This curriculum was developed and designed for teaching Arabic as a second language to our children in the West, as well as other non-native speakers who are interested in studying the Arabic language.
Uniquely, it is not modelled after other courses of study that have been traditionally developed for native speakers. Rather, the use of kid-friendly illustrations, fun and engaging activities, and an easy-to-understand text enables this curriculum to fulfill a child’s need for an appealing and simple approach to language learning.
We recommend that teachers and educators consider the following key points in using this curriculum:
- Teaching Arabic letters by their sounds, rather than their names
- Being flexible in teaching the letters outside of their standard alphabetical order
- Using an audio-lingual approach, emphasizing strong listening and speaking fluency of Arabic, ensuring correct pronunciation of every letter, while avoiding interference from the child’s native language
- Implementing a full immersion approach in the classroom, with a strong commitment to speaking and requiring the speaking of classical Arabic at all times
- Connecting the Arabic language to Islam, so that each letter uses an Islamic word as an example (e.g., alif is for Allah, baa is for bismillah)
This book is divided into two levels; the first level is for ages 4–5 and aims to acquaint the child with the correct shape and sound of each letter in the Arabic alphabet, as well as some corresponding vocabulary words.
The second level builds upon the same formula and further introduces the child to word construction, spelling, and reading.
