Make Arabic Reading Practice Fun with this Game + Free Printable!
Is your child struggling to stay focused while learning to read Arabic? Here’s a fun and simple Memory Arabic Word Game that makes practicing Arabic reading hands-on and interactive. Keep reading to find out how to play and grab the free printable!
One of the crazy and beautiful parts of homeschooling is that it keeps me on my toes.
When I feel like I’ve got the hang of teaching something, we start a new topic with its own challenges.
I’m learning to enjoy the process (and the struggle!) that comes with finding a solution.
Our Arabic Reading Journey
I remember when my child had mastered all her Arabic letters. She knew the sounds of each letter and could identify the letters in the word. The next step was to move on to reading with harakat.
Harakat are small marks on the Arabic letters that show how to pronounce words correctly.
To teach her to read, I started using this wonderful book called مبادئ القراءة المصورة: أسهل طريقة لتعليم القراءة (Mabade’ Al-Qera’a Al-Musawarah – Ashal Tareeqa Leta’leem Al-Qera’a). In’sha’Allah, I’ll share more on why I love this particular book in another post.
The first lesson we learned was fatha.
In the back of my mind, I knew that I didn’t want to stress much about my child and her Arabic reading. I wanted her to read at her own pace without any pressure. And I wanted her to enjoy reading, not just master it.
But when we started reading fatha words, my child got bored after reading one page (which only had four words). Even getting her to read those four words was a struggle.
I realized that Arabic reading felt overwhelming for my child. She needed to grow comfortable with the rhythm of reading Arabic words. And since she’s a kinesthetic and visual learner, seeing a page full of words was not helping.
Learning Through Play: Arabic Reading Games
I know that kids need a lot of literacy practice to become fluent in Arabic reading. But I also know they learn best through play.
So I came up with this fun idea to get the words off the paper. My child needed something hands-on, and I needed to make reading fun.
I took the Arabic words from the book and turned them into flashcards. I also made matching cards with pictures associated with each word.
My goal was to use these flashcards for a variety of different Arabic reading games.
Memory Arabic Word Game
One of our favorite Arabic reading games is the memory game. To play, my child picks a card and reads the Arabic word on it. Then, she picks another card to find the matching picture.
It’s a fun Arabic word game to get her to read without feeling pressured. She also feels a sense of accomplishment when she matches a pair.
The best part about this Arabic reading game is that it can be played at whatever level my child is at. Whenever she learns a new harakah, all I do is make new flashcards with the new words she’s practicing.
I stopped using matching pictures with the Arabic words that don’t only have fatha because it’s hard to find images for every word. Instead, I make a matching set of words so that we play the matching game with Arabic words only.
This game gives us a variety of ways for our Arabic reading practice reading. My child still reads from the book, but we change it up by playing fun Arabic reading games.
You can play this fun Arabic reading game with the free printable I made with fatha words and their matching pictures. You can also make your own flashcards for any words your child is learning.
How to Play the Memory Arabic Reading Game
You Will Need:
- Paper for flashcards (you can use index cards or 8.5×11” paper. I prefer using cardstock because it’s durable and not see-through)
- Marker
- Scissors
- Words that your child is learning
Directions:
- If you’re using index cards, cut them in half.
- If you’re using an 8.5×11” paper, fold the paper as shown in the photo below.
- Cut along the creases to make 8 flashcards.
- Write the word that your child is learning on two flashcards to make a matching pair.
How to Play:
Classic Arabic Memory Game
- Shuffle the cards and lay them face down.
- Have your child flip one card and read the word.
- Then, they flip another word, read it, and see if it’s a match.
- If it’s a match, they keep the pair. Keep playing until all cards are matched!
Simpler Version for Beginners and Younger Kids
- Divide the matching pairs into two separate piles.
- Lay the words face up in each pile.
- Your child then picks a word, reads it, and finds the match on the other pile.
Get Your Free Printable for to Practice Arabic Reading
Want the free printable for fatha words and matching pictures? Download it below!
I made this set of Arabic words flashcards based on the words in the book that I mentioned. These free flashcard downloads have fatha words and matching pictures for each word. If you don’t need the pictures, print two copies of the word flashcards to create a matching pair.
I like to print my flashcards on cardstock so that they’re more durable and not see-through, and then I laminate them.
I’m currently working on adding more free printable flashcards with advanced words (kasra, damma, sukoon, etc). For now, if you’re looking for fatha words, I have them available!
I hope you enjoy this game as much as we did!
What are some fun Arabic reading games or activities you use to help your kids with reading Arabic practice? I’d love to hear your ideas! Let me know in the comments!
