Curricula, Lesson Plans and Thematic Units
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Textbooks Reviews
This is a list of Arabic Languagetextbooks and teaching materials that are being used by various Arabic Languageteachers nationwide.
We appreciate and welcome any additions to this list and additional comments on the texts already listed as this certainly will be of great help to many educators.
Thank you.
 Title: Abda Al Arabia
Author: Nasef Mustafa Abd-Alaziz
Publisher: Al Dar Al Thaqafiya Li Al Nashr
Description from Publisher/Author: A series of four integrated books for the youngest students to prepare them for 1st and 2nd Levels. The focus of this series is on developing reading and writing skills by introducing familiar expressions and words along with interesting exercises.
Language: Arabic
Age/Level: K-2
To order: http://www.noorart.com/s.nl/sc.8/category.556/.f
This textbook was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: None (please send us your comments). arabick12@gmail.com
Title: Ardh Al Aswat Vol I & II (The Land of Sounds)
Author: Dr. Hanada Taha-Thomure
Publisher: Arab Expertise
Description from Publisher/Author: The premier curriculum for teaching the Arabic Language. The first Arabic curriculum to employ modern education theories, Ardh Al Aswat is a Multiple Intelligences-based Arabic curriculum that capitalizes on Montessori's hands-on approach and Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding concepts. The books are for KG1 and KG2 or the first two years of Arabic. A continuing curriculum for grades 1-3 is currently in development
Features
- 344 pages of comprehensive instructional material (Student edition is 244 pages)
- Mix of phonological and whole Language
- Each letter has a character for children to identify with
- Each letter has a story, gross motor activity, fine motor activity, auditory discrimination, visual differentiation, food activity, art activity, rhyme, reading, calligraphy appreciation, coloring page, exercises, and assessment.
-
Letter succession follows the natural development of speech in children (as opposed to the classical alef, ba, ta order).
Language: Arabic
Age/Level: KG1 & KG2
To order: www.arabexpertise.com
Comments from teachers:
This textbook was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: None (please send us your comments). arabick12@gmail.com
Title: Al Arabia Al Sehila Easy Method for Learning Arabic: Level 2 (One Book & CD)
Author: Farha Al-Bitar
Publisher: Dar Al Elm Lilmaliyeen (2002)
Description from Publisher/Author: Textbooks designed to teach Arabic to non-Arabic speaking student. In the first part of the series the student acquires the principles of reading and writing by covering the letters of the Arabic Language, its symbols, and its sounds. The second part builds the student’s analytical abilities. Grammatical rules are introduced in the third and fourth level.
Language: Arabic & English
Age/Level: Level 2
To order: http://www.noorart.com/s.nl/it.A/id.2811/.f
Comments from teachers:
This textbook was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: None please send us your comments.
Title: Arabic for Communication
Author: Raji Rammuny
Publisher: The University of Michigan Press
Description from Publisher/Author: Interactive Multimedia Program (Computer and web-based program). For Novice High/ Intermediate learners. Includes 20 lessons focused on survival needs, each consisting of situational dialogues and exercises, Language function segments supported by grammatical and cultural explanations, and practice communicative activities.
Language: Arabic & English
Age/Level: Novice high/ intermediate learners
To order: flacs@umich.edu
Comments from teachers:
This textbook was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: None (please send us your comments). arabick12@gmail.com
Title: Arabic Sounds and Letters
Author: Raji Rammuny
Publisher: Perseus Distribution, the University of Michigan Press
Description from Publisher/Author: The textbook includes twenty lessons aimed at introducing Arabic sounds and writing system in a programmed method of instruction, supported by images and audio tapes. The Manual consists of two parts. Part One includes a suggested methodology to guide teachers and students and Part Two contains basic communication needs in both Arabic script and transliteration to create a climate of enjoyable learning while students are acquiring the sounds and letters.
Language: Arabic & English
Age/Level: Beginners in public schools or college
To order: orderentry@cdsbooks.com
Comments from teachers:
This textbook was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: None (please send us your comments). arabick12@gmail.com
Title: Ahlan Wa Sahlan: Functional Modern Standard Arabic for Beginners (Textbook)
Author: Mahdi Alosh (Feb 21, 2000)
Publisher: Yale University Press
Description from Publisher/Author: Ahlan Wa Sahlan: Functional Modern Standard Arabic for Beginners is designed to cover the first year of instruction in Modern Standard Arabic. Accompanied by an instructor’s manual and an audio program, it will teach students to read, speak, and write Arabic.
