In response to numerous requests Merkaz L’Chinuch HaTorah is offering a full gamut of summer workshops for rebbeim and moros, and its intensive summer and fall programs for talmidim. Both children and bochurim can improve learning skills, from kriah through Gemara. Rebbeim and moros can acquire new techniques for reaching their talmidim and talmidos at all levels.

Especially now in the wake of the ongoing pandemic, students who were struggling even before Covid-19 have lost their support system, and have found themselves falling even further behind and increasingly frustrated by phone or Zoom classes.

Mechanchim and mechanchos, while working day and night to keep the momentum of their lessons productive and motivating, nevertheless felt their weaker students slipping further and further from their reach. Mechanchim and talmidim will also benefit from the special techniques utilizing remote learning that have been developed and honed in recent months of remote learning, adapted to the needs and attention levels of those with learning challenges.

Merkaz L’Chinuch HaTorah is recommended by esteemed Roshei Yeshiva, including Rav Chaim Pinchas Sheinberg z”tl, and ylb”c, Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, shlita, Torah Umesorah, and by principals and rebbeim. The director, Rabbi Reuven Elkins, is a founding member of Torah Umesorah’s Torah Special Educators’ Network, and the author of Unconventional Wisdom: Torah Perspectives on the Child Who Has Difficulty Learning. He gives in-service courses in yeshivas and schools throughout the country, and Masters’ level courses in all areas of literacy, and in second- language dyslexia.

For further information: (718) 421-0431 [email protected] 

FOR MECHANCHIM AND MECHANCHOS WORKSHOPS – WEEK OF AUGUST 2, 2020 – Intensive Summer Workshops 

Merkaz techniques, suited to mainstream classrooms as well as to one-on-one learning, will be taught to experienced rebbeim and moros at Intensive Workshops to be offered in Brooklyn this summer. This year all workshops will also be available over Zoom. 

KRIAH AND LASHON HAKODESH – A Comprehensive Method to Build a Proper Foundation 

This workshop covers every area of kriah and Lashon HaKodesh, and its impact on learning, from the early stages through the highest levels of learning. A multitude of teaching methods, learning styles, evaluation tools, and applied remediation techniques are both introduced and practiced during the workshop, and sensitive issues of kriah remediation for older talmidim and talmidos are addressed. Participants describe the courses as “comprehensive, clear” and “user-friendly.” One experienced remediator commented, “Not only in did I learn such a variety of methods and techniques — what is more important, here we were taught how to determine which method will work for which student!”

THE THREE TIER METHODOLOGY 

Powerful Strategies to Ensure the Success of Every Child in the Mainstream Classroom This workshop addresses the challenge faced by all experienced mechanchim and mechanchos and tutors: How do you build a student’s skills while enabling full participation in his or her mainstream class? The Three Tier Methodology, developed over decades of experience with both mainstream and resource room students, resolves this paradox. By combining a skills program with a unique, text-based mastery program, students can incorporate their newly learned skills into their regular curriculum, with great success. It is effective with curriculums ranging from beginning Chumash to advanced Gemara and meforshim.

BUILDING GEMARA SKILLS – The Rav Simcha Wasserman Method 

This workshop teaches rebbeim an original, text-based method which enables weaker students to build skills and achieve mastery. The same method can be used with advanced talmidim to develop a high level of independent textual competency, empowering mainstream rebbeim to address all levels in their classroom.

For further information: (718) 421-0431 [email protected] 

FOR TALMIDIM: LIMUDEI KODESH SKILL BUILDING From Kriah to Gemara and Beyond 

Merkaz L’Chinuch HaTorah opened The Kriah Clinic in the mid-1980s focusing primarily on young children who had trouble mastering the basics of Hebrew reading or Chumash and Rashi. This program has continued with great success, but over the years the Merkaz expanded to meet the needs of talmidim of all ages.

There were boys who were recommended as bright, who could ask intelligent questions on the Gemara, yet in the classroom were tongue-tied and helpless with a new text. The age range expanded — from six year olds who couldn’t blend, to sixth graders who couldn’t keep up, to mesivta boys who couldn’t read the Gemara, to beis medrash bochurim and adults who dreamed of following an advanced shiur, and learning independently.

The Gemara Skills Program uses a variety of original techniques developed under the guidance of Rav Simcha Wasserman, zt”l, while drawing upon contemporary strategies such as Orton-Gillingham, Lindamood-Bell, and others.

A comprehensive Limudei Kodesh Profile is performed for each talmid, followed by an in-depth

consultation with his parents. The focus of every individualized program is to systematically build advanced textual and comprehension skills. This innovative approach has proven highly effective with talmidim of all ages, including dyslexics, and those with ADD or ADHD. Remediation and evaluation are supervised by Rabbi Elkins, the director.

Reading a Rashba 

Many of the graduates of this program have gone on to advanced Yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel and America. Some, as Kollel yungeleit, have published seforim of their own chiddushim on challenging sugyas in Shas.

A menahel exclaimed: “My talmid didn’t improve 100% — he improved 300%! He’s an entirely different person, self- confident, a part of things as he never was before.”

A beis medrash bochur confided, “I can’t describe how happy I am. The other night, I read and understood a Rashba by myself. All my life I dreamed of this.”

For further information: (718) 421-0431  [email protected] 

After fulfilling his dream of spending a few years in a top yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel, one talmid wrote the following letter, to encourage others who are still struggling:

בס”ד 

I was 20 years old and went through a regular mainstream big yeshiva in Brooklyn. Throughout the years I always had difficulties with my reading; I read extremely slowly. Because of that, I never learned how to read correctly, even the small easy words. Therefore, I never learned how to translate, which as it is, I am not good at. So, all the years I was not able to keep up and just kept on making trouble. 

This went on and on throughout high school and even though I had tutors along the way, I still found myself so far behind that I felt it was impossible to solve the problems that I was going through. 

When I was in 3rd year beis medrash, I was about to totally give up on ever trying to learn how to read. Then my Rosh Yeshiva pressured me to get professional help. Even though I didn’t think it would help at all, I agreed to try. I started going and I realized that I have to really devote myself more than ever before because it was now or never.

We started from scratch and very slowly worked on the real basics to get a solid foundation. It felt like a real long time but after a year of hard work and persistence it totally paid off. I am now 22 years old and B”H even though I’m not the fastest reader, I can read perfectly. Since I can now read inside, I was able to pick up all the translation and get a much deeper understanding in everything I learn. I went on to one of the best yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel and got regular chavrusas and nobody could tell the difference between me and any other guy there. 

–A Bochur