Wolfson Hillel Primary School

Introduction

At Wolfson Hillel, Ivrit is taught using the communicative language approach.

This is the most widely used and widely accepted approach to classroom based foreign language teaching and in many ways is a culmination of approaches and methodologies used before.

It emphasises the child’s ability to communicate using various functions e.g. asking and answering questions, making requests, describing and comparing.  Task assignment and problem solving, which are two key components of critical thinking, are the means through which the communicative approach operates.

Grammar is taught in context to the topics.  A detailed error correction is de-emphasised in favour of the theory that students will naturally develop accurate speech through frequent use.  Children develop fluency through communicating rather than analysing. A communicative classroom includes activities though which children are able to work out a problem though narration or negotiation and thus establish communicative competence.  Some activities might include composing dialogue, creating a story or comparing similarities and differences in two pictures.

We incorporate linguistic skills and tools that the children can take with them and transfer to other languages that they will learn. We look at cultural differences in various countries and communities where Ivrit is spoken which widens their knowledge of other cultures and fosters a sense of inclusion and diversity while strengthening their English identity.

Intent

At Wolfson Hillel, Ivrit is taught following the curriculum, Ivrit Beclick.

This is an online resource created by the Centre for Education and Technology (Matach) in Israel. It supports our classroom learning with the following key features:

• Supports the teaching of Ivrit across all years of KS2
• It is a flexible resource that can stand alone or supplement other teaching programs or schemes of work
• Can be used in all schools regardless of the numbers of hours dedicated to the teaching of Ivrit
• Aims to build a bridge to Israel and develop an understanding of the lives of Israeli children. 

IvritBeClick is designed to be flexible; although the clear progression of language skills from unit to unit and stage to stage means that in most cases you will need to follow the order of the units. However, the amount of time that you spend on each unit and the use you make of the various resources available within each unit can be planned to suit your needs and the needs of your classes and school. IvritBeClick allows you to cater for a range of abilities within your classes, including children who struggle with reading and writing.

Structure
IvritBeClick is separated into four Stages. For some schools, this will equate to Years 3 to 6, but other schools may begin using the resource in KS1, and secondary schools may also find that IvritBeClick is appropriate for use in KS3.
Classes will progress through the units at different rates, depending on how much time is devoted to Ivrit each week, and whether other teaching programmes are also being used. 

The overview table outlines the content of each unit and summarises what most children should have achieved by the end of the stage, in line with the Languages Ladder assessment criteria, and KS2 Framework for languages objectives There are seven units in both Stage 1 and Stage 2, and 6 units in both Stage 3 and Stage 4. Each unit includes: 1 video clip (A slideshow is used in place of a video clip in one unit in each of Stage 1 and Stage 2); 3 interactive activities; digital flashcards; and 3 printable worksheets.

The Wolfson Hillel Ivrit Curriculum Map can be found: T:\Staff\Subject Co.ordinators\Ivrit\Ivrit progression map (insert map)

Implementation

Ivrit is taught in accordance with the National Curriculum Languages Framework via the four strands: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.

The children are taught in two groups , each led by an Ivrit speaking teacher.  The bigger group consists of children who are able to access all aspects of the languages framework. The smaller group contains children who require more support in order for them to access the languages curriculum. They use songs, rhymes, games, stories and cultural links in order to expose them to the phonemes and language patterns of the language. Each class is taught for a total of one and a half hours a week.

Ivrit is taught following the topics on the website, Ivrit Beclick. Additionally, the children use their Chromebooks to complete activities, both on the Ivrit BeClick website and on Google Classroom. Furthermore, they record work using their knowledge of the written language in writing books. They review topics by reading texts related to the topic. They read these texts and are able to answer questions orally and in writing. They are also able to conjugate verbs, construct sentences and in written form looking at linguistic patterns and comparing them to English.

Real life applications of the language are used as often as possible e.g. writing a letter or composing an email.