Language: Arabic & English
Age/Level: Arabic 101, Arabic 102, Arabic 103
To order: http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=0300058543
Comments from teachers:
This textbook was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: None (please send us your comments). arabick12@gmail.com
Title: Al- Kitab Fii Ta’allum Al-Arabiya:
- Alif Baa with DVDs Introduction to Arabic Letters and Sounds, Second Edition
- Al-Kitaab fii Tacallum al-cArabiyya with DVDs, Part One, Second Edition
- Al-Kitaab fii Tacallum al-cArabiyya with DVDs, Part Two, Second Edition
- Al-Kitaab fii Tacallum al-cArabiyya with DVD and MP3 CD, Part Three
Author (s): Kristen Brustad, Mahmoud Al-Batal, and Abbas Al-Tonsi
Publisher: Georgetown University
Description from Publisher/ Author: This Arabic Language textbook program uses a communicative, proficiency-oriented approach with fully integrated audio-visual media to teach modern Arabic as a living Language. For anyone interested in learning modern Arabic, the series focuses on developing skills in standard Arabic and gradually introducing readers to Egyptian Arabic, the most widely spoken dialect in the Arabic-speaking world.
Language: Arabic, English
Age/Level: High school
To order: http://www.press.georgetown.edu/arabic.html
This textbook was recommended by many teachers.
More Comments: "…Written for college and university, frequently used in high schools. However the Language and topics of the books are higher than the high school, and also Al-Kitaab doesn’t have texts, most of it parts relied on audio and not on reading the materials."
Title: Al Arabiya Bain Yadaik
Author: Abd Ar-Rahman Al Fuzan, Mukhtar Attaher Hussein, Muhammad Al Ashaikh
Publisher: Arabic for All
Description from Publisher/Author: This series is designed for non-Arabic speaking, elementary level students. It helps students learn Arabic through listening and conversation along with exercises in reading and writing. The series stresses communication and also offers glimpses into Arabic culture, both religious and national. Divided into four parts, the series combines textbook and workbook materials into a single book.
Language: Arabic
Age/Level: Elementary level
To order: http://arabicforall.net/shoppingcenter/xc
Comments from teachers:
This textbook was recommended by a teacher()
More Comments: None (please send us your comments). arabick12@gmail.com
Title: Arabic Alphabet Bingo
Author: None
Publisher: Vibrante
Description from Publisher/Author: This bingo game is for reinforcing the Arabic alphabet. The packet contains a class set of 26 cards with large stand alone letters with small initial, medial and final letters also revealed in squares.
Language: Arabic & English
Age/Level: None
To order: Vibrante Press P.O.Box 51853, Albuquerque, N.M. 87181
Lonnie@Vibrante.com 505-298-4793 www.vibrante.com
Comments from teachers:
This material was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: None (please send us your comments). arabick12@gmail.com
Title: Arabic Alphabet in Pictures for English Speaking Learners
Author: None
Publisher: Vibrante
Description from Publisher/Author: Is an innovative system for teaching those sometimes difficult letters. Each of the 28 letters is drawn in a way that English speaking students will remember them. For example, the "faa" is drawn like a frog catching flies (F sound with "f" characters). These pictures can be used as flashcards, classroom decorations or additions to the students’ notebook.
Language: Arabic & English
Age/Level: Beginning
To order: Vibrante Press P.O.Box 51853, Albuquerque, N.M. 87181
Lonnie@Vibrante.com 505-298-4793 www.vibrante.com Comments from teachers:
This material was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: None (please send us your comments). arabick12@gmail.com
Title: Arabic Numbers Bingo
Author: None
Publisher: Vibrante
Description from Publisher/Author: Contains the numbers from 1-100 on 30 different cards for larger classes. The small calling cards are the perfect size for putting on a numbered grid as they are called.
Language: Arabic
Age/Level: None
To order: Vibrante Press P.O.Box 51853, Albuquerque, N.M. 87181
Lonnie@Vibrante.com 505-298-4793 www.vibrante.com
Comments from teachers:
This material was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: None (please send us your comments). arabick12@gmail.com
Title: Arabian Sinbad
Author: None
Publisher: Fine Media Group
Description from Publisher/Author: This is an innovative new learning kit designed for both the native and non-native speakers of Arabic to teach a wide range of Arabic vocabulary through the "Total Immersion Method."Teachers can use each individual product to supplement their classroom instruction. They can introduce videos, activity books, flashcards and more as a fun alternative to traditional learning.
Language: Arabic & English
Age/Level: None
To order: Fine Media Group
7552 W. 99th Place
Bridgeview, IL 60455
Phone: (708) 636-2003
Fax: (708) 636-2082
Toll free: 1-800-FMG-2000 info@finemediagroup.com
Comments from teachers:
This program was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: "Our school has copies of Arabian Sinbad in the teachers’ classroom and teachers enjoy using it."
Title: Discover the fun of Reading
Author: None
Publisher: Interactive Knowledge Centre, Harcourt Education UK, and Abu Mahjoob Creative Productions (2003)
Description from Publisher/Author: It is the first print and online graded Arabic literacy program. This innovative program is aimed at introducing international publishing expertise in an effort to improve the Arabic curriculum, particularly at the early stages. Discover the Fun of Reading is a result of collaboration between Interactive Knowledge Centre, Harcourt Education UK, and Abu Mahjoob Creative Productions. The program includes a teacher guide and a reproducible student worksheet book.
Language: Arabic
Age/Level: None
To order: www.intkc.com
Comments from teachers:
This material was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: "…a nice leveled series starts from picture books to books with short paragraphs. Accompanied by work sheets and big books"
Title: Hayya Natakalamu Maan
Author: None
Publisher: Aldeen Foundation & Bureau of Islamic & Arabic Education (BIAE)
Description from Publisher/Author: The program is based on the techniques and methods of teaching Arabic as a foreign Language. It focuses on a communicative approach. The program uses age appropriate content and material. It is designed with story-telling methods.
Language: Arabic
Age/Level: Pre-elementary, elementary &middle
To order: the Bureau of Islamic and Arabic Education at: www.biae.net or call 818.219.6212
Comments from teachers:
This material was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: "This is a very good program but it cannot be used for a communication goal. It is not a complete curriculum through which all Language goals can be achieved…"
Title: Hayyaa Natakallamu al-’Arabiyya
Author: Mahmoud Saleh Sieny et al
Publisher: Global Educational Excellence (2007)
Description from Publisher/Author: Designed to teach Arabic. It comes in three parts. Each part includes 15 lessons consisting of situational dialogues, brief grammatical and cultural notes and practice
exercises.
Language: Arabic & English
Age/Level: Novice High/Intermediate learners in public schools and colleges
To order: Arabic@gee-edu.com
Comments from teachers:
This material was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: None (please send us your comments). arabick12@gmail.com
Title: Human Rights for the Arab Child
Author: Dr. Hanada Taha-Thomure
Publisher: Arab Expertise
Description from Publisher/Author: This is a grade 1 through 6 Human Rights curriculum in Arabic that teaches children about their rights, using hands-on activities and artistic crafts. It is available in paperback and e-Book format.
Language: Arabic
Age/Level: Grade 1 to 6
To order: www.arabexpertise.com
Comments from teachers:
This material was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: None (please send us your comments). arabick12@gmail.com
Title: Iqra’
Author: Fadel Ibrahim Abdallah
Publisher: IQRA’ International Educational Foundation
Description from Publisher/Author: Series of workbooks and textbooks designed to teach Arabic to non-Arabic speaking students. Students should have previous exposure to the Arabic letters, sounds and writing system. These popular books concentrate on the four basic skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Language: Arabic & English
Age/Level: K-12
To order: www.noorart.com
Mailing address: 577 Sterling Dr, Richardson, TX 75081
Telephone: 1888-442-5687
Comments from teachers:
This textbook was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: "…teachers who are using this series find it to be good for private and Islamic schools but it is not recommended to be used in public or charter schools…"
Title: Kilma Kilma
Author: None
Publisher: Asala Publisher
Description from Publisher/Author: a leveled series that starts from reading words and moves to reading sentences. It comes in three levels accompanied by an activity book, and it is very useful for beginners.
