Frequently Asked Questions

Please read through the most commonly asked questions about Arabic Schoolhouse.

What ages does Arabic Schoolhouse serve?

We currently serve students from 3 years old up to 11 years. The minimum age a student must be to begin in the PreK 3 classroom at Arabic Schoolhouse is 3 years old by the first day of the academic year. Students in our leveled classes range from 5 - 11 years old with the recommended age in the beginner classes to not exceed 7 years old. Students who are 8 years or above can be tested into our upper level classes (intermediate and advanced classes only). We cannot accommodate beginner students who are 8 years old or above at the moment. (ie: child does not know all his letters yet).

Does my child need to be potty trained?

Yes, all children must be potty trained before the first day of PreK classes.

Do you accept special needs kids into the program?

We are an inclusive community at Arabic Schoolhouse. As a speciality program with limited resources, however, we are unable to accommodate children who are diagnosed with special needs at this time. This includes children in the autism spectrum, ADHD, and others.

How do I know which level my child is in?

We offer beginning of year assessments to confirm placement into any of the upper level classes (intermediate and advanced classes). This can be done during the admissions process. We only assess for reading and writing (not oral). Here is a guideline:

Beginner (age 5-7): Recommend for students who do not have any or limited knowledge of Arabic. They typically have been exposed to some Arabic but do not know all the letters, have not been formally taught how to read or write Arabic.

Intermediate (age 7-11): Recommended for students who mastered the 28 Arabic alphabets sounds and written form, can sound out 3-letter words and have some knowledge of the 3 short vowel sounds (fatha, dhumma, kasra).

Intermediate 2 (age 7-11): Recommended for students who mastered reading skills (can read a simple sentence in Arabic with proper short and long vowel sounds), can connect letters accurately to form words and short sentences, knowledge of basic Arabic sight words, and parts of speech.

Advanced 1 (age 8-11): Recommended for students who can read a passage (4 sentences or more) in moderate speed, proper application of all short and long vowel sounds, special sounds like shadda, tanween, and possess reasonable vocabulary including high frequency words of both nouns, verbs, and prepositions as well as a mastery of sight words. Students must have basic sentence building and writing skills.

Advanced 2 (age 9-12): Recommended for students who can read a full page (multiple paragraphs or more) in a well-paced manner accurately, and possess advanced level vocabulary including high frequency words of both nouns, verbs, and prepositions as well as a mastery of sight words. Students must have proper sentence building and writing skills. (Can write a short paragraph) and knowledge of basic grammar rules. Oral skills will be extremely important for this level. *we can take 12 years old for this grade only.

What is included in the registration fee cover?

The one-time registration fee of $150 covers all the supplies, resources, Montessori, and the vast assortment of engaging activities, special guests, animals, entertainment, gifts, painting, outdoor and sports, treasure box for homework, etc. that we use to support the child's learning environment used throughout the year (32 weeks).

Do you only teach Arabic at Arabic Schoolhouse?

Yes, we are an Arabic Language Program and believe that this beautiful language is worthy of its own time and space, and even the 2.5 hours we are dedicating in a highly optimized program like ours is not enough. We are not a Sunday school in which Arabic is part of an Islamic curriculum. At Arabic Schoolhouse, Arabic is the curriculum.

Are you an Islamic program?

No, we are not an Islamic program and we do not teach nor do we incorporate Islamic Studies and Quran in our Arabic classes. We are an inclusive campus and welcome students, teachers, and staff from all faiths to learn the beautiful Arabic language in our campus regardless of background.

Do you offer any Quran or Islamic classes?

We have an add-on option for those families interested in Islamic and Quranic lessons in a before school program. This is a completely separate offering that is available exclusively to Arabic Schoolhouse students. You may email arabicschoolhouse@gmail.com for more information.

Is once a week enough to learn Arabic?

Teaching a Category 4 language such as Arabic is an ambitious task. And we are up for the challenge! The short answer is, no it is not enough to master a language in a once a week program. However, we have created a very meticulous and detailed curriculum in trying our best to incorporate all the methods and strategies to come up with a working formula. This relies heavily on the support at home from the parents, teachers, and the students.

How can parents support their children who attend Arabic Schoolhouse?

In English, we are asked to read with our children daily for 15-20 minutes to see a mastery of the language. That equals to 140 minutes or a little more than 2 hours. Arabic is a category 4 language and we ask parents to put in about 2 hours a week or more to help support the complexities of mastering Arabic. We do our best to offer our program as a guide and provide any extra support to help you help your child at home. The more a parent dedicates and invests in what we are providing on the weekend program, the more success and progress the child sees. This is the consistent rule in learning a language. The short answer: A child can learn as much as the support at home allows!

Do you offer online classes at Arabic Schoolhouse?

No, we are an in-person only language school. Part of the strength of our program is the engaging and hands-on activities we use to enhance the learning experience. Our older students also enjoy dramatized and curated social interactions and role play in Arabic.

Is there homework at Arabic Schoolhouse?

Absolutely. For our leveled classes, we have weekly homework, reading, writing, and vocabulary building expectation. The more a child spends working outside the classroom, the more confident the child comes to class, and the more they seek a challenge to build on their knowledge. Homework is just scratching the surface in seeing success in the classroom and thus, the program.

What is a typical day at Arabic Schoolhouse like?

Each class is carefully structured and designed for an age-appropriate learning environment. A detailed schedule will be provided upon admissions acceptance.

Will a parent know what is going on in the classroom?

Absolutely. We are renowned for our excellent teacher-parent-student communication. We have classroom summaries with supportive media sent exclusively to parents of each classroom. Our teachers spend a considerable amount of time to ensure parents are informed about every detail of what their child learned.

Beyond that, parents are encouraged to purchase an Arabic Schoolhouse Planner (optional, not included in book fee) that includes a week-by-week syllabus for the academic year ahead.

How do you assess a child's progress in the classroom?

We take our work - and Arabic - very seriously. And for this reason, we assess our leveled (beginner to advanced) students three times in an academic year. The midterm (taken in December), the mid-semester evaluation (taken in early spring) and the final exam (taken in May). Each exam consists of both oral and written evaluation. Teachers and the Leveled Director (who builds the exams and the curriculum) grade every evaluation and exam and sends the results along with helpful feedback to the parents.

What are the required books at Arabic Schoolhouse (included in $75 book fee)?

Arabic Schoolhouse Curriculum

At Arabic Schoolhouse, we have worked tirelessly to create our own exclusive series of Arabic Language Arts books that range from phonics, reading, writing, and comprehension. Each book is written and designed locally with students learning and are familiar with in an American educational system. They are created in a familiar, engaging, and dynamic format that cannot be purchased anywhere except at Arabic Schoolhouse. We are very proud to offer the highest quality educational material and resources made in-house and published locally.

1. Language Arts Series: Levels - Beginner through Advanced 2

2. Phonics Bundles: Two Volumes. Levels - Beginner and Intermediate.

3. Sight Words: One Volume. Levels - Intermediate 1

4. Reading Comprehension and Writing Aid. One Volume. Levels - Intermediate 2

Al Kanooz El Arabiaya & Asdiqaa El Arabiya (Friends of Arabic)

We know that one or two books is not enough to cover the complexities of a language. We traveled abroad and researched all the available literature to bring back what we believe is one of the best in the market. We have an exclusive partnership with these Jordanian-based publishers and currently offer these series as part of Beginner through Intermediate 2 curriculum.

How can I support my child in Arabic if I am not a native speaker?

This is why we believe that excellent communication is a paramount to our success. We encourage parents to be involved in every aspect of school. We provide planners with the syllabus, a comprehensive reference sheet with translations and transliterations, and keep our lines of communication open to be available anytime a parent has a question. We are continuously looking for ways to become as accessible as possible. Some of our top students come from non-Arabic speaking households!

What are ways parents can get involved at Arabic Schoolhouse?

We have a very active and talented pool of parents in the Parent Teacher Association at Arabic Schoolhouse. We encourage parents to join and to be involved in school activities. Beyond that, we offer several opportunities for engagement on our campus. We have an annual Fall Picnic and Spring Carnival where our families gather for great food and fun.

Are there cultural activities at Arabic Schoolhouse?

Yes, we are always embedding opportunities to incorporate cultural awareness and have offered Arabic music, song, and dance as optional extracurricular classes. We also offer parents an opportunity to represent their culture in Culture Club.