The Safra’s Longitudinal Study

The longitudinal study tracks the language, literacy, cognitive, and emotional development of 1,082 Hebrew-speaking and 1,158 Arabic-speaking children from kindergarten through sixth grade. Launched in 2019 with participants from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds across northern Israel, this groundbreaking research adopts a holistic approach that examines developmental cycles of the children, their families, and their educational environments.

This pioneering project—the first of its kind in Israel—continues to reveal crucial patterns in learning development and provides essential foundations for identifying and supporting at-risk learners.

In 2019, the study was initiated, and we began collecting data on children in kindergarten. Subsequently, we conducted five additional waves for the first, third, fourth, fifth and six grades.

Each wave involved cognitive, linguistic, and emotional assessments. Our database is the nation’s largest and facilitates research into vital child development factors.

Learn more about our recent findings:
Our Child-centered Longitudinal Assessments

We have created computerized individualized assessments that enable us to provide both screening and in-depth evaluations for Hebrew- and Arabic-speaking children at risk for learning disabilities.

Our Areas of Assessment:

The Role of Context, Parents, and Teachers

We believe in the contextual nature of child development and recognize that children are shaped by various factors, including their home environments, parental backgrounds, relationship with their teachers, and the curricula they encounter.

Throughout each data collection phase, both parents and teachers actively participated by completing questionnaires that encompassed assessments of the children’s home surroundings and school environments.

Our Unique Samples

Our extensive sample included a large cohort of Hebrew- and Arabic-speaking children who underwent the holistic assessment. To address innovative research inquiries, a smaller subset of children participated in domain-specific studies that focused on on cognition, emotion, and perception.

Learn more on our unique samples:
Research and Educational Outcomes

The results of our longitudinal study substantially influence educational practices in Israel.

Using our findings, we have created assessment kits, intervention programs, and professional development initiatives.

Learn more about our educational outcomes: