Letters · Vowel marks · Long vowels and tanween · Reading verses
Online Noor Al-Bayan lessons for kids and adults
In Noor Al-Bayan, your child learns to read Arabic and the Quran in a clear order: the letters, then the vowel marks, then long vowels and tanween, until they can read words from the Quran and short verses on their own. One-to-one lessons online for families in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman: the teacher starts from your child's level and moves at their pace.
- A free trial lesson is available with each teacher, in every section and subject
- Lessons are one-to-one: one teacher per student
- Female teachers are available, with a dedicated section for women
- Al-Qaida An-Noorania is also available
Who this program is for
For anyone, young or old, who wants to read Arabic and the Quran correctly, starting from wherever they are today.
A child just starting to read
We start with the letters and their sounds in a way that suits their age, and build up step by step until they can read words and short verses on their own, without someone sounding out every word for them.
A student who struggles to read
They know the letters but sound out words slowly, or mix up short vowels and long vowels, so reading their schoolbooks and the Quran wears them out. We rebuild their reading from the ground up, in a clear order.
Adults who never learned to read Arabic
It's not too late. We start calmly from the letters, and your teacher goes at the pace that suits you. Female teachers are available, with a dedicated section for women.
Non-Arabic speakers
Children who grew up speaking another language at home or at an international school, or adults who don't speak Arabic. We teach them how to pronounce each letter from where its sound is made, and how to read it, with simple explanations. Lessons can be taught in a language the student understands if they don't speak Arabic.
What students learn in Noor Al-Bayan
Each lesson builds on the one before, and the student doesn't move on to a new lesson until they've mastered the previous one.
The letters of the alphabet
Saying each letter correctly, telling apart letters that look or sound alike, and recognizing their shapes at the start, middle and end of a word.
Short-vowel marks
The harakat, small marks for the short vowels: fatha (a), damma (u) and kasra (i). The student learns how each one changes the way a letter is read, then reads syllables and short words.
Long vowels
Madd, or lengthening a vowel, with the letters alif, waw and ya. The student learns to hear and say the difference between a short vowel and a long one, so they don't stretch a short vowel or cut a long one short.
Sukun and tanween
Reading a letter with sukun (no vowel) joined to the letter before it, and saying all three kinds of tanween (an -n ending: -an, -in or -un) correctly.
Shadda
A letter with shadda (the doubling sign) counts as two letters: the first has no vowel and the second has one. The student practices saying it clearly within words.
Reading words and verses
Applying what they've learned to words from the Quran, then short verses. Along the way they learn sun and moon letters: whether the l in al- (“the”) is silent and the next letter doubled (sun letters) or pronounced (moon letters). They also learn a few simple rules they need when they first start reading.
From letters to fluent reading
We don't rush the student, and we don't keep them on a lesson they've already mastered.
We find out their level
At the start, we see which letters and vowel marks the student already knows. If they know the letters, we start from what comes next.
We build reading in order
The letters, then the short-vowel marks, then madd, sukun, tanween and shadda. The student reads in every lesson, and the teacher corrects their pronunciation the moment a mistake happens.
We practice until reading comes easily
Words from the Quran, then short verses, with regular revision of earlier lessons, until the student reads with confidence without sounding out every word.
After Noor Al-Bayan
Once the student has mastered reading, they can move on to tajweed (the rules of correct recitation) or Quran memorization when they're ready, and we'll suggest the right next step for them.
How lessons work
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One teacher for each student
Lessons are one-to-one: one teacher per student, so the whole lesson belongs to your child. The teacher hears them read letter by letter and corrects a mistake before it turns into a habit.
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From home, at a time that suits you
Lessons run on whichever available online platform is easiest for the student. Lesson times are flexible for each student and set in their country's time zone, so you can pick an after-school time that doesn't clash with homework.
- 3
The right lesson length
Lessons last 30, 40, 60, 90 or 120 minutes, and together we choose what suits your child's age and attention span. Young children usually do better with a short lesson they can stay focused through to the end.
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Progress updates for parents
We keep parents updated on their child's progress, so you know which lesson your child has reached and what they need to review.
Questions about Noor Al-Bayan
What is the Noor Al-Bayan method?
It's a step-by-step method for learning to read Arabic. It starts with the letters on their own, then the short-vowel marks, then madd, sukun, tanween and shadda, and leads the student to reading words and verses from the Quran. It suits both children and adults because it builds reading from the ground up.
At what age can my child start?
A child can start Noor Al-Bayan from about age 4. We choose the starting point once we know how ready your child is and which letters they already know.
What's the difference between Noor Al-Bayan and Al-Qaida An-Noorania?
Both are step-by-step methods for building reading foundations. Each starts with the letters and leads the student to reading words from the Quran. They differ in the order of some lessons and in how they're presented. Al-Qaida An-Noorania is also available, so if the student has already started one of them, let us know and we'll work out with you where they should continue from.
My child doesn't speak Arabic. Is the program right for them?
Yes. We start with how to pronounce the letters and where each sound is made, explained simply. We teach in the language the student needs, so your child understands the explanations while learning to read Arabic.
How long does it take to finish Noor Al-Bayan?
It varies from student to student, depending on their age, how many lessons they have each week and how much they review between lessons, so we don't set a fixed length of time. We keep parents updated on their child's progress, lesson by lesson.
What comes after Noor Al-Bayan?
The student can move on to tajweed to improve their recitation, or to Quran memorization, or combine the two, depending on their age and readiness. We'll suggest the right next step once the teacher has listened to them read.
Is there a trial lesson?
A free trial lesson is available with each teacher, in every section and subject. If the same teacher teaches the student more than one subject, such as the Quran and Noor Al-Bayan, that is one trial lesson; subjects taught by different teachers each get their own. The trial lesson lasts 30 minutes.
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Start with your child from the very first letter
Tell us your child's age and which letters they already know. In the free trial lesson, the teacher listens to them read, then we suggest where they should start.