Family Guide — Session 9: Today I Feel...

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 name how they feel in Arabic:

They practiced answering with a full mini-sentence:

Why this matters

Feelings words are some of the most useful vocabulary a child can carry. Every day, all day, kids feel things — and giving them a second language to name those feelings doesn't just build Arabic, it builds emotional vocabulary, period. A child who can say "أنا زَعلان" instead of melting down is a child using language to cope. That's a gift in any language.

Also: feelings change by gender in Arabic. Boys say mabsut, girls say mabsuteh. Your child noticed that today — it's their first real taste of how Arabic grammar works.

What to do this evening (3 minutes total)

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

1. At dinner, ask:

"كيف حالَك؟" (Keef haalak? — "How are you?")

See what they say. If they freeze, offer two choices: "مَبسوط ولا تَعبان؟" (happy or tired?)

2. Tell them how you feel — in Arabic:

"أنا تَعبانة اليَوم." (Ana ta'baaneh al-yawm — "I'm tired today.")

Modeling is everything. They learn the word is real because you used it.

3. At bedtime, ask one more time:

"كيف حالَك هَلَّأ؟" (Keef haalak halla'? — "How are you right now?")

That's it. Three feeling-check-ins. Under a minute each.

What to do this week (5 minutes total)

Pick one of these:

• Feelings check-in at breakfast. Every morning this week, one question: Keef haalak? Accept any Arabic word as the answer. Celebrate it.
• Feelings faces on the fridge. Draw four faces (happy, sad, scared, tired) and label each in Arabic. Point to one before school. "Today you look مَبسوط!"
• Family feelings round. At dinner, go around the table — everyone says one Arabic feeling word about their day. Parents go first.
• Stuffed animal feelings. Pick up a stuffed animal and ask your child, "كيف حاله؟" Let them decide if the bear is mabsut or za'lan today. Silly. Effective.

If you don't know Arabic yourself

You can do this one. Feelings words are short and forgiving.

• Mix up the genders. It's okay. If you call your daughter mabsut instead of mabsuteh, she'll correct you — and that's the best Arabic lesson of the week.
• Use the audio file. Play it once in the car. The words will stick faster than you think.
• Say feelings out loud about yourself. "Mama is تَعبانة." Even one word, dropped into English, counts. Your child is learning that Arabic belongs in your home — not just in class.

If you're a heritage Arabic speaker

• Notice the gender piece. Heritage kids often hear feelings words in one form (whichever the parent uses about themselves) and don't realize the other form exists. This week, deliberately use both: "Baba مَبسوط, Mama مَبسوطة."
• Don't switch to English when they answer in English. If you ask keef haalak? and they say "good," respond with "يَعني مَبسوط؟" — keep the Arabic going one more turn.
• Heritage tip: Your dialect might say fakran, mneeh, or other variants. Use yours! Then tell your child: "In our family, we say it like this." That's culture, not correction.

What's coming next session

Session 10: Review & Celebrate — We pull together everything from Sessions 1–9: greetings, names, family, numbers, colors, and feelings. A celebration session with games, songs, and a little certificate.

Materials needed: nothing new. Just bring this folder and a smile.

Questions or struggles?

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

Yalla Arabic · Family Guide · Session 9