Use and Impact of PIRLS
Israel has participated in PIRLS since its inception in 2001. PIRLS results have an impact on the continuous process of consolidating measures of reading achievement of students in Grades 2 to 5. PIRLS provides clear evidence for the necessity of Hebrew and Arabic lingual knowledge. The curriculum for each language contains principles and practical aspects that are relevant to the enhancement of writing processes and for spoken discourse; the majority of these are reflected in the Meitzav assessments. Although the PIRLS conceptual framework for reading comprehension is in alignment with the Hebrew and Arabic curricula, the Israeli curricula also are focused on writing, vocabulary, speaking, and grammar. In addition, the curricula for both Hebrew and Arabic languages for elementary education encompass texts of original literature and the traditional heritage of each religion. However, the adoption of national and international assessment standards for reading comprehension contributed to the development of instructional materials that help students gain experience in reading both literary and informational texts. Additional goals of language instruction in Israeli schools are to:
- Provide supplementary individual and small group instruction for disadvantaged students, enabling them to complete the reading acquisition process by Grade 3 or 4
- Incorporate a wide range of digital tools and texts into the reading curriculum
- Encourage students to read for pleasure by providing them with the aesthetic experience of reading books
- Expand students’ vocabulary in their first language as the necessary foundation for building written and spoken language skills
- Improve writing processes, enabling students to use writing wisely for their academic and social needs
The Ministry of Education also emphasizes verbal expression, developing linguistic metaknowledge, incorporating literary proficiency in other subject areas, and performing literacy tasks in class and at home. Special instructional materials and assessments have been developed to achieve these goals.