Sounds good in theory, but it’s not what actually happens. The child’s focus is either on text based learning or on chidon learning. When given the choice, they will choose reading from a chidon book and it’s hard to pull them back.

I am not saying that it’s impossible to do both. I am simply sharing what I, and many other mechanchim, have seen.

Seems like someone actually gets it!
Halevai we could create curriculums that operate in this way. All our children would benefit.

The hours they spend in yeshiva learning chumash and mishnayos serve to prepare them for Gemara, and the hours they spend after school in their own free time studying for Chidon replace other non academic activities they would be doing instead.

I am a teacher in mesivta and I have seen numerous boys with adequate capabilities who were big chidon successes, but poor in reading gemara. It was a big letdown for them when they thought they were “advanced”, only to find out that they are quite behind. I have heard this from many other mesivta teachers as well.

While yedios are helpful with learning, the main skill needed in learning Gemara is the ability to decipher Lashon Hakodesh and Aramaic text and structure. And that is something that they do not get from chidon.

As well, the exciting graphics and images of a chidon book do not prepare a student for concentrating on tight black and white text. (And I hope you won’t suggest that we should make our gemaras into picture books…)

If we want our children to have the patience and skill to learn Gemara, maamorim and so on, we need to prime them from a young age to classic learning according to their level (Kriah, Chumah, Mishnayos, Gemara).

…Did more Torah learning, or less Torah learning, happen because of Chidon?

You write, “when they come to yeshiva, they are terribly disadvantaged. While they felt good knowing “kol hatorah kulah,” they were completely unprepared for serious learning of Gemara.”
On what basis do you say that?
As a Gemara teacher in Yeshiva, I can tell you that Yeshiva does not expect complete fluency in reading inside. Right or wrong, that is the current standard. Conversely, when a student enters knowing the musagim of kol hatorah kulah (from Chidon or elsewhere – practically, it’s happening in Chidon), they are at a great advantage.

You are correct that it cannot happen in a mass program to the same extent that it can with a teacher in a classroom. This article is trying to find a way even within a mass program. This is possible, and it will require ideas how to create this new track.

They’re not dumb, but process information and experience life differently.

Having experienced frustration throughout school, it’s a powerful experience to turn that into hatzlacha in the classroom.

5 ingredients stand out as the keys to hatzlacha for children with ADHD:

A. Energy & sensory regulation;

B. Relationships;

C. Style of learning;

D. Choimer;

E. Motivation.

A. Energy & sensory regulation:
Having loads of energy is great – you can achieve a lot with it. Haul heavy things, do lots of Chesed. Dance endlessly at weddings.

This energy needs to go somewhere. It can’t remain bottled up inside or it will start to really hurt.

Invest the energy into responsibilities. Allow the child to take physical movement breaks when he/we know he needs it. This unlocks his brain for learning, helps him feel good inside and teaches him to self regulate now and into the future.

Even better, incorporate movement and sensory activities into the learning.

B. Relationships:
There’s a sensitivity often found in the energetic child. Ahavas Yisroel, care for another. A deep sense of empathy and attunement for those around them.

An emotional environment that’s positive and relaxed means they can really relax and focus.

When there’s tension in the room it can really hijack their brain.

Establish rapport and create a bond and they will respond to the alliance. He knows you care, you’re on his team. He’ll care about what’s important to you because he feels your care for him.

C. Style of learning:
On a web of information, you can take the child anywhere but it needs to start from where they are. With an entry point that speaks to them, a sense that this matters, they’ll be curious and open to learning.

Especially for children who are more relationship based (point B), information is processed through relationships as well. What does this concept we’re learning mean? Where does it fit into my life today? How does this mesh with what I know already?

If it’s emotionally relevant, the cheishek to learn becomes לאין ערוך greater!

D. Choimer:
Have you ever seen a child with ADHD designing a contraption? Watch them come alive with creativity, using materials you would never think of, to build something you could only imagine.

They usually have a keen understanding of the world around them – how things work and why they do.

