Overview
The ABJAD House curriculum is a structured, 3-level Arabic language program designed for children ages 4 to 10. Developed using proven pedagogical methods from established programs such as Noor Al-Bayan and modern Arabic-as-a-second-language frameworks, our curriculum guides children from recognizing their first Arabic letter to reading short stories independently. Each level includes clear learning objectives, structured lesson plans, interactive activities, and assessment checkpoints so parents can track their child's progress with confidence.
Level 1: Arabic Letters and Foundations (Al-Huroof / الحروف)
Ages: 4-7 | ~30 Units | ~3-4 Months (at 2-3 sessions per week)
Level 1 builds a solid foundation in the Arabic writing system. By the end of this level, your child will recognize, pronounce, and write all 28 Arabic letters and read simple syllables with vowel marks.
Units 1-2: Introduction to Arabic
What is Arabic? Right-to-left awareness and orientation for child and parent. The Arabic alphabet song and overview of letter names. Introduction to letter sounds versus letter names. Holding the pen and right-to-left stroke tracing practice.
Units 3-16: The 28 Arabic Letters (Grouped by Shape Family)
Each letter unit follows a consistent structure: letter introduction (name, sound, visual recognition), isolated form tracing and writing, four positional forms (isolated, initial, medial, final), audio pronunciation with mouth-position guidance, interactive recognition activities, and writing worksheets.
The letters are grouped by visual similarity for easier learning:
Group A: ا (Alif), د (Dal), ذ (Dhal), ر (Ra), ز (Zay), و (Waw) - non-connecting letters
Group B: ب (Ba), ت (Ta), ث (Tha), ن (Nun), ي (Ya) - dotted baseline letters
Group C: ج (Jim), ح (Ha), خ (Kha) - bowl-shaped letters
Group D: س (Sin), ش (Shin) - teeth-shaped letters
Group E: ص (Sad), ض (Dad) - looped with teeth
Group F: ط (Ta), ظ (Dha) - tall loop letters
Group G: ع (Ayn), غ (Ghayn) - eye-shaped letters
Group H: ف (Fa), ق (Qaf) - head with dots
Group I: ك (Kaf), ل (Lam) - tall stroke letters
Group J: م (Mim), ه (Ha) - round form letters
Each group includes a review quiz.
Units 17-20: Harakat (Vowel Marks / الحركات)
Fatha (َ) - the "a" sound above letters. Damma (ُ) - the "u" sound above letters. Kasra (ِ) - the "i" sound below letters. Sukun (ْ) - the "no vowel" mark. Shadda (ّ) - the doubling mark. Practice reading letters with each haraka.
Units 21-24: Connecting Letters
How letters connect in two-letter combinations. Practice blending consonant and vowel syllables. Reading simple open syllables. Introduction to Tanween (double vowel marks).
Units 25-28: Special Forms and Combinations
Lam-Alif (لا) ligature. Ta Marbuta (ة) and Ha (ه) distinction. Alif Maqsura (ى) versus Ya (ي). Hamza (ء) introduction.
Units 29-30: Level 1 Review and Assessment
Full alphabet writing test. Letter recognition speed round. Simple syllable reading assessment. Parent observation checklist.
Level 1 Outcomes:
Recognizes and names all 28 Arabic letters. Writes all letters in isolated and positional forms. Reads and pronounces short vowel marks on any letter. Reads simple two-letter and three-letter syllables. Writes from right to left with confidence.
Level 2: Words and Short Sentences (Al-Kalimat / الكلمات)
Ages: 5-8 | ~36 Units | ~4-5 Months (at 2-3 sessions per week)
Prerequisite: Completion of Level 1 or demonstrated letter and harakat proficiency.
Level 2 builds a working vocabulary of over 300 words across 12 themes and introduces basic grammar and sentence construction.
Units 1-2: Bridging from Letters to Words
Review of letter connections in full words. How to sound out a word letter by letter. Introduction to word structure.
Units 3-14: Thematic Vocabulary Blocks (12 Themes)
Each unit introduces 20-25 new words with images, audio, and Arabic script, followed by reading practice, writing practice, matching activities, listening activities, and simple phrases.
Theme 1 - My Family (عائلتي): father, mother, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, baby, family.
Theme 2 - Colors (الألوان): red, blue, green, yellow, white, black, purple, orange.
Theme 3 - Numbers 1-20 (الأرقام): Arabic numeral forms and counting exercises.
Theme 4 - Animals (الحيوانات): cat, dog, lion, elephant, bird, fish, rabbit, horse.
Theme 5 - Body Parts (أعضاء الجسم): head, eye, nose, mouth, hand, foot, ear, hair.
Theme 6 - Food and Drink (الطعام والشراب): apple, bread, milk, water, rice, chicken, banana, juice.
Theme 7 - My Home (بيتي): door, window, room, kitchen, bathroom, bed, chair, table.
Theme 8 - School (المدرسة): book, pen, teacher, class, bag, paper, board, homework.
Theme 9 - Clothes (الملابس): shirt, pants, shoes, hat, coat, socks, dress.
Theme 10 - Weather and Nature (الطقس والطبيعة): sun, moon, star, rain, snow, tree, flower, sky.
Theme 11 - Actions (الأفعال): eat, drink, play, sleep, write, read, draw, walk.
