Each Rebbe / Morah receives a package of “ Davening Cards”. These cards have the main sections of shacharis inscribed upon them. The cards are given out to the students before davening.

Two gabbayim should be appointed. The “Gabbay Rishon” passes out berachos, Rabbi Yishmael, and acts as theGabbay Tzedaka (taking the pushka around to the students at the appropriate time). The Gabbay Sheini passes out the rest of the cards.

Each student says, out loud, the first two pasukim and the last two pasukim of the section written on the card. Whether or not the rest of the class is davening out loud, everyone must be quiet while the cardholders are saying their sections. The Rebbe / Morah has an excellent opportunity to listen to the way the students are davening on a daily basis. Each student becomes familiar with all the sections of shacharis as well.

When the student with the card for the Shema reaches the Shema, everyone says the Shema and Baruch Shem together. However, the cardholder says the V’Ahavta out loud while everyone else says it quietly. It is truly amazing how many excellent students make mistakes saying the V’Ahavta. It’s up to us to correct these errors while they are still able to be changed.

When to stand, when to sit, how to bow, are just some of the essentials which we must teach our talmidim / talmidot. It is much easier to teach when the students are organized during tefilla. Students also feel a stronger need to keep the place when they know everyone will be depending on them to lead certain parts of the tefilla.

In order to make this program work it is absolutely imperative that the Rebbe or Morah must not do any other distracting work (even grade papers etc...) while the students are davening. This way we show them that their davening is important to us. Also, we are able to listen to their mistakes and correct them on the spot.