Mitkadem: Our 3rd-6th Grade Hebrew & Prayer Curriculum
What is Mitkadem?
Mitkadem is our prayer-based Hebrew program for all 3rd-6th graders, regardless of their chosen Religious School track. Mitkadem’s self-paced and child-centered approach allows each student to learn according to his/her own ability, so students with learning challenges and those with frequent absences feel successful, as do those who are very motivated and catch on quickly.
Mitkadem at Temple Isaiah
Mitkadem consists of twenty-three Ramot (levels) that introduce letters and vowels, prayers from the worship service, Jewish concepts, basic grammar, and vocabulary. At Temple Isaiah, Mitkadem begins with Ramah 3, which introduces students to the self-paced Mitkadem system. Each subsequent ramah covers a particular prayer or family of prayers that share a theme. As students successfully complete a ramah, they advance to the next. Rather than using traditional textbooks, Mitkadem uses pamphlets with activities divided into five sections: Introduction, Reading, Grammar, Vocabulary & Prayer.
What is the Content in Each Ramah (Level)?
Ramot 4 through 23: Each ramah presents a single prayer or group of prayers and continues to develop the students’ abilities to read and understand the Hebrew language of prayer. Each ramah is structured in the same way so that students become familiar with the system quickly. Before beginning the work of the ramah, the student receives a brit/contract outlining the requirements to pass the ramah. The brit explains to the student what activities are required and which activities they have the options to choose (it says “review”). As the student completes each of the components of the ramah, a teacher, tutor, or aide signs the contract, showing that the student successfully completed the work. After completing the required work for the ramah, the student completes a written assessment and an oral assessment before advancing to the next ramah.
There are five sections to each ramah:
Hakdamah – Introduction
Kri’ah – Reading
Otzar Milim—Vocabulary
Dikduk – Grammar
Divrei T’filah – Words about Prayer
Each section is a different color to assist the students in determining which section the activity is from.
Hakdamah/Introduction (blue)
Students always begin with this component that introduces the prayer or group of prayers. After completing this introductory section, the student works on the next four components in any order he or she chooses.
Kri’ah/Reading (orange/red)
In the reading component, students are guided to read alone or to read to a partner. There are accompanying CDs that help the student/s practice reading and chanting the prayer correctly.
Otzar Milim/Vocabulary (purple)
The vocabulary component teaches essential vocabulary and phrases associated with the prayer or group of prayers. It includes written and creative activities to reinforce the meaning and definitions.
Dikduk/Grammar (green)
The grammar component teaches roots, prefixes and suffixes that can be taught through the prayer. It includes written activities to reinforce the concepts. At Temple Isaiah, all grammar activities in Mitkadem are optional, as we acknowledge that Hebrew grammar is quite challenging for our students and not central to our educational goals.
Divrei T’filah/Words about Prayer (gold/olive green)
This component helps to make prayer relevant and meaningful to our children. It includes interesting questions and activities that encourage our students to participate in the prayers of Jewish holidays, ritual, life cycles, and traditions. In this section, students have a chance to investigate central themes of the prayer book and Jewish thought.ww.temple-isaiah.org
Online Resources
Students who would like to practice reading / chanting prayers at home are encouraged to do so!
Click one of the following links to get started:
Mitkadem Reading / Chanting Practice, by Ramot
Temple Isaiah B’nai Mitzvah Prayer Practice Audio Files