Family Guide — Session 18: My Body, Part 1

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 the parts of their face and head in Arabic:

They also met the letter ش (shin) — the "sh" sound — and traced it. It's the first letter of shaʿr (hair) and shams (sun).

Why this matters

Body parts are some of the first words kids learn in any language, because we point to them, wash them, bump them, and laugh about them every single day. That makes them the perfect Arabic vocabulary: your child has at least ten chances a day to hear "wayn ʿaynayk?" ("where are your eyes?") before bed, in the bath, at the mirror.

The letter ش (shin) matters because it's one of those distinctly Arabic sounds — the satisfying "shhh" — and once your child spots the three dots on top, they'll find it on every shampoo bottle in Arabic.

What to do this evening (3 minutes total)

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

1. At the bathroom mirror, point and ask:

"وين العين؟" (Wayn al-ʿayn? — "Where's the eye?")

Let them point. Then ask about the fam, the anf, the udhun.

2. While brushing hair or teeth, say:

"هاد شَعرِك!" (Had shaʿrik! — "This is your hair!")

Touch the hair as you say it. Touch wins over translation, every time.

3. At bedtime, play "goodnight body parts":

"Tisbaḥ ʿala khayr, عَين. Tisbaḥ ʿala khayr, أَنف…"

Silly. Quick. Done.

What to do this week (5 minutes total)

Pick one of these:

• Draw a face together. As you draw each part, say it in Arabic. Stick the drawing on the fridge with the Arabic labels.
• "Simon Says" in Arabic. Touch your ʿayn. Touch your fam. Touch your shaʿr. Mess up on purpose — kids love catching grown-ups.
• Mirror time. Stand at the mirror together for 60 seconds. Point and name. That's the whole activity.
• Shin scavenger hunt. Find the letter ش on something in your house — a shampoo bottle, a tea box, a snack wrapper. Snap a photo.

If you don't know Arabic yourself

You're going to do great with this one. Body parts are the easiest unit in the whole course — you can point.

• Pointing is teaching. If you point to your nose and say anf, you've just delivered a perfect Arabic lesson. No grammar required.
• Don't worry about the "ʿayn" sound. That throaty ʿ in ʿayn is hard for English speakers. Say it your way. Your child will hear the real version on the audio and from Safaa.
• Let your kid be the teacher tonight. Ask them: "What's 'ear' in Arabic again?" Kids light up when they get to correct a parent.

If you're a heritage Arabic speaker

• Use the dialect you actually speak. If you say ʿyūn for eyes or tumm for mouth at home, keep doing that. Your child is learning that Arabic has many flavors, and yours is one of them.
• Body parts are a goldmine for everyday Arabic. Ghassil idayk (wash your hands), sakkir ʿaynayk (close your eyes), iftaḥ tummak (open your mouth). You probably already say these. Say them louder this week.
• Heritage kids often know the words but freeze when asked to read them. If your child can say ʿayn but can't recognize عَين on the page, that's normal — and that's exactly what we're working on. Sit with them and the vocabulary card for one minute.

What's coming next session

Session 19: My Body, Part 2 (جِسمي، الجُزء الثّاني) — Hands, feet, arms, legs, and tummy. Plus the letter ص (ṣad). Expect a lot of jumping and pointing.

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 18