PHD: Book 1
The first book in our Hebrew reading program. Here we begin to learn the Hebrew letters—with only the ‘a’ vowel. It is available in two formats:
1) A standard version, suitable for most children and all adults
2) A Hebrew-Hebrew version without transliteration—ideal for children who cannot yet read English comfortably. We usually recommend this version for 1st graders
Book One is divided into three chapters and gradually introduces twelve letters, each with only the ‘a’ vowel. We begin with the letter Resh, which has a basic shape that helps form many other letters. We also cover other concepts, such as some letters having a final form when they appear at the end of a word and some letters having two different sounds. Using a variety of reinforcing activities, each letter is practiced and cemented into the learner’s understanding.
The PHD is a simple yet extremely effective system with which students of all ages can learn how to both read and write in Hebrew. Sara Rosen, a veteran Hebrew teacher of more than 30 years, drew on all her teaching experience to create the PHD. The program is divided into three books in which the letters and vowels are introduced sequentially and in increasing degrees of complexity according to their sound and shape. To ensure the learner is never overwhelmed, we only introduce one letter or vowel at a time.
The first two books introduce the Hebrew letters, how they sound with (and without) one basic sound: ah, and how they are written. As students read more accurately and their skills are reinforced and become more fluid, the remainder of the vowels are then introduced in the third book. This approach enables students to read phonetically almost any text in either classical or modern Hebrew.