Staff attend training by PAJES and iLanguages (Getting Ready for Ofsted). The staff have regular team meetings with SLT and performance management.

All lessons start with a review of prior learning, ensuring the children have mastered the relevant vocabulary, grammar rules and skills as well as addressing any misconceptions or gaps that may have arisen.

Monitoring and Assessment

In Year 3, when the children arrive from KS1, children are given a one to one assessment on reading and script writing.  Children who need to are placed in a small support group (as outlined above).

At the start of each unit, the children are given a grid with all the expected levels in the four areas of the language curriculum (listening, speaking, reading and writing) for the topic that they are covering. This is highlighted off as we progress through the unit.   

We begin every unit with a baseline assessment which covers any prior knowledge that the children need to access the unit.  This informs our planning for the unit and allows us to fill in any gaps that the children may be missing and determine who will need intervention.  The small support group changes after termly assessment and children who make significant progress are moved into the mainstream class.

Assessment of the 4 strands of the languages ladder

• Listening
  • Year 3-6 listen to songs of the culture relating to festivals and Israeli culture.
  • Songs are chosen per topic to reinforce rhyme, rhythm and identify words.
  • Native speakers:  Each unit has a recording of native speakers converse and use the vocabulary within the topic. The children watch the videos and listen to the language spoken.  They listen out for known and new vocabulary.  They record what they hear onto white boards.
• Speaking
  • The children present a short spoken phrase and record their work onto the Ivrit Google classroom.
  • They move onto speaking sentences and then a short text using a model and then independently. They then upload their oral work to their google classroom for teacher assessment.
  • In year 6, they are asked to demonstrate their understanding of the spoken language by presenting a short oral on a topic to the class.
• Reading
  • Recordings of reading onto the Ivrit Google Classroom. 
  • ERIC: Reading in class i.e. Individual reading, paired reading and group reading for meaning.
• Year 6:  children are given weekly reading for meaning homework from all topics covered in KS2
• Writing
  • In Year 3, the children are assessed on being able to transfer letters from block to script - This is recorded in their writing books using varied text to transform from block to script.
  • By the end of year 3, they are required to use script writing to fill in missing words relating to the topic.
  • Year 4 children are able to record their spoken language using script writing to show their knowledge of the unit vocabulary.
  • Year 5 are assessed on their ability to write short sentences and thereafter short paragraphs on the topic independently.
  • Year 6 are able to apply the knowledge of the written language into every day situations, for example; writing a text on an email.

As the children complete a unit, they are required to record and upload their reading onto the  Ivrit Google Classroom.  The teacher assesses their reading based on their accuracy, fluency and their intonation which would demonstrate their understanding of the text.

Provision for SEND pupils

Retrieval activities are done at the beginning of each lesson in the form of, vocab revision,  watching short video clips and answering questions, Quizlet and short rhymes or songs.

Throughout KS2, pupils requiring more support to access the curriculum are taught in a small support group. The small group focus on spoken language and cultural experiences of Israel and the Ivrit language.  They are exposed to the written language via songs, game and the use of a Chromebook to access the Ivrit Beclick flashcards, games and videos.

In Year 3, children are assessed one to one in reading and writing.  The children who have not accessed the phonics and the blending of CVC sounds are placed in the small support group. This group continues to focus on  KS1 skills. The teacher supports their learning and their progress using a variety of strategies such as: songs, games, role play and creative activities (cutting out and sticking letters and sounds) in order to reinforce shapes and directional work.

In Year 4-6, the support group focusses on accessing the language orally and being able to role play conversations relating to the topics covered in the main class.  They focus on the cultural aspects of Israeli life and compare that to that of their lives in the UK.  They learn about places in Israel and do project work on famous Israeli personalities, poets and places to visit.  This allows them to leave Primary school with a love for Israel and their culture. 

The Ivrit Team fills in a termly provision map with the SENCO and attends all the IEP and general wellbeing meetings of all the children they teach.  They are an integral part of each year group team.