Yeshiva of New Haven - Three Facts About Jewish Schools
Yeshiva Elementary of New Haven is an Orthodox Jewish school for preschool and elementary school-aged Jewish children. The classes are small and each is comprised of mixed-age groupings. It is common for a cohort of students to remain with the same teachers for a number of years, fostering strong teacher-student bonds.
In kindergarten and elementary classes at Yeshiva of New Haven, the basics of reading and writing take center stage. English Language skills are taught with an emphasis on phonics, using such old-time favorites as the Educators Scholastic series of short black-and-white Mac and Tab books, The palpable joy of a young child who can finally bring home a ‘book’ to read for the family is shared by everyone at the Yeshiva.
Children in grade two are generally ready for more extensive reading, for which Yeshiva of New Haven favors the Open Court Reading series. True to its name, Open Court is an anthology of worthy short pieces of actual literature which presents an “open” vocabulary at each stage. Without limiting the young readers to a specific set of several hundred words per level, Open Court chooses the literary selections and then allows the vocabulary to present itself. Language acquisition is greatly enriched by this method, fine selections of reading are enjoyed by the students, and reading comprehension and proficiency are enhanced.
The reading books of the Open Court series were purchased by Yeshiva of New Haven elementary school several decades ago. At Yeshiva New Haven, students quickly learn a respect for books both new and old. The small classes and strong bonds between teachers and students promote wonderful accomplishments. Yeshiva of New Haven students have several times qualified for the state level of the Geography Bee, which is sponsored by the National Geography Society.
