Lesson 2.1 Holem, the O Vowel

Steps

1. Warm-up

   Do this together: Make a big round O with your mouth and with your arms over your head. Today’s vowel says oh, and it sits up high, like your arms.

2. Teach the new idea

   Read aloud: The story. David had many enemies, but he was not afraid. He sang: The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? In Hebrew, my light is אוֹרִי, ori. When it is dark, a light shows you the way; God is that light for His people.

   Read aloud: How Hebrew sounds. Holem is a dot at the top left of a letter: בֹּ boh. Often it sits on a vav: וֹ. Then the vav is not v at all; it is just the o vowel. Words: אוֹר OHR (light), יוֹם YOHM (day), קוֹל KOHL (voice), טוֹב TOHV (good), חֹשֶׁךְ KHOH-shekh (darkness).

   Read aloud: Careful. A dot on top of a vav is holem: oh. A dot on top of shin is the shin dot. In שָׁלוֹם you see both.

3. New words

   Do this: Say each word clearly; your child says it back twice. Point to a picture or the real thing when you can.

   • אוֹר (or) [OHR]: light
   • חֹשֶׁךְ (choshekh) [KHOH-shekh]: darkness
   • קוֹל (qol) [KOHL]: voice
   • טוֹב (tov) [TOHV]: good
4. Show how

   Show: Read: קוֹל

   Say this: “qof = k.”

   Say this: “vav with a dot on top = oh.”

   Say this: “lamed = l.”

   Answer: KOHL (voice).

   Show: Read: חֹשֶׁךְ

   Say this: “chet + holem = khoh.”

   Say this: “shin + segol = sheh; end-kaf = kh.”

   Answer: KHOH-shekh (darkness).

5. Practice together

   Do this: Ask out loud. Let your child try first; help only after a real try.

   Ask: Read: בֹּ

   Listen for: boh.

   Ask: Read: לוֹ

   Listen for: loh.

   Ask: Read and translate: יוֹם

   Listen for: yom, day.

   3 more on the lesson page.

6. Project: Light and dark card

   Read aloud: Make a card that turns from darkness to light.

   Steps:

   1. Glue black and yellow halves together.
   2. On the black half write חֹשֶׁךְ (darkness); on the yellow half write אוֹר (light).
   3. Below, write יוֹם and קוֹל.
   4. Read each word; circle every holem.

   Tips for you:

   • Put the holem dot at the top left of the letter, or on the vav.

   Done when your child can say:

   • My card has four holem words.
   • I can read them all.
7. Sketchbook

   Do this: Your child picks one or more; you write the date.

   1. Copy אוֹר, יוֹם, קוֹל, טוֹב, חֹשֶׁךְ and circle each holem.
8. From history

   Read aloud: In the oldest Hebrew writing, vav and yod were already used to help show vowels. The dots were added much later.

9. Watch for
   • Reading וֹ as voh. With the dot on top it is just oh.
   • Missing a holem that sits on the corner of the next letter. Look at the top left of each letter.
10. Game: Flashlight reading

    In a dark room, shine a flashlight on one word at a time on the wall chart: אוֹר, יוֹם, קוֹל, טוֹב, חֹשֶׁךְ. Read it before the light moves on.

11. Narration

    Say this: “Tell me what you learned today.”

    Listen for: Find holem ֹ and holem vav וֹ and say o.; Read אוֹר, יוֹם, קוֹל, טוֹב.; Read Psalm 27:1’s first words.

12. Scripture

    A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

    Hebrew (Westminster Leningrad Codex, vowel points shown, cantillation marks left out): <span class="heb-block" lang="he" dir="rtl">לְדָוִד יְהוָה אוֹרִי וְיִשְׁעִי</span> Find ori, my light, the third word. Its vav has a holem dot: oh.

Spread over the week

3 sessions of 20–30 minutes. Stop while it is still going well.

1. Session 1. Warm-up, then read and teach the new idea and the new words. Show how.
2. Session 2. Practice together, then start the project. Finish the project, then the sketchbook.
3. Session 3. Narration, the game and the Scripture.