Ivrit at Etz Chaim

At Etz Chaim Ivrit is an integral part of our school. The National Curriculum states that a Modern Foreign Language must be taught from KS2 in enough detail to lay the foundations for secondary school. We ensure that every child across the school receives a broad and balanced knowledge of Ivrit. Learning a language enriches our curriculum, enhances learning experiences and helps develop positive attitudes to languages learnt throughout life.

Foundation stage

The children begin learning Ivrit in Nursery, where they become familiar with basic words and phrases and also learn nursery rhymes in Ivrit. The teaching of Ivrit is done by following the program of Chalav U’Dvash, where Ivrit is taught in Ivrit and English is kept to a minimum.

Chalav U’Dvash is continued through Reception, where the children increase their knowledge and begin to understand and respond to familiar spoken language with confidence. The children explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link sounds to the meaning of words.

Key Stage 1

In KS1 Ivrit is taught through Chalav U’Dvash, carrying on from Foundation stage. The children learn new vocabulary and to speak with increasing fluency, confidence and spontaneity. By the end of Year 2 the children begin to find ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussions and asking questions, and continually improve the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation. They can speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structure.

Key Stage 2

In KS2 Ivrit moves from Chalav U’Dvash to Ivrit BeClick. This program of study provides the children with the opportunity to engage in richer conversations as well as learn about the culture and way of life in Israel. In Year 3 the children begin to write phrases from memory and practice written comprehension exercises. This continues and develops throughout KS2. The children can describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing. They broaden their vocabulary and develop the ability to understand new words that are introduced into written familiar material. They can also present ideas and information to a range of audiences both orally and in writing.