First Steps Toward Hebrew Reading

Reading is a skill that takes time, patience and guidance. So, when helping another with the first steps toward reading, begin by observing your student to see if he or she is ready and eager to take the first steps toward reading.

Then, locate in your home or library, beginning books that the learner has an interest in such as sports, crafts, entertainment, friends or other. Next, if you're teaching an adult to read, find out if they would object in reading children's books. This is often a great way to teach reading to an adult because the reading material is simple and often the words rhyme and the rhyming sounds help to reinforce the words and their meaning.

While you're in the process of teaching one to read, be sure to teach the reading in symbols and sounds. When you teach new letters, do so one at a time and also make sure that the reader is introduced to stories that have meaning and clarity. In addition, take time in between the lessons, to read to them and encourage them to follow along with you.

During the steps toward reading ask the reader to use a finger or some kind of pointer to help their eyes follow along and to help stay on the right line. And, as the reading process continues, from time to time, ask questions to find out if the reader is following along with the story and that they understand what is going on.

In addition, what is also quite helpful before beginning the reading process is to take a book, look at it together with the reader. Have them look at the pictures, the table of contents, beginning sentences and the titles and headings. Talk with them on what to expect from the pictures, sentences and so forth. Then, read the content that is under the pictures or what follows from topic headings and then discuss together if indeed, such actions from the pictures and/or topic sentences, followed.

Points to keep in mind when teaching reading to another: go in to Hebrew step-by-step stages, being patient as the reading continues, make the reading lessons short and focus on just a few key areas, give praise and encouragement often, and make sure that what the student is reading is interesting and relevant to them. What makes reading so wonderful and life-changing to many is that reading is something one willingly does and the choices of what to read are entirely up to the individual. And, with some students of reading, special reading index cards, better known as letter block games can help make the learning process, smoother and a bit easier.

To conclude, teaching one to read need not be difficult or overly time consuming but it does take patience, understanding and a desire to teach another one of the most basic and satisfying things in life—to read!

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