Method

 

 Letter formation

Looking at the following universal Arabic letters table scares me, not only because I do not have the time to teach those horrifying symbols, but also because it takes too much effort from the students to recognize them.

There should be a better way.  I want it faster, clearer, and in patterns that the student can identify one rule and apply it to a set of letters. But how ???????

I started grouping the letters and making patterns but I had some troubles with some of them like  هـ يـ كـ مـ  until one day I came across a life changing website.

http://www.abjad.com/pyramid.htm

 

 I have made my own adjustments and addition to this method but I have kept the general frame. This method has been so successful that in my weekly 2 hour Arabic class. I was able to finish the letters and review them in less than 20 lesson .

I usually give similar letter together. For example  س ش  . It is much easier because their shapes are similar and I can help the student differentiate between them simply when given at the same time. For example س  is the smiling letter and  ش  is  ش شجرة عليها ثلاث تفاحات. This is how we remember ش  and say its name. we do not just say  ش  and that is it. You want to emphasis the three dots with the letter. It is as important as the letter itself to be imprinted in the student’s mind. I do this with all the letters that has dots.

Step one:  basic facts that all students should know before learning the letters.

—  Arabic letters consists of  “friendly letters” that always connect from right to left and 6 “unfriendly letters”  that never connects on the left.

—  Each letter consist of two parts: fixed and replaceable part.

—  Each letter belongs to a group that has similar characteristics.

—  Each “friendly” letter has only one stretching hand that always points to the left.

—  If there is no letter following the friendly letters it keeps its original form.

Step two: letter recognition and formation

 Here is an example of the letter  س  after applying the above rules to it and remember all the rules apply to other letters in the same group. Usually the first letter  س takes the longest time, after that , students automatically understand and apply the rules themselves.

 

Step three : letter sound. (Implicit tajweed rules)

Tajweed is the key. I cannot stress how important this is to teach implicitly with each letter from the beginning especially for Arabic as a second language.

Association is the key I tie the sound with the picture of the letter and its letter formation if possible . making sure that all the students pronounce the letter correctly from the right Makraj and characteristics. For example the letter  س   is the gentle whispering sound of سسـ . I pronounce the  سس  with a smile ( this helps me a lot when teaching the  ص  )  س  is like the word  أسنان ( I smile to show my teeth and in the same time making a gentle s sound) .

Step four : words that contain the letter  س

Interactive, animated, fun and indulging activities for recognizing the letter and building vocabulary.  

Never teach one word separated (  سمكة ).  In the beginning levels, I add  هذا أو هذه  before the word ( هذه سمكة ). why not integrating it from the beginning to help us later.

Step five: writing practice (kinesthetic, visual and auditory)

·         Articulate the rule: for example how to write س :  سنه سنه سنه ونصف دائرة

·         Say it and draw it with their finger in the air properly.

·         Look at the board and follow my direction using 4 lines to write.

·         Finally they have to practice writing it in their worksheet properly in the class (very important to detect students who are missing something and keep all the students on the right track .. foundation foundation foundation!!!!)  

 

 

 

 

 

Step 6: Spelling

Each week we have a quick spelling quiz of the letter we studies in the previous weeks ( works as follow up and correction method for any possible confusion from the start, better fix the problems early rather than waiting)