Bringing this approach to learning means understanding the hows and whys of the choimer being learned. Dry facts and figures, rote memorisation are meaningless. Without a way to relate to the inner workings of the concept, it can be difficult to process, synthesise and internalise the information.

E.g. When learning גמרא, the opinions of בית הלל & בית שמאי can be difficult to remember. Understanding what brought בית הלל to say this way and בית שמאי to say that will mean the “ADHD” kid might remember better than anyone else!

‎“בית הלל has the מדה of חסד, so they say it’s מותר.”

E. Motivation:
Children with ADHD can attend to video games for remarkable lengths of time! Some would argue the isssue isn’t really attention deficit but something else.

Good luck getting him to do something he doesn’t intrinsically care for. He simply won’t have the motivation.

For the energetic child (adults too), it boils down to רצון. When he is internally motivated, his stamina and focus is surprising. He can work on something for minutes, hours and days.

Sincerely,
Chonye Morozow

When I was growing up, boys would use their free time learning mesechtos of mishnayos and the like. I’m sure there are still many who do so today, but I also see many boys who are exchanging that for reading chidon book. Later, when they come to yeshiva, they are terribly disadvantaged. While they felt good knowing “kol hatorah kulah,” they were completely unprepared for serious learning of Gemara.

We need to go back to good old Torah learning. Chidon is good for boys who cannot learn or for girls not interested in text learning.

I agree with you that it is the job of the schools to accommodate each child. If they truly did, I don’t think it would such a big deal if Chidon only catered to a percentage of children. After all, each child would already be experiencing Torah success and joy through their school experience. Their bucket would be full (#iykyk) or almost full. But the fact is that as the author wrote, schools have a way to go into they reach that place. Is it Tzivos Hashem’s responsibility to step in? I’m not knowledgeable enough in the Rebbe’s sichos and directives to Tzivos Hashem about their responsibilities. I do know that klal yisroel has a responsibility toward all of its children, in which case it seems to me that a program such as Chidon, whose goal is for every child to have a positive association with and knowledge of the mitzvos, should indeed cater to every Jewish child.

Firstly, kol hakavod to Rabbi Wagner for taking the time to write up two brilliant responses. Your students are lucky to have a mechanech who is so in tune. I really appreciated reading your thoughts and the way you explained the situation so well.

The pain of the struggling children is so real. And often goes largely unnoticed. I know because I too have a struggling child. And I live with my child’s pain every single day and night. It’s excruciating.

And I think back to my earlier years as a teacher, when my own children were very young. I remember very clearly which of my students struggled. I tried to help them and make them shine, but I will openly admit that I had absolutely no concept as to how much these kids endure every single day.

And to be honest, I believe that unless someone personally experienced the struggle, or is a parent of a child who does, they really don’t have a full grasp of what that life is like. There are some rare exceptions of stellar mechanchim who do get it, but with all due respect, I’d venture to say that most do not. It’s not their fault–most teachers and principals grew up being the smart ones in their class so they have no way of knowing.

While I do acknowledge the need for intellectually gifted children to have a Chidon track that’s suitably challenging, as Rabbi Wagner pointed out, one point does not take away from the other.

I am not sure what you know about chidon but it has 4 tracks. The highest track is the iyun track. Evry child who gets over 90% gets a mini trophie. This track is very challenging.
The pefect challenge for really bright kids.

This is whats amazing about chidon its inclusive because evryone can be sucsesful. Yet its challeging for the smart kids.

The challenge becomes when there are kids that just go for the trip and dont go for the track that they belong on.

Then becouse those kids cheated the system
1. Becouse no one told them they need to do more
2. Becouse most schools and parents are afreid to set higger standerds.
So thats why the solution is to not reward kids who are not able to do more?
Is that not selfish ?
What if you had a diffrent kid or a grandchild that was not so smart would you still say the same thing or would you want that child to be included?

If we could eatablish chidon to be based on Yegia not just Yedia. Then the smart kid and every other child would fell that chidon is well earned.

No one feels good to get a plaque when you did nothing for it. Parents dont feel good to pay for a program that gives lavish prizes that kids dont work hard for. Schools dont feel good to give time for a program thaf the children are not investing into.

