Preschool Lesson on Hanukkah

Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple of Jerusalem after its defilement by Antiochus of Syria. The occasion is an ideal time to teach preschool students about the teachings of Judaism and, more specifically, about Hanukkah. Children at this age learn best through interaction and visual stimulation. To get a lesson across to preschool students, engage them in the material by having them take part in the learning process.

 

Books

Books are efficient at engaging preschool students and teaching them about values through narratives. With Hanukkah, books can highlight to students the main points about the religious holiday. In preschool, students will be more captivated by books with a few simple words, but with engaging pictures that also help convey the story and message. Reading to the children vividly with various tones of voice and asking them questions throughout the story will help them be better engaged.

 

Miracles

Hanukkah teaches about noticing the miracles in everyday life. This offers an opportunity for teachers to involve students in the lesson. When reading a story, take note whenever a miracle occurs in the book. Miracles can be minor, such as family sitting down to eat dinner on Hanukkah. The fact that the family is together and are able to eat delicious food with each other is a miracle that Hanukkah recognizes.

 

Relating Literature to Life

"The Story of Chanukah," by Sarah Leon, is an example of one such book that can help children appreciate all that they have to be grateful in life. The lead character Chanukah appreciated winning the war and then finding oil. The teacher should then begin to relate the events in the book to events in their life that they can appreciate. Taking the experiences of characters in books can help children appreciate reading and what it can offer to their lives.

 

Participation

After reading the story, children can explain some of the miracles in their life. This will help them learn the message of Hanukkah, which enforces recognizing life's miracles. Teachers can ask each member of the class about a miracle they experienced that day. A student might say that waking up to see the sun rise was a miracle, or the food that they ate for breakfast was a miracle.

 

References

• Holidays.net: The Story of Chanukah [http://www.holidays.net/chanukah/story.html]
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Early Childhood Research and Practice [http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v8n2/birbili.html]