A study of teachers' perception of the teaching of reading and writing in Hebrewa methodological approach based on the five senses

Resumen

Introduction- The language is a critical element in the formation of the cultural and national identity of the Israeli student, as is evident in the efforts to teach Hebrew in schools. In this context, this study aims to explore the skills related to how the brain learns to read and review the essential methodologies of teaching reading and writing as they emerge in the teacher interviews. There are many languages in Israel, and this linguistic diversity is one of the problems when students are required to learn the Hebrew language at school. Many students in Israel come to school with poor verbal language, significantly poor vocabulary, and significant syntactic deficiencies. The purpose of the study is to investigate the working methods of the teachers in the classroom in order to provide a differential response and meet the needs of the students. Learning the Hebrew language is a long Sisyphean process; therefore, to keep students motivated to learn, we must combine games, creative activity, fun and enjoyment in learning. Therefore, another goal of this study is to examine all existing teaching methods in Israel and create an accessible and practical knowledge base. Method- We interviewed 30 1st-2nd grade teachers with at least five years of professional experience teaching reading in regular and special education. A semi-structured interview was the chosen research tool. Initially, participants were given the research questions; each interview started with a general question and continued with questions aimed at the research topic. In the study, we conducted an in-depth critical analysis of the literature related to the research field. The analysis describes the most recent academic literature relevant to the study. Results The results of the study raised the challenges of 1st-2nd grade teachers in teaching reading and writing. One of the most significant challenges in the large class is the heterogeneity and the need for differential learning to reach all students. The results of the study emphasized, among other things, the use of one teaching approach intended for all students in the class and for the group of students who cannot learn to read using one uniform model. However, the teachers listed various creative teaching strategies for reading and writing. Finally, based on the teachers' testimonies and the conclusions drawn, we developed an eclectic learning program based on the five senses. Conclusions- The analysis of the teachers' interviews sheds new light on how they perceive their teaching strategies. In most schools, the principal chooses the program, but, in the autonomy of the class, the teacher is not prevented from producing experiential and challenging learning and using several models. The results of the study emphasized that an encouraging learning atmosphere and building trust and positive relations between the teacher and the student are fundamental conditions for motivation to learn. The results of the study also indicated the teaching methods implemented in Israel and their effectiveness for all the students in the class. In addition, the analysis of the interviews shows that the teachers invest a lot of effort in preparing experiential and stimulating lessons for the students. Among the interviewed teachers, only a few were familiar with the multi-sensory method. Many teachers reported conducting various activities in the classroom, such as songs, games, presentations and movement, "intended for fun", as they say, but failed to recognize that these activities stimulate the senses. Also, the research findings indicated the teachers' need for a pool of knowledge and activities to deal with challenging students. The teachers emphasized the need for additional help in the classroom - a teaching assistant or supporter. However, we found no studies supporting the idea that supplemental assistance in the classroom contributes to student progress. The study raised the need for different, differential, diverse and multi-sensory teaching.