Safra In The Community

Transforming Education Through Research-Community Partnerships

Our Goal

We are committed to building bridges from research to practice that create an inclusive society in which individuals with diverse learning needs are valued and empowered.

Who Are We?

The Edmond J. Safra Center for the Study of Brain and Learning Disabilities is an internationally renowned, cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research center. We specialize in creating clinical and educational solutions for struggling Hebrew- and Arabic-speaking learners.

What Do We Offer?

At our center, we understand the unique challenges faced by educators when working with learning disabilities. We provide you with the tools, knowledge, and support you need to make a lasting impact in these students’ lives.

Our Groundbreaking Research

We study the intricate facets of children’s development, including the influence of parents and teachers. This national study lay the groundwork for effective educational practices.

Teaching Reading with Feelings

We teach teachers to model emotional connections and to show students that reading is a source of joy and wonder, not just a skill. This approach nurtures empathy and helps students relate to characters’ emotions and experiences. Our stories told with a skills approach have been successfully studied in thousands of children.

Teacher Training Programs
Whether you are an experienced teacher seeking fresh ideas or a novice looking for guidance, our center is your go-to destination for evidence-based practices, professional development opportunities, and a supportive community of fellow educators.

Professional Development Program for Teachers of Fourth- and Fifth-Grade Students: “Island of Understanding”

Imagine taking your class on a journey to a deserted island where they will learn how to survive in the wild while improving their language skills and reading comprehension.

This CPD course is dedicated to promoting reading comprehension and bridging cognition and emotion. This program stems from extensive research incorporating the latest insights on reading comprehension into Israel’s education landscape.

Our approach is to inspire children to embrace reading with enthusiasm. Our lesson materials are authentic and highly relevant to student’s lives—they connect with their social, personal, and ethical interests. Imagine students embarking on a thrilling journey, stranded on a deserted island where they must learn to survive in nature.

During this adventure, we develop their language skills and strategy development. Throughout the course, we equip teachers with a holistic understanding of the factors that influence reading comprehension. They will gain practical intervention tools and receive personalized guidance to ensure effective implementation in their classrooms.

Our comprehensive teaching kits, featuring authentic materials, psycho-pedagogical gamification tools, and engaging activities, empower teachers to nurture enthusiasm and collaboration among their students.

Join the growing community of hundreds of teachers who have benefited from this program and improved their knowledge, practices, and sense of self-efficacy.

Professional Development Program for Teachers of Second- and Third-grade Students: “OR”

Embark on a journey to the land of words, where you will undergo an extraordinary and enriching learning experience that will help establish reading and essential skills for every student.

OR is an innovative evidence-based response to intervention (RTI) model. We believe that reading is a complex skill that intertwines literacy, cognitive, and emotional abilities. Following the RTI model’s principles of tailored interventions, our program offers a modular toolkit for personalized teaching.

The journey begins with computerized classroom screening, evaluating various  skills. Based on the collected student data, we select program units and customize our instruction to provide targeted interventions within classrooms or smaller groups. We seek to captivate students with engaging content directly related to their interests. The program features an empowering narrative where students join Different characters such as “Mr. excitement” and “Mrs. Confidence” on thrilling adventures and conquer challenges together.

Our teacher’s professional development program equips educators with theoretical literacy and knowledge as well as cutting-edge, research-based tools developed to improve reading skills. We also incorporate cognitive and emotional factors, such as working memory, motivation, and ongoing feedback. Each OR unit comprises structured teaching materials, including a teacher’s manual, instructional videos, transcribed lesson plans, interactive slideshows, games, and worksheets. These materials incorporate techno-pedagogical tools tailored to individual learner profiles and offer personalized feedback and progress monitoring.

Join hundreds of teachers nationwide who have benefited from our OR teacher training program, guided by our expert team from the Safra Center.

Professional Development Program for Teachers of Grades 1–6: The Power of Words

Embark on a journey in which we cultivate a profound love for language and emphasize vocabulary as a vital tool for enriching interpersonal communication and fostering literate, cognitive, and social–emotional learning skills.

This program was specifically designed to address significant gaps in students’ vocabulary knowledge, a crucial factor in reading comprehension, particularly among bilingual and disadvantaged students.

Implemented as a tailored continuing professional development (CPD) course, this program empowers the entire school’s teaching staff with the latest research knowledge and effective teaching practices. It integrates into the school’s curriculum while fostering word consciousness as an integral part of the school concept. This program’s comprehensive approach encompasses student-, teacher-, and school-level assimilation circles, all of which are supported by our expert team of instructors.

After participating in this program, students demonstrate significant improvements across various measures, including reading fluency, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and theory of mind.

Our Digital Assessment Battery

Our digital assessment replaces traditional, time-consuming evaluation methods with fast and precise solutions. By identifying a child’s strengths and areas that require focused attention, we equip parents and educators with invaluable insights to make informed and effective decisions.

Get to know our leading partnerships

Afula

Carmiel

Northern Golan Heights (Katzrin)

Netanya

Tel Aviv

Be'er Sheva

Ashkelon

Nof Hagalil