Language: Arabic
Age/Level: None
To order: asala_Publishers@yahoo.com
Comments from teachers:
This material was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: None (please send us your comments). arabick12@gmail.com
Title: Khutwa Khutwa
Author: None
Publisher: Asala Publisher
Description from Publisher/Author: Based on Howard Gardner’S multiple intelligences, a series for KG1 and KG2 composed of 40 children’s stories with ten activities for each story. It comes with a teacher’s guide, posters, domino and puzzle.
Language: Arabic
Age/Level: KG 1 &KG2
To order:asala_Publishers@yahoo.com
Comments from teachers: None (please send us your comments). arabick12@gmail.com
Title: Levantine Arabic for Non-Natives: A Proficiency-Oriented Approach
Author: Lutfi Hussein (September 1993)
Publisher: Yale Press
Description from Publisher/Author: This textbook is for beginning students of Arabic who are seeking to develop communicative oral skills in colloquial Levantine Arabic, the dialect used in Jerusalem and in contemporary Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine/Israel. It is the first textbook for colloquial Arabic developed according to the principles of the proficiency movement in foreign Language teaching, in which the emphasis is placed on the use of meaningful drills, activities that are appropriate to the context in which the Language will be spoken, and a balance between linguistic accuracy and active use of the Language.
Language: English
Age/Level: None
To order: http://yalepress.yale.edu/YUPBOOKS/book.asp?isbn=9780300056341
Comments from teachers:
This material was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: None (please send us your comments). arabick12@gmail.com
Title: Learn to Write through Drawing
Author: Dr. Hanada Taha-Thomure
Publisher: Arab Expertise
Description from Publisher/Author: This book utilizes a modern concept that believes that learning occurs visually at first (seeing a picture), kinesthetically second (drawing and coloring a picture) and finally producing Language (writing a word, a sentence r a paragraph). It's a fun and academically sound way to learn and enjoy writing.
Language: Arabic
Age/Level: None
To order: www.arabexpertise.com
Comments from teachers:
This material was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: None (please send us your comments). arabick12@gmail.com
Title: Modern Arabic: An introductory course for foreign students
Author: Samar Attar (1991)
Publisher: Library of Lebanon, 1988
Description from Publisher/Author: This course is an introduction to Arabic for students with no previous knowledge of the Language. It is designed as part of a sequence that will enable the student to understand, speak, read and write Modern Standard Arabic with ease. This curriculum is prepared by specialists in teaching Arabic for foreigners and offers directions in English. It understands the needs as a learner and gives studied solutions and suggestions for all difficulties faced by the novice. It also exposes the student to Arabic culture and Islam.
Language: Arabic & English
Age/Level: Textbook and Workbook: Level 1 and Level 2
To order: http://www.noorart.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1531/.f?sc=2&category=276
Comments from teachers:
This material was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: "This is not a highly recommended material because it is believed to have some linguistic mistakes…"
Title: Musical Arabic book/CD
Author: None
Publisher: Vibrante
Description from Publisher/Author: Is an innovative collection of 21 musical chants, rhythms and songs designed for effortless and effective Arabic reinforcement in the class or out. The CD - book combination includes the scripts (Arabic and transliteration) exercises and picture glossary for better understanding of the fun and exciting songs.
Language: Arabic & English
Age/Level: K to college
To order: Vibrante Press P.O.Box 51853, Albuquerque, N.M. 87181
Lonnie@Vibrante.com 505-298-4793 www.vibrante.com
Comments from teachers:
This material was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: None (please send us your comments). arabick12@gmail.com
Title: My Arabic Library
Author: Scholastic
Publisher: Scholastic International
Description from Publisher/Author: Designed to encourage reading, the libraries include 30-40 titles. They cover fiction and nonfiction subjects and cover a range of reading levels within the grade level. Posters and a teacher’s guide accompany each grade level collection. Scholastic Publishers have translated many short books for students translated from English into Arabic.
Language: Arabic & English
Age/Level: Elementary and middle school- various levels
To order: http://www.scholastic.com/myarabiclibrary
Comments from teachers:
This material was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: "…these books are new. They were developed primarily for use overseas but they can be used in U.S. classrooms. Many of the stories are familiar to American children…"
Title: My Mini Books
Author: Dr. Hanada Taha-Thomure
Publisher: Arab Expertise
Description from Publisher/Author: This book utilizes a modern concept that believes that learning occurs visually at first (seeing a picture), kinesthetically second (drawing and coloring a picture) and finally producing Language (writing a word, a sentence r a paragraph). It's a fun and academically sound way to learn and enjoy writing.
