Hi, I’m Chani Karp, Ms. Ed.
And I want to tell you about a 12-year-old boy who felt so less-than that he kept to himself at recess and never joined the class.
Why? He couldn’t couldn’t read. He couldn’t write. He couldn’t follow the posuk. Forget about understanding a Rashi.
He wasn’t capable. He wasn’t smart. He wasn’t worthy of friendship – or so he thought.
We worked together, utilizing the tools from the Confident Kriah Method. It wasn’t the first time his parents had sent him for intervention. But it was the first time it worked.
He started to understand what was going on in school.
And to participate – because he didn’t feel less-than anymore.
That summer, he went to overnight camp.
Instead of keeping to himself in the corner of the bunkhouse, he felt confident enough to make friends. And confident enough to join the camp’s intense Gemara competition.
…Which he won.
Learning to read transformed him.
He went from the kid who avoided any attention
…to the one receiving a trophy on stage.
He no longer considered himself incapable.
When he learned to read, he was able to learn – and when he learned to read, he learned to believe in himself.
This child is one of the 100+ stories that make me believe in CKM so much.
Kriah skills aren’t only about stringing letters together or being able to decode sentences.
It’s about self-worth, self-confidence, and self-image.
Something every child doesn’t only deserve – but desperately needs.
The Confident Kriah Method
It’s a system I put together in 2013 — crafted from years of research and training — to help children learn kriah.
Some methods are culled from my experience in chinuch, some are adapted from English literacy systems, and some are entirely unique.
CKM rethinks and restructures old-school practices for a more effective way of teaching lifelong kriah for learners of today
x Timed reading
x Teaching letters in a vacuum
x Memorizing
x Learning nekudos through song
x Using seforim to practice
x Counting mistakes
x Teaching a list of shva rules
x Relying on rhyme
With the CKM, kriah is no longer overloading or confusing.
It turns Hebrew reading into a structure so instead of being an endless list of rules and exceptions, it’s a rememberable system students can master. And apply to every piece of text.
CKM gives them the ability to actually understand, internalize – and strengthen – their ability to read Hebrew.
He was putting in the effort, but it wasn’t getting any easier for him. That’s when we knew we needed something different…Now he’s confident — and actually relaxed — about learning.
My student read slowly and often mixed up nekudos. We ruled out vision problems, arranged extra practice in yeshiva, and also reviewed with him at home. He was putting in the effort, but it wasn’t getting any easier for him. That’s when we knew we needed something different. Chani was honest and upfront. We knew that she took the case only because she genuinely believed that she could help him. She immediately noticed what he was doing to compensate for his weakness and created a detailed plan that gently took him out of his comfort zone. She gave him the tools to focus and learn. Now he’s confident — and actually relaxed — about learning.
Rabbi M., teacher
Kriah skills – tools for life. The keys to more.
Sometimes, all that’s holding them back is “just” kriah.
If a student struggles with kriah – they’ll struggle with every subject that requires Hebrew reading.
But many are bright – even brilliant, and once we crack their kriah code, they’ll speed ahead in Chumash, Gemara, and other subjects too.
They’re capable of doing better in school.
Kriah is critical to a happy Jewish life.
If we want kids to be excited about avodas Hashem, we need to make sure they can be.
It’s hard to want to learn or daven when it’s a struggle every time. Mitzvos become challenging, a reason to feel and discouraged.
When they’re able to learn and daven well, they can do so every day of their life.
The best gift you can give a child is confidence.
If a child doesn’t feel capable, they won’t even try.
If they have a hard time with a foundational skill like kriah, they’ll be scared to explore new learning experiences because “I can’t do it.”
If they see they can master this, they’ll believe they can master anything.
Chani boosted him up with each session. She’s an educator par excellence!
Our son’s reading wasn’t fluent or accurate and we were worried because kriah is the basis of all learning. From the start, he came out of each session so happy. He was more willing to read and more confident in his ability. Chani boosted him up with each session. She’s an educator par excellence!
G. C., parent
The best part of CKM is
a student’s pride when they accomplish
something they didn’t think possible.
An 11th grader who stood up to read a kapitel at a school program — finally, she wasn’t scared to stumble over the words.
A teen who said Eichah and Hoshanas on the appropriate days — finally, she wasn’t overwhelmed by all the new words.
A 19-year-old boy left trade school to enter a mainstream yeshiva — finally, he could keep up with a chavrusa.
A 16-year-old who davened for the amud — finally, he could daven from a siddur.