Reaching Kitah Gimel: “Syllables Count!” Game

Today, in my Kitah Gimel Hebrew class (Grade 6), we’re playing a game called “Syllables Count!” To set up the game: Choose a group of Hebrew vocabulary words that students are studying in prayer, Holiday, modern Hebrew, or other learning units. Choose words that have different numbers of syllables, at least 2 words per syllable number group. Write or paste the words on index cards – one word per card. Shuffle the cards well and place in a box. (I made a special game box by writing the Hebrew word Mischakim [which means “games”] on a box and decorating the box with question marks in different colors of markers.) Each student picks one card from the box and reads his/her word aloud to make certain that the pronounciation is correct. Students silently count the number of syllables in their words. At the signal, “GO!” students have 2 minutes (or whatever amount of time you choose) on a timer to walk around the class and examine their classmates’ word cards. When a student finds classmates who have words with the same number of syllables as the student’s word, they form a group and move to the side of the classroom. Students remain with their same-number-of -syllables group until time is up and the teacher says, “STOP!” To find the winners, each group tells the number of syllables common to all their words and each student in the group reads aloud his/her word. Students in the other groups can say whether all words read have the correct number of syllables. If a student reads a word that is in the incorrect group, the student stands separately, until he/she hears a group with the correct number of syllables. Then the student can join that group. Groups with words that all have the same number of syllables are “winners” and may receive a candy treat. (I usually have some type runner-up treats for the other groups.) The game can be repeated several times with different sets of words. For an added challenge, students may read their words silently and decide on the number of syllables, without having their pronounciation checked.

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Ronni Sims

Ronni has been a Jewish educator since Moses was in preschool (almost!). She has had the pleasure of teaching all age groups in a variety of formal and informal settings, as well as directing a Jewish Teacher Resource Center. While teaching in a Jewish Day School, Ronni coached an award-winning Odyssey of the Mind creative problem solving team.Ronni was an active participant in the former Conference on Alternatives in Jewish Education (CAJE), where she held leadership positions including Network Chair and Conference Co-Chair of CAJE 29 at Hofstra University. She currently teaches Hebrew at the Congregation Albert Religious School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Talmud teaches: “The Torah cannot be learned unless it is learned among friends.” Ronni views blogging on JCast as such a learning opportunity.

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