<HTML>This is one of the most enjoyable and dramatic sefarim to teach.
In terms of teacher preparation, besides a mikraot gedolot, the
Mosad Harav Kook Shmuel and the Atlas are important resources as well as a sefer called "Oz Hamelech" Iyunim B'sefer Shmuel by Yigal Ariel. For our students (at Hebrew Academy, Montreal, grade 6), we use the workbook of Shachar Yanai which is OK -especially for organizing the chapters into cognitive units and having a milon, and being accessible to students. I supplement this with workbooks I have purchased in Israel (such as those put out by Tal). This is also a sefer which lends itself to journal writing and drama (e.g. the last assignment I gave was to write a dialogue between Shaul and Shmuel when he took him up on the roof).
Re: Skills and Talmud study
These questions can also be applied to study of Torah and mefarshim. To what extent are skills for reading Biblical Hebrew and understanding exegetical methodology taught? It seems we expect students to acquire these through osmosis and really need a more methodological approach in order for students to be truly independent learners and not reliant on "the artscroll" for the rest of their lives.
Re: Curriculum
It is true that many mechanchim want to individualize their teaching, so no one workbook is ever perfect for one class. But having attractive materials as oppose to hundreds of Xeroxes is certainly preferable. Even on the most basic level of an attractive readable navi or chumash text for students. How many students use such a text in their class? If we believe that learning Hebrew is an important value, then the students need attractive, interesting stories to read. If you search the average student's knapsack or desk (with their permission, of course) and compare the quality and attractiveness of their limudei kodesh texts and those for limudei chol, you will find a very upsetting disparity.
I don't mean just to rant -perhaps there are some schools who have some solutions. In our high school the students buy their own limudei kodesh texts, but the really nice clear texts tend to be too expensive so they end up buying, for example, a mikraot gedolot for nach which you need a magnifying glass to read.
Barbara Freedman
Hebrew Academy, Montreal</HTML>
