Reading · Writing · Spelling · Comprehension
Online Arabic foundations for kids
If your child sounds out every word letter by letter, or the same spelling mistakes keep turning up in their notebooks, the cause is usually a foundation that was never finished. One-to-one lessons take them back to the letters and their sounds, then build reading, writing, spelling and comprehension from their real level. Lessons are open to students in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, each in their own country's time zone.
- Lessons are one-to-one: one teacher per student
- A free trial lesson is available with each teacher, in every section and subject
- Female teachers are available, with a dedicated section for women
- Lessons last 30, 40, 60, 90 or 120 minutes
Who this program is for
If you recognize your child in one of these, foundations will help, whatever their grade.
A child starting to read and write
In kindergarten or Grade 1, they get to know the letters, their sounds and their shapes, then put them together into syllables and words they can read on their own.
A student who struggles with reading
They read slowly and sound out every word, mix up letters that look alike, such as ba, ta and tha, or finish a paragraph without knowing what they've read.
A student who makes a lot of spelling mistakes
They write words the way they say them and get the hamza and the tied and open ta wrong, so the same mistakes show up in their answers in every subject.
A student whose first language isn't Arabic
They grew up outside the Arab world, or go to an international school and spend their day in English, and need to build their Arabic from the ground up. Lessons can be taught in a language the student understands if they don't speak Arabic.
What your child learns in lessons
Each skill rests on the one before it, so we start with what your child is missing and don't skip over the gaps.
Letters and their sounds
Saying each letter correctly and recognizing its shape at the start, middle and end of a word. We also cover the marks and sounds that go with the letters: harakat (small marks for the short vowels a, i and u), sukun (no vowel), tanween (an -n ending: -an, -in or -un), shadda (a doubled consonant) and madd (a lengthened vowel).
Reading accurately
From syllables to words, then sentences and short texts, reading aloud clearly. We practice accuracy first, then fluency.
Writing
Forming the letters and joining them within a word, writing neatly on the line, then writing words and short sentences on their own.
Spelling
The hamza, a glottal-stop sound that is written in different ways depending on the word. The tied ta and the open ta: telling apart the word ending read as -a or -at from an ordinary t. Sun and moon letters: whether the l in al- (“the”) is silent with the next letter doubled, or pronounced. And letters that are said but not written, or written but not said.
Reading comprehension
Your child comes away from a text with its main idea and the meaning of its new words, and answers questions about it in their own words, not by copying sentences from the text.
Vocabulary and expression
New words your child uses in sentences of their own, and putting a simple idea into words, first out loud and then in writing.
How your child progresses
We start from their actual level, not the grade on their report card, and build from there step by step.
We find their level
In the first lessons, the student reads and writes with the teacher, so we can see exactly what they've mastered and where they struggle.
We build the basics in order
We fill the gaps starting with the earliest ones: letters and sounds, then syllables and words, then sentences and texts.
We practice until each skill sticks
Reading, writing and spelling in every lesson. We go back over anything that needs more work before moving on to the next step.
We review and build further
We regularly go back over what they've learned and move on to longer texts and deeper comprehension questions as they progress.
How lessons work
- 1
One teacher for your child
Lessons are one-to-one: one teacher per student, so the teacher corrects pronunciation and writing the moment a mistake happens and moves at your child's pace, not the class's.
- 2
From home, on an easy platform
Lessons are fully online. Lessons run on whichever available online platform is easiest for the student.
- 3
Times that suit your family
Lesson times are flexible for each student and set in their country's time zone, so you can pick a time that fits your child's day, when they are rested, and we agree with you on a length that suits their age and attention span.
- 4
Progress updates for parents
We keep parents updated on their child's progress, so you know what your child has mastered and what needs more practice.
Questions about Arabic foundations
How can I tell if my child needs Arabic foundations?
Common signs are reading slowly or sounding out every word, mixing up letters that look or sound alike, making a lot of spelling mistakes and reading a text without understanding it. Not sure? Free trial lesson: your child reads and writes with the teacher, and afterwards you'll know exactly where they stand.
Is the program suitable for a child in kindergarten, or for a student in a higher grade?
Yes. We teach every stage from kindergarten to secondary, and we start foundations from the level your child is at, not from their grade. A kindergarten child starts with the letters and their sounds, while with an older student we work on the gaps that are holding back their reading and writing.
My child doesn't speak Arabic well. Is the program right for them?
Yes. We start from the very basics. We teach in the language the student needs, so your child understands the explanations while learning Arabic step by step.
What's the difference between foundations and school curriculum lessons?
Curriculum lessons cover the coursework for the student's grade. Foundations go back to the skills all of that rests on: reading, writing, spelling and comprehension. If your child is struggling in their lessons because they don't read well, foundations are the right place to start. We'll work out with you which of the two they need.
Does the program teach how to read the Quran?
The program focuses on the Arabic language: reading, writing, spelling and comprehension. Learning to read the Quran and the rules for reciting it has its own section: Quran and Islamic studies.
Is there a trial lesson?
A free trial lesson is available with each teacher, in every section and subject. The trial lesson lasts 30 minutes.
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Start at the right level
Tell us your country, your child's grade and what you notice in their reading and writing. In the trial lesson they read and write with the teacher, and then we suggest where to start.