Family Guide — Session 1: Hello & Goodbye

A one-page guide for parents, after-school caregivers, or co-teachers. Plain English. No teaching experience required.

What we learned today

Your child can now say five greetings in Arabic:

They also met the first letter of the Arabic alphabet — أ (alif) — and traced it on paper.

Why this matters

We're starting with greetings because they're the most reusable Arabic your child will ever learn. Used right, they hear and say them every single day — in three weeks, marhaba will feel as natural as "hi." That's the goal: not memorization, but daily use.

We're starting with the letter أ (alif) because it's the first letter of the Arabic alphabet — it's the "A" of Arabic. Once your child can recognize it on a page, they'll start spotting it everywhere.

What to do this evening (3 minutes total)

You don't need to drill or quiz. Just do these three tiny things:

1. When you see them tonight, say:

"مَساء الخَير!" (Masaa al-khayr!)

Wait for them to say it back. If they don't, say it again with a smile.

2. When they go to bed, say:

"مع السَّلامة!" (Ma'a as-salaama!)

Or: Tisbah 'ala khayr (تِصبَح عَلى خَير = "good night" — Levantine bonus, free of charge!)

3. Tomorrow morning, say:

"صَباح الخَير!" (Sabah al-khayr!)

That's it. Three Arabic moments. Total: under 30 seconds.

What to do this week (5 minutes total)

Pick one of these:

• Stick the vocabulary cards on the fridge. Glance at them at breakfast. Practice one card.
• Play "greeting roulette" at dinner. Pull a card. Everyone has to say the greeting before they can eat.
• Pick a "family greeting language." For one whole day, all hellos and goodbyes happen in Arabic only. No English greetings. The rest of conversation stays in whatever language you use normally.
• Pretend you're at a Lebanese restaurant. The server (you) only speaks Arabic for the greeting and goodbye.

If you don't know Arabic yourself

That's completely fine. This whole course is designed for parents like you.

• Listen to the audio file alongside your child. Then say it together. Your kid will laugh at your pronunciation; that's part of the bonding.
• Don't feel bad about errors. You're not teaching Arabic — Safaa is. You're just being present for the practice.
• Your effort matters more than your accent. A parent who tries with their kid sends a powerful message: Arabic is for our family, not just for one of us.

If you're a heritage Arabic speaker

• Resist the urge to "correct" your child's pronunciation. Let the small errors stand for a week. Then gently model the right way once. Don't repeat-correct.
• Use Arabic responses, not English ones. When they say marhaba, you say marhaba, not "hi back!"
• Notice what's new for them. Even if your child has heard marhaba their whole life, they may have never seen the written word. The reading piece is where heritage kids often need extra love.

What's coming next session

Session 2: My Name Is... (اسمي) — Your child learns to introduce themselves in Arabic, plus the letter ب (ba).

Materials needed: nothing new. Just bring this folder.

Questions or struggles?

Email: dabagh_safaa@smc.edu Or visit: https://learnwithoutwalls.com

Yalla Arabic · Family Guide · Session 1