Language: Arabic
Age/Level: K to 2
To order: www.arabexpertise.com
Comments from teachers:
This material was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: None please send us your comments.
Title: Perfect Pics Expressions Bingo
Author: None
Publisher: Vibrante
Description from Publisher/Author: Has 16 different very useful expressions printed on 34 sheets of cardstock. Some of the pictured expressions are: How much is that? Excuse me, what’s the weather like? How old are you and more. The cue cards have pictures on one side and the vocabulary in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Arabic, Japanese and Chinese.
Language: Arabic & English
Age/Level: None
To order: Vibrante Press P.O.Box 51853, Albuquerque, N.M. 87181
Lonnie@Vibrante.com 505-298-4793 www.vibrante.com
Comments from teachers:
This material was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: None (please send us your comments). arabick12@gmail.com
Title: Scripted Plays
Author: Dr. Hanada Taha-Thomure
Publisher: Arab Expertise
Description from Publisher/Author: Classic stories, specially written in Modern Standard Arabic with humor and modernized for today's children. These plays have a wonderful rhyming structure, which makes it easier for students to learn their parts. These three plays are sold in a bundle, with each play individually bound in paperback.
Language: Arabic
Age/Level: None
To order: www.arabexpertise.com
Comments from teachers:
This material was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: None (please send us your comments). arabick12@gmail.com
Title: Uhibbu Al Arabiyya
Author (s): Dr. Mahmood Sini, Nasi Abdul Aziz, and Mukhtar Hussein
Publisher:Tarbiyat Al Ghad
Description from Publisher/Author: This curriculum uses guide-art methods and techniques recommended by experts in foreign-Language instruction and take into account the unique nature of the Arabic Language and its distinct characteristics.
Language: Arabic
Age/Level: K-8
To order: http://www.noorart.com/s.nl?sc=19&category=-101&search=Uhibbu%20al%20Arabia
Comments from teachers:
This curriculum was recommended by a teacher.
More Comments: & "This is a complete curriculum to teach Arabic to non-native speakers of Arabic, and it is used by many private-Islamic schools and also the most commonly used curriculum in public schools too. It is designed to non native speakers who live in the Gulf area "
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Links to Authentic Materials
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Links to Teaching Materials
Golden Arabic Lyrics: Using Music in Arabic Class
By MaryClaire Peroutka, NCLRC intern; Georgetown University
Teachers of every language are constantly on the lookout for newer and more accessible ways to present material. Multimedia provides popular new forms for teaching—what better way to present material to students who are constantly hooked into iPods, iPhones, and mp3 players then to give them more music and more videos?
The problem with using music in a foreign language is that very few French pop stars sing in the same textbook French that students learn. They use slang, they speak too quickly for still-learning ears, and diction is nonexistent. In Arabic pop music, the problems associated with dialect amplify this problem.
Golden Arabic Lyrics (www.arabiclyrics.net) is a tool for Arabic teachers and students alike. By providing the text, transliteration, and translation of songs, teachers can give their students a helping hand when they push “Play.” The website, begun in 2006 in the United Kingdom, is not officially a teaching resource. Rather, it is a site for aficionados of Arabic music to put up lyrics, discuss their favorite songs and artists, and browse for the words to that particular song.
The breadth of music available on the website is fairly impressive, reaching from classic Arabic singers like Fayrouz, Abdel Halim Hafez, and Oum Kulthum, to contemporary stars like Natacha Atlas, Nancy Ajram, and of course Amr Diab. The artists available span the generations and musical genres. Simply playing a Nancy Ajram song for an Arabic class can be difficult for students, but playing the song and then handing out the lyrics can help with comprehension.
The only real problem with this website is that since it is just a hobby and not a professional site, the quality and amount of material can be spotty. Some songs have the lyrics in Arabic, in transliteration, and translated into English. Others have only the Arabic and transliteration. Many have just the transliteration. The transliteration may be acceptable for an upper-level class with some previous exposure to transliteration, but lower-level classes may be more comfortable with the Arabic text itself, and beginners may require both the Arabic and the English side-by-side. Golden Arabic Lyrics gives teachers an excellent head start towards this, but teachers themselves may need to do a little work before class.
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