It can’t be stressed enough how important it is to have a structured, comprehensive and cumulative vocabulary program for our students. Vocabulary is the most fundamental and powerful building block behind successful Torah learning. The challenge with all of the lists that are floating around is that the teacher still has to figure out what to do with them.
Last October I posted about a paper-based multi-year program that I developed by which students can master high-frequency vocabulary words.
Since then, as an Instructional Technology Specialist for Teq, I have been developing an application that takes this several steps further. It includes study, review and self-checking quiz modes, ultimately reporting quiz scores to the teacher. The presentation includes the written word in Hebrew and English together with audio and a graphic representation so as to support multiple learning modalities. Right now it is being developed as an iPad app, but web- and CD-based versions are planned.
Perhaps the most exciting element of the application is its break-down into units. The beta version currently being prepared for distribution breaks the words lists by chumash, namely words that are high-frequency in ALL chumashim or words that attain high-frequency status in a particular chumash. However, we are working on an index that associates EVERY word in Chumash with its root-form as well as its sefer, perek and possuk. This will allow the application to promote study of words in preparation for learning any specific chapter of Chumash as assigned by the teacher as well as linking back to all manifestations of a particular root learned so as to promote identification of prefixes and suffixes in the text.
The application is not ready yet, but the more people register to be notified when it is ready, the more time and resources Teq will be willing to invest to make it ready. You can read about Teq’s Chumash Initiative and register to be notified about availability of the app at [
www.teq.com]. If you feel as strongly as I do that this application will make a world of difference for your students and your classroom, please register now to let Teq know how you feel.
Rabbi Gershom Tave
Instructional Technology Specialist
Teq