Theme 12 - Greetings and Expressions (التحيات): peace be upon you, hello, good morning, good evening, thank you, please, yes, no, how are you.
Units 15-20: Basic Grammar for Kids
The definite article (Al- / ال). Demonstratives: this (masculine/feminine). Masculine and feminine nouns. Basic personal pronouns: I, you, he, she. Simple nominal sentences: subject + predicate. Simple verbal sentences: verb + subject.
Units 21-28: Sentence Building
Possessives: my book, your book. Adjective agreement: big book, big school. Question words: what, who, where, how many. Simple questions and answers. Prepositions: in, on, under, beside. Sentence expansion: subject + verb + object patterns. Daily expression practice with short dialogues.
Units 29-32: Reading Connected Text
Reading 2-3 sentence paragraphs with full harakat. Identifying familiar words in context. Answering simple comprehension questions about short passages.
Units 33-36: Level 2 Review and Assessment
Thematic vocabulary quizzes. Sentence building assessment. Reading fluency check. Writing assessment with dictation. Parent observation checklist.
Level 2 Outcomes:
Working vocabulary of 300+ words across 12 themes. Reads and writes common words fluently. Understands masculine/feminine and definite/indefinite. Constructs and reads simple sentences. Asks and answers basic questions in Arabic. Reads short paragraphs with harakat support.
Level 3: Short Stories and Reading Fluency (Al-Qisas / القصص)
Ages: 7-10 | ~30 Units | ~4-5 Months (at 2-3 sessions per week)
Prerequisite: Completion of Level 2 or demonstrated word and sentence proficiency.
Level 3 introduces graded short stories, conversational Arabic, and cultural enrichment. By the end of this level, your child will read short stories independently and hold basic conversations in Arabic.
Units 1-2: Bridge to Reading
Review of reading multi-sentence passages. Introduction to story structure: beginning, middle, end. Predicting what a story is about from its title and illustration.
Units 3-18: 16 Graded Short Stories
Each story unit includes: pre-reading vocabulary introduction (5-8 new words), guided listening with text highlighting, guided reading aloud with parent, independent reading, comprehension questions (literal and inferential), vocabulary reinforcement, a writing prompt inspired by the story, and a cultural connection discussion point.
Block 1 - Family and Home:
Story 1: "يوم عند جدتي" (A Day at Grandma's House) - family bonds, respect for elders.
Story 2: "أخي الصغير" (My Little Brother) - sibling relationships, helping others.
Story 3: "في المطبخ مع أمي" (In the Kitchen with Mom) - Arabic food, family traditions.
Story 4: "عيد ميلاد بابا" (Dad's Birthday) - celebrations, expressing love.
Block 2 - School and Friendship:
Story 5: "صديقي الجديد" (My New Friend) - friendship, welcoming newcomers.
Story 6: "يوم في المدرسة" (A Day at School) - school life, learning.
Story 7: "المسابقة الكبيرة" (The Big Competition) - effort, sportsmanship.
Story 8: "الرحلة المدرسية" (The School Trip) - discovery, teamwork.
Block 3 - Animals and Nature:
Story 9: "القطة الضائعة" (The Lost Cat) - kindness to animals, responsibility.
Story 10: "حديقة الحيوانات" (The Zoo) - animal descriptions, adjectives.
Story 11: "الأرنب والسلحفاة" (The Rabbit and the Turtle) - classic fable, patience.
Story 12: "شجرة التفاح" (The Apple Tree) - nature, seasons, generosity.
Block 4 - Culture and Values:
Story 13: "رمضان كريم" (Generous Ramadan) - Ramadan traditions, generosity.
Story 14: "السوق العربي" (The Arab Market) - cultural heritage, vocabulary of the souk.
Story 15: "الخطاط الصغير" (The Little Calligrapher) - Arabic calligraphy, patience and practice.
Story 16: "رحلة إلى الصحراء" (A Trip to the Desert) - geography, Bedouin heritage.
Units 19-22: Conversational Arabic
Dialogue 1: At the store - buying and selling, numbers, money.
Dialogue 2: At the doctor - health, body parts, feelings.
Dialogue 3: Talking about yourself - age, family, likes.
Dialogue 4: Making plans - days of the week, time, activities.
Role-play practice scripts for parent and child.
Units 23-26: Advanced Grammar (Age-Appropriate)
Plural forms: basic sound plurals and common broken plurals. Past versus present tense (simplified). Negation: basic usage of "no," "not," and "did not." Conjunctions: and, then, but, because.
Units 27-28: Cultural Enrichment
Arabic proverbs for kids (5-6 proverbs with explanations). Arabic poetry for children (2-3 short poems with recitation). The Arabic world: map activity, flags, basic country knowledge. Heritage connection: how Arabic connects to the child's family history.
Units 29-30: Level 3 Final Assessment and Certificate
Story reading fluency test with an unfamiliar graded passage. Comprehension assessment. Conversational assessment (parent-guided dialogue). Writing assessment: write 3-5 sentences about a given topic. Cumulative vocabulary check. Certificate of completion.
Level 3 Outcomes:
Reads short stories independently with harakat. Comprehends and retells stories. Holds basic conversations in Arabic. Understands past and present tense in context. Has exposure to Arab cultural traditions and values. Vocabulary of 500+ words. Can write short paragraphs of 3-5 sentences.
