In elementary school, the Ivrit Tal AM curriculum is designed with the understanding that the best learning environment is one in which knowledge is acquired through a variety of activities using each of the five senses. In addition to studying from textbooks, students use music, games, art projects, singing, stories, and visual aids to learn the Hebrew language. This program creates a visual and auditory Ivrit environment in the classroom so the students speak, listen, read, and write in Ivrit.
In middle school, the NETA curriculum is designed to give students a basic knowledge in all Hebrew language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing). Students will be able to clearly read, listen to and interpret messages in Ivrit from multiple sources such as poems, songs, articles, interviews, stories, short movie clips, midrashim, agadot and Tanach. Students will be able to synthesize and evaluate these sources in creating and forming new ideas, solutions and theories. Special emphasis will be placed on listening and speaking activities. Students will listen to stories and conversations on CDs, will have to answer questions, summarize and even re-enact them in class, based on listening alone.
First Grade
Students learn basic Ivrit vocabulary and sentence structure relating to their daily life at school. Vocabulary words include items in the classroom, weather, classroom instructions, and holiday related words. Sentence structures include nominal sentences (משפט שמני), question form, and command form using שם פועל. Students develop linguistic awareness and listening skills using rhymes, songs, and movements.
At the end of first grade, students will be able to:
-
Decode multisyllabic vocabulary
-
Understand basic vocabulary words (6-10 new words per unit)
-
Write letters in script
-
Write 3-4 word sentences
Second Grade
Students continue developing language skills using topics that deal with their daily lives through songs, games, short stories, drawing, and class discussion. They learn to speak and write basic sentences describing the classroom, the home, the family, what they eat, what they wear, the parts of the body, and what they find in the world.
At the end of second grade, students will be able to:
-
Write four to five-word long sentences
-
Create sentences (written and oral) using singular and plural nouns, adjectives, and adverbs
-
Conjugate present tense verbs in male and female in both plural and singular
-
Use shem poal שם פועל with צריך & יכול
-
Use simple verbs in binyan Paal in past tense
Third Grade
Students speak and write more complex sentences describing meeting new friends, what we do with friends, what we like to do, what we do at home, what we do in our free time, clothing for different times of the year, and other topics.
At the end of third grade, students will be able to:
-
Create sentences (written and oral) in both present and past tense
-
Ask and respond to questions
-
Use more complex sentence structures to express facts and opinions
-
Use time references to describe their daily routine.
-
Incorporate more verbs, adverbs, adjectives, and prepositions into their vocabulary
Fourth Grade
Students build their vocabulary base and basic knowledge of Hebrew grammar. They can describe their learning process both orally and in writing using verbs in the present and past tense. Students use more complex sentence structure including conditional sentences and questions and reasoning sentences. Language skills involve using verbs in present and past tense, שם פועל , and adverbs and prepositions to express facts and opinions.
At the end of fourth grade, students will be able to:
-
Comprehend written material
-
Comprehend oral instruction and dialogue
-
Expresses him/herself clearly in writing
-
Uses appropriate grade-level grammar in written work
-
Expresses him/herself clearly in oral communication
-
Uses appropriate grade-level grammar in oral communication
Fifth Grade
Students expand their vocabulary base and basic knowledge of Hebrew grammar. They use these Ivrit skills in a variety of social settings and activities such as daily routine and time conversations, school related topics, ordering in a restaurant, asking directions, and so on.
Students begin to explore the Binyanim – the verb structure in Ivrit – and how this knowledge can enhance their ability to comprehend complex text in Ivrit and communicate effectively. As in fourth grade, they use more complex sentence structure and incorporate richer vocabulary in their speech. Language skills involve using verbs in five binyanim.
At the end of fifth grade, students will be able to:
-
Comprehend written material
-
Comprehend oral instruction and dialogue
-
Expresses him/herself clearly in writing
-
Uses appropriate grade-level grammar in written work
-
Expresses him/herself clearly in oral communication
-
Uses appropriate grade-level grammar in oral communication
Middle School
Middle school students shift to the NETA curriculum. Students will be able to converse about everyday topics: city and neighborhood, home, family, hobbies and collections, leisure activities, classmates, school work, health and doctor’s visits, clothing, mood, daily schedule, placing an order in a restaurant, eliciting information about public transportation, and shopping in a variety of stores.
Students will be able to converse and write about topics including communication in the modern world, attitudes towards animals, relationships between people and animals, friendship and responsibilities towards friends, clothing and fashion, youth movements and volunteer activities, art by Jewish and Israeli artists, and visions of the future, both personal and communal.
Students will interview and be interviewed, will be able to read and write non-fiction texts related to shape, color, Jewish signs and symbols, and short scientific articles.
Students will understand and be able to use the following:
-
Conjugate the preposition shel (of) and use it correctly, fluently, and naturally orally and in writing;
-
Identify adjective and verb patterns related to shape and color and find adjective and verb definitions in the dictionary;
-
Use nominal clauses (subject + nominal predicate) correctly, fluently, and naturally in all three tenses;
-
Use the temporal words kodem (before or first) and achar kach (later or afterwards) correctly, fluently, and naturally;
-
Use the consequence word lachen (therefore) correctly, fluently, and naturally.
Students in middle school are divided into flexible groups as per their skill level for Ivrit. The curriculum ranges from Alpha NETA through NETA books 2-4.
For more details on the content and skills taught within each level, please refer to this document: