1. Overview of Arabic Script

1.1 Arabic Alphabet:

• Number of Letters: Arabic has 28 letters.
• Direction of Writing: Arabic is written from right to left.
• Letter Forms: Arabic letters change shape depending on their position in a word (initial, medial, final, and isolated forms).

1.2 Key Features:

• Consonantal Root System: Most words are based on a root system of three (or sometimes four) consonants.
• Diacritics: Marks above or below letters that indicate vowels or other pronunciation features.

2. Understanding Arabic Letters and Their Forms

2.1 Isolated Forms:

• Definition: How a letter appears when it stands alone.
• Examples:
  • أ (alif)
  • ب (baa)
  • ت (taa)

2.2 Initial, Medial, and Final Forms:

• Initial Form: The letter when it starts a word.
• Medial Form: The letter when it is in the middle of a word.
• Final Form: The letter when it is at the end of a word.
• Examples:
  • ب (baa) in initial form: بـ
  • ب (baa) in medial form: ـبـ
  • ب (baa) in final form: ـب

2.3 Connecting Letters:

• Connected vs. Unconnected Letters: Some letters do not connect to the following letter (e.g., ا (alif), د (dal)).

3. Writing Practice

3.1 Writing Letters:

• Practice Isolated Forms: Write each letter in its isolated form.
• Practice Connected Forms: Write letters in their initial, medial, and final forms.

3.2 Writing Words:

• Basic Words: Practice writing simple words by combining letters.
• Examples:
  • كتاب (kitaab) – “book”
  • مدرسة (madrasa) – “school”
  • قلم (qalam) – “pen”

3.3 Writing Simple Sentences:

• Constructing Sentences: Use learned words to form simple sentences.
• Examples:
  • الولد يكتب. (al-walad yaktub) – “The boy writes.”
  • البنت تقرأ. (al-bint taqra’) – “The girl reads.”
  • السيارة جديدة. (as-sayyaarah jadiidah) – “The car is new.”

4. Practice Exercises

4.1 Letter Writing Drill:

• Write each Arabic letter in isolated, initial, medial, and final forms.
• Practice connecting letters to form simple words.

4.2 Word Construction:

• Create 10 simple Arabic words by combining different letters.
• Practice writing these words multiple times.

4.3 Sentence Formation:

• Write five simple sentences using the vocabulary learned.
• Ensure correct letter forms and connections in the sentences.

4.4 Dictation Exercise:

• Listen to short Arabic sentences and write them out.
• Focus on correct spelling and letter forms.

5. Additional Resources

5.1 Practice Tools:

• Apps: Use Arabic writing practice apps like “Write It! Arabic” or “Arabic Keyboard.”
• Websites: Websites like Madinah Arabic and ArabicPod101 offer interactive exercises.

5.2 Reference Material:

• Books: Mastering Arabic Script by Jane Wightwick and Mahmoud Gaafar.
• Videos: Look for YouTube tutorials on writing Arabic script.

This lesson provides foundational skills in Arabic script, essential for developing proficiency in reading and writing Arabic. By mastering letter forms and basic sentence construction, students will build a solid base for more advanced writing tasks.