Dr. Lenchner is best known for her landmark Hebrew primer Z'man Likro: Time to Read Hebrew, published in 1989 by A.R.E. Publishing. She is a bilingual, Israeli born educator, with a remarkable blend of theoretical knowledge of the reading process and a creative mind. Z'man Likro was a radical departure from outdated approaches to Hebrew reading programs. Through methodical task analysis Dr. Lenchner identified the source of most common Hebrew reading (decoding) errors (see Why Jonathan Can't Read, Compass magazine, 1983). She then designed an engaging program that incorporates state of the art reading research to optimize learning and avoid the pit falls of Hebrew decoding. Z'man Likro quickly became a standard of Hebrew reading instruction and other publishers of Hebrew reading programs later adapted some of its key principles.

• Changing the order in which letters and vowels are introduced to reduce the probability of confusion and maximize retention
• Use of Jewish concepts as key words to introduce new letters and vowels
• Use of cognate words such as pyramid, toast and yo-yo to enhance the sense of mastery.
• Provision of multi sensory support materials

Another distinctive feature of Z'man Likro is a reading evaluation for each of the 20 lessons, drawing on Dr. Lenchner's assessment expertise. Also included is a placement test in the teacher's guide. It can be used to determine which lesson to begin with if the student has had some previous Hebrew reading instruction.

The thoughtful 2002 revisions to Z'man Likro by Hillary Zana and Dina Maiben add further depth to this breakthrough program. For example, the key words are put into the context of Jewish literacy with a related story, the Jewish root structure is creatively underscored, and there is more practice of siddur reading, thus preparing students to the sequel series: Z'man L'Tefilah (Time for Prayer). Z'man Likro has also become a favorite textbook for teaching adults Hebrew reading and is gaining popularity in Jewish Day Schools for incoming students and for students in need of a remedial program.

Following the rising popularity of Z'man Likro's approach, Dr. Lenchner created, Kadimah, an unparalleled mindful and playful Hebrew reading readiness program. It rests on two decades of reading research that highlights the importance of phonemic awareness as a prerequisite for effective acquisition of a decoding system. There are numerous activities that focus on students identifying beginning and final sounds in words, while building symbol sound knowledge. It also adheres to the same principles that guided the sequence of letter introduction in Z'man Likro.

Accompanying both of these products is another unique component of ARE's Hebrew reading program: the Z'man Lashir (Time to Sing) audiotape. Singer/songwriter, Fran Avni, in consultation with Dr. Lenchner produced a series of enchanting songs that strengthen the oral vocabulary in Kadimah and Z'man Likro. An accompanying songbook includes music and lyrics to enhance Hebew language learning.

Services offered by Dr. Lenchner

Dr. Lenchner, is a frequent presenter at Jewish education conferences on Z'man Likro, Hebrew reading assessment, remedial Hebrew reading instruction, incorporation of phonemic awareness into the Hebrew curriculum, and teaching Hebrew through song. She has set up Hebrew remedial programs at Jewish Day Schools and Hebrew schools in Southern and Northern California and given workshops to Bureaus of Jewish Education in the US and Canada.

In her private practice as a Learning Disabilities Consultant she works with dyslexic and learning disabled children in Hebrew and Day schools, teaching them Hebrew reading and language and preparing them for Bar and Bat mitzvah. A soulful vocalist, you will also find her often on the Bimah in her local congregation.

• Hebrew reading readiness (for preschool and kindergarten teachers)
• Early identification and prevention of English and Hebrew reading difficulties
• Hebrew reading assessment and remediation
• Promoting Literacy in Multi-Lingual Schools
• Using Z'man Likro in remedial settings
• Using music to teach Hebrew

• Comprehensive evaluations of children with learning disabilities
• Consultation with teachers working in remedial settings

Workshops for supplementary Hebrew Education

• Hebrew reading assessment and remediation
• A.R.E.'s Hebrew reading program and Z'man Lashir
• Integrating children with learning disabilities in the Hebrew classroom

Evaluation and Consultation

• Assessment of children presenting learning difficulties to develop an intervention plan.
  

