How We Run Aleph Champ by Sara Steinmetz
My
AC program takes place in one room. Kids sit around tables in the
sequence of their AC levels. Every level has a teacher/teen tutor to
assist.
I
love the program because a child who is advanced is challenged and the
weaker student is stimulated. Besides leading the highest level a group
of purples - black, I lead the AC program, which means....
We collect HW slips
Sing the aleph bet and nekudot songs
And
then I announce the game and explain it ..... every teacher /tutor know
10 min= reading, 10 min= workbook (Advanced = script, hebrew through
prayer...) and 10 min (game).
If anyone passed a level we give a "drum roll" bang on the table and present a student with a medalion.
If
a student wants to be tested, and teacher did not have time, there is
one teacher who after the 45 minutes will stay extra to test a few
students. (The other volunteers and teens, help to clean up the AC
supplies, while the teachers and students progress to indiviaual
classrooms for prayer, history and basic Judaism).
I don't feel the teachers are overwhelmed and the student are motivated. We do 3 AC ceremonies a year.
1st is held from 5:15pm - 5:30pm prior to the onset of our Chanukah family event.
2nd is held from at the aforementioned time prior to the onset of our purim family event.
At these two events students are called up in order of rank, and also hold up flags corresponding to that color.
At
the end of the year, we have our 3rd and final ceremony, but this done
by class. Each teacher recongizes each student's best traits with a
certificate of recognition, and then I announce the AC level, and say a
sentence about the child's effort and how many level's he/she has passed
etc...
Attached
is a form my teachers use for the entire year, and a form that is
submitted about each child prior to the AC ceremoies. In addition, at
the beginning of each year, and after winter break, and after Purim
(after the AC ceremonies) students make personal goals.
Words Per Minute
In our school in order to pass level you need to read a certain number of words per minute (WPM)
Orange - 8
Yellow - 10
Green -15
Blue - 20 From a Siddur (much more difficult to achieve as opposed to reading from the AC textbook)
Purple 30
Brown 40
Grey 50
Black 100
Stripes are awarded: If they complete 1/3 of the book, workbook, and 1/3 of the necessary speed to pass. For example:
17 WPM From a Siddur = 2 Stripes Blue
23, 33, 43 = 1 Stripe Blue, Purple, Brown,
26, 36, 46 = 2 Stripes Blue, Purple, Brown
20, 30, 40, 50 = Master Blue, Purple, Brown Grey
65 WPM = 1 Stripe Black
80 WPM = 2 Stripes Black
100 WPM = Master of Black