Does that mean that chidon should only be for top students. Chas Vesholom. It means that we need base commansers like mrs klain in Beis Chaya Mushka that will include children who will work on chidon by making a scrap book. Yet challenge the brighter students to not only pass the 70% mark they have to pass 80% and some schools mark is 85% and good for them. As the bochur wrote those smart kids need to be challenged. But not on other peoples cheshbon.

Maybe other schools can incorporate this

Your emotions are coming across loud and clear, and I feel for you. As I too was a child labeled “smart”, I know how frustrating it is for the students who consistently do well to be overshadowed by that kid who suddenly surprised his teacher and got a 60% on his test instead of the usual 40% – and is then awarded a certificate for his Yegiah. From an intellectual perspective, it feels wrong, and it hurts.
If indeed your accomplishments – as natural as they may be (and I’m sure even you must put in effort) – are not acknowledged at all; you have every right to be bitter.
But, as a current teacher, I know what goes on in most classroom settings. You are probably acknowledged, both in the classroom, and almost certainly at home, where there is less of that competitive environment; where only a select few are acknowledged at a time. I’m sure you get positive attention in your life, and rightfully so.
Here’s the point, and as it was clearly articulated by the author:
We’re dealing with the kids who Never. Get. Acknowledged with positive attention. Who never have an opportunity to shine, definitely not academically, and not even socially. It’s not just that others look down at them; they look down at themselves. In a system built around academic achievements, they are never, or barely ever, given a chance for their inherent value to be appreciated.
That’s not what Yiddishkeit is based on.
Yiddishkeit is based on effort. Effort cannot be marked by an intellect-based test, and should not be rewarded as such. They put in at least as much Yegi’ah as you do, if not more, and a global, central Mosad such as Chidon, which has such a widespread effect in the way children view themselves (and others) should recognize that.
That’s the point of the author’s article, as well as my comment:
Not to take the spotlight away from you one iota, but to change the lens of that spotlight from “Yediah” to “Yegiah”, thus making room for others to be in that same spotlight under which you rightfully deserve to be.
Think about this from a Torah perspective. I’m available to answer any further questions you may have.
Shmuel Wagner
shmuelwagner1@gmail.com

You have a point. A very good point and that is probably what Chidon was originally intended for. BUT it is too late. Chidon has already been catered to try to (hopefully) motivate all types, and has already become a standard by all. There are maalos to both, regardless at this point in the game chidon is pretty across the board on lubavitch schools and it can be extremely frustrating for those who would like to join the hype but still find it out of reach just because their brain is wired differently.

You have a point. My daughter studied for about 2 hours before each test and did not study at all for the final and passed everything with flying colors, getting the plaque, medal and prizes for almost no work. We did not fly her in to NY for the trip. We did not think it makes sense to have such an over the top trip and expensive flight for almost no effort.

Can we please stop expecting every child to participate in everything?

Shoshana B.

My first year joining Chidon was in fourth grade – 5778. My parents made it clear to me that for them to pay the $1,000 flight to NY for the Shabbaton, I would have to earn a 90% average, not the 70% required. Being that I earned 89% I did not go that year. The next year I worked extra hard and came back with a plaque. After covid, I started not enjoying Chidon. Everything started becoming “dumbed down” and easy.

The slogan “Every Child Every Mitzvah” is a beautiful thing, but Chidon is not meant to be easy. It was very frustrating to work extra hard and see other children with much lower grades than me get the exact same prizes. A Chidon is exactly that. A test. Something meant for those with sharper brains and the ability to sit and study. Those who have difficulty learning should focus on their schoolwork, not extra stuff.

I really appreciated the fact that Mitzvah Mavens got to have a school trip, but for us to have the same school trip as them really upset me. Now my younger siblings are doing Chidon. They don’t even realize how easy it is. When I began, you had to sit and study for hours. Now they barely study and get awesome prizes and plaques and medals for being “A Mitzvah Maven.” I think that although it is a beautiful thing to include learning-challenged children in this incredible program, don’t forget the smarter children who NEED the extra challenge to enhance their normally boring schoolwork.