Children's siddurim

[rhu]

I'm not thrilled with the prayer book that they give to the kids at JCDS (which is a topic for another thread), and I want Tani (and, in a few years, Alissa) to have a siddur for home use that is age-appropriate, so we went to the Israel Book Shop and Kolbo today to see what's out there.

Ugh!

Of course there's Artscroll, which aside from the drawback of being Artscroll is also much more abridged than I want. There's Barchu, and on the next page is Sh'ma. I agree that one needs abridge this section for kids, but there are supposed to be two berachot in between.

Other options were also too abridged, or in a font that was inhospitable to those new to reading Hebrew, or too perfunctory and lacking in instructions, explanations, and commentary. I couldn't even find the one I grew up with, which was probably put out by USCJ back in the 1970s.

So, I guess I'm going to have to create my own. Like I need another project right now.

Comments

[cnoocy]

Is it the kind of thing you can open-source?

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Carefully, but in principle yes.

[cellio]

What age are you aiming for?

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

8ish through probably 11 or 12.

More importantly, the skill set I'm aiming for is:

* Can sound out Hebrew with some difficulty, although that will improve (and so the print should be clear and large enough, and transliteration is bad because he will start to depend on it too much).

* Knows certain tefillot by rote. The siddur should be complete (at least for the services it covers) but clearly indicate which bits can be skipped for now until he's more fluent.

* Doesn't quite know how everything fits together yet. Doesn't know logistics, but wants to get them right. Has a parent sitting in the next seat who tries not to talk during services (so the book needs to provide enough guidance that I don't have to lean over and say "here's where you gather your tzitzit.")

* Voracious reader with insatiable curiosity, so commentaries and sidebars are good, but not to the point where they become their own burden or distraction.

Finally, the siddur must contain the Orthodox liturgy (since that's how we daven) but can also contain the common alternates from other movements (with which he should also become familiar), as long as everything is clearly marked so he knows which one we do.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

We used the Shilo at Maimonides, and sdavido used it at his yeshiva in Cincinnati as well; have you tried that one?

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Shilo is what we used in Hebrew school when I was growing up. It's not what we used at my Junior Congregation, for the same reason that I don't think it's what I'm looking for now: it doesn't give the beginner enough support to use independently.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Most publishers probably assume that a beginner will have guidance... Have you asked your rabbi if he has any suggestions?