity, where the dots are marked by the Alef-Bet; for the kids it is fun - not a test. Through observation, I’m aware of the frequency the student chooses to glance at the classroom chart or review their personal chart. I notice who needs more support from me or their classmates. While they work on this activity, the kids’ mind frame is of a game, not a test.
I prefer to determine students’ vocabulary fluency without giving tests.There are other productive ways to gauge vocabulary proficiency. For example, I prepare level-appropriate word-search activities. Often times I include words related to an upcoming Jewish holiday along with the commonly used words such as shalom, Shabbat, Israel, chag same’ach, yom tov, etc. Word search puzzles also function as a reminder that Hebrew is read and written from right to left.
Movement may also be used as an evaluation tool: I put multiple cards of each Hebrew letter on the floor. Taking turns, a students needs to hop from card to card in the order of the Alef Bet. Having multiple cards of same letters provide different paths to hop around. In this game, I observe who needed help and where they were stuck on the Alef-Bet sequence.
I love games and I passionately use them for teaching. Students enjoy my classes and are motivated to learn in a fun and relaxed environment. We always have fun together!
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