Family Guide — Session 12: My Family Poster

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

What we learned today

Today was a project day — the big finish to Level 1. Your child made a family poster in Arabic, using everything they've learned over the last eleven sessions. They drew or pasted photos of family members and labeled each one in Arabic.

The two new pointing words they used today:

So when they show you the poster, they can say:

هذا أَبي. هَذِه أُمّي. هَذِه عائِلَتي.

*Hadha abi. Hadhihi ummi. Hadhihi ‘aa’ilati.* ("This is my dad. This is my mom. This is my family.")

They also reviewed every letter from Level 1 — alif through the letters we've collected over the course.

Why this matters

Eleven sessions ago, your child maybe knew how to say marhaba. Today they introduced their whole family in Arabic, out loud, in writing, on a poster they made with their own hands. That's a real accomplishment. Posters matter because they turn language from something invisible (in the head) into something visible (on the wall). Hang it somewhere everyone walks past. Every time your child sees it, they remember: I did this.

What to do this evening (3 minutes total)

1. Ask for the tour.

"Can you show me your poster and tell me about everyone in Arabic?"

Let them point and say hadha / hadhihi for each person. Don't correct. Just listen.

2. Take a picture of the poster.

Send it to one grandparent, aunt, or family friend — ideally one who speaks Arabic. Watching a relative react to their Arabic is rocket fuel.

3. Hang it up.

Fridge, bedroom door, hallway — somewhere it lives for at least a week. Visible Arabic = remembered Arabic.

What to do this week (5 minutes total)

Pick one of these:

• Poster tour at dinner. Once this week, before eating, your child gives the family a 60-second tour of the poster in Arabic.
• Video call a relative. Have your child introduce the poster over FaceTime to a grandparent, cousin, or family friend. Even 90 seconds counts.
• Add one more person. A cousin, a pet, a best friend. Label them in Arabic together using hadha or hadhihi. (A pet counts as family — Safaa says so.)
• Make a Level 1 "I can…" list. Sit with your child and write down everything they can now do in Arabic. Watch their face when the list gets long.

If you don't know Arabic yourself

Look how far you've come. Twelve weeks ago, none of this was in your house. Now there's a poster on the wall in a language you don't speak — and your child made it.

• Let them be the teacher tonight. Ask them to teach you the words on the poster. Kids love being the expert.
• Mispronounce on purpose sometimes. Let them correct you. It cements the word in their brain better than any drill.
• You did this. You showed up for twelve sessions. That's the real curriculum. The Arabic is the bonus.

If you're a heritage Arabic speaker

• Notice the MSA vs. spoken difference. We taught ‘aa’ilati (عائِلَتي) today — the MSA form. At home you might say ‘ayleti (عيلتي). Both are right. Tell your child: "We say it like this at home, and the book says it like that — same word, two outfits."
• Resist re-doing the poster "properly." Even if the handwriting is wobbly or the hamza is missing — leave it. It's theirs.
• Show it to the elders. A teta or jiddo seeing this poster is a moment your child will remember for years.

What's coming next session

🎉 Level 1 is complete! Your child can greet, introduce themselves, name family members, count, identify colors, and read the first letters of the Arabic alphabet.

Level 2 begins next week: Food, Home, and the World Around Us. First session: At the Table (عَلى الطّاوْلة) — your child learns the words for bread, water, tea, and the everyday phrases of a Levantine kitchen.

Materials needed: nothing new. Just bring this folder — and the poster story to share with the class.

Questions or struggles?

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

Yalla Arabic · Family Guide · Session 12