Here’s my Master of Jewish Education thesis, How Do We Know What Works? Using the Science of Learning to Consider How We Train Torah Readers. In the coming weeks I hope to add a video of my presentation and share work on additional projects based on this research.
Abstract
Cantors and other educators have methods of teaching Torah reading skills in synagogues (primarily to b’nai mitzvah). This paper investigates whether those methods are consistent with what is known from cognitive psychology research about how people learn, and considers whether evidence-based learning methods could benefit the field. Relevant literature from the fields of Jewish education and the science of learning are reviewed, along with findings from a survey of educators, and analysis of these findings is presented.