When my daughter first joined the junior choir at the synagogue, I feared that it would hamper her ability to read Hebrew. I though that she would memorize the songs and liturgy and that would be it. I asked the choir director and cantor if my worries were valid. They politely told me not to worry. And it turns out - much to my delight - that I was wrong.
When I hear her read from her Hebrew primer (10 minutes a night, 5x a week -most of the time LOL), she recognizes the words and starts singing a prayer or part of a song that she learned in choir practice for Family services. Tonight's word was "oneg" - oh yeah - she knew what that was. (For those who don't know - the oneg is the cookies and desserts served after Shabbat services). She gets excited that she recognized the word and goes on to read what other words are familiar.
Hebrew is taught in such a different way now than when I was a kid (Thank G-d!). I remember my primitive primer with endless lines of text and the hebrew letter of the week centered at the top of the page in 36 pt. font size. Today's Hebrew primer has colorful pictures, writing activities, and basic words and themes that relate to the words she is reading. And guess what - it comes with a computer game too! She can play Hebrew video games and listen to someone read the words back to her to make sure she got them right. Positive reinforcement - Love it!
Even my 6 year old, who doesn't start Hebrew for another 2 1/2 years follows along. Who could ask for anything more?
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