PARENTS

It is widely assumed that a considerable proportion of reading problems in English are due to the language's irregularities. For example, the same symbol can have several sounds: the letter 'a' has a different sound in nap, was, about, and take. In Hebrew, each vowel symbol represents only one sound 99% of the time. It is therefore reasonable to expect Hebrew reading to be considerably easier. Indeed, for most children learning to read (decode) Hebrew is quite easy, yet for many the task is not that simple. Some are faced with the same difficulties they have in English of mastering the sounds of letters and then blending them. Others may be challenged by the unique characteristics of the Hebrew alphabet, compounded by unfamiliarity with Hebrew vocabulary.

How is Hebrew reading different from English?

• The Hebrew alphabet has Semitic ancient origins and was introduced in the middle of the 2nd millennium. The English alphabet, on the other hand, was developed centuries later by the Greeks and is visually very different.
  
• The two languages do not share many vocabulary words, with the exception of a host of "cognate" words, which are mostly borrowed English words for modern concepts such as, telephone, university, and blender.
  
• While English has letters that get confused by children, because they are basically rotated forms of the same shape (e.g., b-d-p-q), Hebrew has numerous letters that look alike, except for a small visual distinction. For example, the dalet and resh; nun and gimel.
  
• The printed Hebrew alphabet is mostly "square", making letters difficult to distinguish.
  
• In Hebrew vowels are represented as small, very hard-to-distinguish markings that appear beneath, above, and in the middle of letters.
  
• When reading (decoding) Hebrew eye movements are not a smooth progression from right to left, but also up and down, because of the unique placement of different markings.
  
• Some sounds in the Hebrew language are not used in English, most notably the sound of the Ch in Chanukah.
  
• Hebrew has no capital letters, but does have five letters that have a different form when they appear at the end of the word.
  
• Hebrew vowel sounds are different than English ones and the process of blending sounds to form words is different.
  
• Because there is a very close relationship between symbols and their sounds in Hebrew, it is easy to "decode" or decipher, without necessarily knowing what it means.
  

How is Hebrew reading similar to English reading?

• Both languages are "alphabetic". That is, they represent speech at the sound level. The English letter b and the Hebrew letter bet both represent the sound /b/. (In English the name of the letter gives you the sound of the letter much less consistently).
  
• In order to "break the code" and become fluent in an alphabetic system the reader must have what is known as "phonemic awareness". In the last two decades it has become evident that one of the skills most important for learning to read is the ability to break words into sounds orally and then blend them together to form words. Both writing systems require this awareness, though how it is done in each of the languages is a bit different.
  
• Mastery of the sounds associated with the different writing symbols requires a level of auditory visual memory.

Dr. Lenchner's expertise is unique: she is both an English and Hebrew reading specialist. She has developed curriculum materials in both languages, set up programs for children with Hebrew and English reading difficulties in Jewish Day Schools and Supplementary Hebrew programs. In her private practice she instructs children with mild learning differences to severe Dyslexia in Hebrew reading and language. Dr. Lenchner also works with adults to help them acquire Hebrew reading and modern language skills.

Dr. Lenchner is available to parents for:

• Individual assessment of Hebrew and English reading skills.
  
• Designing individualized remediation programs.
  
• Class observation and collaboration with classroom teacher to suggest instructional accommodations.
  
• Hebrew reading and language instruction.
  
• Bar and Bat Mitzvah preparation for children who would benefit from individualized instruction.
  
• Nationwide on-site school consultation for children in Jewish Day Schools and supplementary programs.
  
• Recommendations for home activities that facilitate learning Hebrew.

Workshops

• Diagnosis and Remediation of Hebrew Reading Difficulties
• Kadimah and Z'man Likro