The Treehouse Language Center
Welcome, we are
The Treehouse Language Center
The Treehouse was formed by a group of English Speakers in Be’er Sheva. We are a community language center that offers meaningful and affordable language courses for kids and teens from a plurality of backgrounds in the Israeli periphery, as well as employment opportunities for new immigrants and English Speakers in the Negev. Through our English and Hebrew programs, new immigrants have the opportunity to learn a new trade, teach languages, gain professional experience, and build their confidence as active and contributive members of Israeli society, through volunteer and job opportunities.
We teach spoken English in a positive and experiential way, based on our student's natural curiosity and emphasizes the fun within the learning process.
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What we offer…
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Each of our teachers utilizes a different method to teach their lessons, for example, our lessons include art, movement, music, gardening and childhood games.
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Small group classes (4-8 children)
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Game Time and Game Time 2.0 (non profit)
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Community Events (Holidays, Workshops, Happenings)
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Camps (Spring and Summer)
What Will the Children Receive?
Intuition about language rules and grammar.
Belief in their abilities and capabilities.
Self Confidence to try and practice speaking.
1.
Fun
- to impart language-learning in a positive and experiential manner
First and foremost, it is our mission to impart language-learning in a positive and experiential manner; we want to avoid atmospheres of shame or frustration that sometimes accompany a challenging language acquisition process.
2.
Learning Out of Interest
- The Beauty of Language-Learning
We understand that it’s possible to learn a language in a variety of ways. Language is meant to be a tool of communication and not just a subject that is taught in school.
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How do we implement this? We learn language out of interest and fun, almost without realizing it. We offer the children a wide variety of fields of interest that allows them to learn English in their own way: art, theatre, movement, dungeons and dragons, cooking and more!
3.
Our Approach
- Based on Children’s Natural Language-Learning Process
Natural language acquisition occurs in children through many hours of exposure. Children acquire language by simply playing in it and hearing it around them.
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How do we implement this? We train and teach our staff principles of language acquisition. For example: speech is directed at children repetitively and slowly, and it emphasizes intonation and expression.
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Our community project, “Game Time,” allows us extra hours of practice in addition to extracurricular activities, at appealing prices, in a relaxed environment where everything is managed in English.
4.
Creating a Safe Space
- Where It Is Okay to Try and Make Mistakes
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We understand that language is best learned when we try and make mistakes again and again.
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How do we implement this? We differentiate ourselves from the school environment. At the Treehouse, there are no exams and there are no failures. We allow children a safe space to just try. To do this, we keep our learning groups small: 4-8 children per group.
5.
Creating a Real Need to Communicate in English
Our Native English speaking teachers motivate the children to learn to understand and try to speak!
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How do we implement this? The teachers speak slowly and in a repetitive manner, and use body language, hand gestures and facial expressions, and the children understand more and more every lesson!
6.
Everyone Can Learn English
- We understand that every child learns differently.
We understand that every child learns differently: we give special attention to every child as a unique individual- what they love to do, their interests, their fears and the challenges they face.
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How do we implement this? We offer a variety of extracurricular activities that are based on several different topics of interest in small groups! Additionally, we have affordable prices and offer scholarships for children who need them.
7.
We Learn Language from Our Community
-we provide a holistic approach to learning.
Different styles, accents and expressions of language instruction provide a holistic approach to learning. Our programs utilize international staff and students.
8.
The Children Choose to Attend!
- are not forced by their parents or teachers.
We ensure that the children want to participate in the programming and are not forced by their parents or teachers.
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How do we implement this? When we encounter lack of motivation, we tailor our lessons to the interests of the children. If this doesn’t work, we offer them the chance to try other lessons, groups or teachers until we match their taste, curiosity and true motivation to learn.
9.
Motivation, Not Homework
- Practice through games that can continue at home
Practice through games and competition in a fun atmosphere can continue at home as preparation for the next lesson, or from lesson to lesson.
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How do we implement this? We encourage the children to practice the language at every opportunity using the language and games used in class or through books, movies, TV shows, songs and so on.
10.
Holistic Perspective
- of the Child, the Community, and the Space
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We see ourselves as an important part of the English community and the city.
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How do we implement this? We educate our students for multicultural experiences and offer a range of programming in which they can participate.
1.
How many children do you have in each activity group?
We keep our groups down to 4-8 children.
2.
Do you speak only English during the sessions?
To learn the language as a whole and within context, all of the lessons are conducted in English only. However, it is important to note that if we detect impatience or frustration among the children, we translate for them!
3.
Do the sessions occur once a week?
Yes, but you can sign up for more than one session.
4.
Are the instructors’ Native English speakers?
Of course! All of our instructors have been speaking English since childhood.
5.
Do we sign up for the program on a yearly basis?
Yes. This is done in order to form continuity within a group that learns and develops together along with the same instructor.
6.
Do you recommend participating in the communal activities in addition to the extracurricular programs?
Definitely! We highly recommend Game Time (2.0) as an additional weekly activity. It’s great to come occasionally to the communal activities and freely practice what was learned in the small group lessons with peers.
7.
Do the communal activities and group lessons happen in the same place?
No. The group lessons are conducted within multiple locations throughout Be’er Sheva and Omer and the communal activities take place in the Bet and Daled Neighborhoods.
8.
Can I sign up two children for the same group?
It depends. In most cases we prefer to create our groups according to grade and age, but sometimes there are cases where we’ll allow siblings to learn together.
9.
What will my children receive from joining your courses?
Our courses provide a safe place for children to learn and practice speaking English with their peers. Each class provides a different means of learning, so the child can be enrolled in a group that best fits their needs and desires. They will receive self-confidence, intuition about grammar and language rules and belief in their abilities and capabilities. They will improve and maintain their language skills through fun activities that they enjoy and make them excited about learning.
10.
Are there any discounts?
We provide discounts for siblings as well as a friend’s discount if you refer someone who enrolls in courses. However, you may only use one discount. We would be happy to speak with you if you need more information or extra help to afford courses, as we believe learning English should be accessible to everyone.
11.
Can I come for a trial lesson?
Each child may arrive to a trial lesson for a one time payment of 80 shekels, before deciding to sign up for the course. They may try multiple different groups before deciding which group works best for them.
12.
What if I want to quit
mid-year?
If you need to discontinue your membership for any reason we are happy to discuss it with you. We are always happy to hear your feedback and perhaps we can find a solution for the reason to discontinue. It is always possible to discontinue courses and the end of each month, as memberships are paid on a monthly basis.
13.
How does the payment work?
We prefer online payments through our website; however it is also possible to pay with cash if necessary.