Arabic is read from right to left. The very first letter is alif. Alif is a tall, straight line. It has no dots.
بba: 1 dot belowتta: 2 dots on topثtha: 3 dots on top
One boat, three letters
Next come ba, ta and tha. They share one boat shape. Only the dots are different. Ba has one dot below and says b. Ta has two dots on top and says t. Tha has three dots on top and says th, like in three.
جjeem: dot insideحhaa: no dotخkha: dot on top
One curve, three letters
Jeem, haa and kha share a curve shape. Jeem has a dot inside and says j. Haa has no dot. It is a strong, breathy h. Kha has a dot on top. It sounds a bit like clearing your throat.
بَاب
Ba in a word
The word bab means door. It starts with ba on the right. It ends with ba too. Can you find the one dot under each ba?
1اalif
2بba
3تta
4ثtha
5جjeem
6حhaa
7خkha
Say them in order
Now say all seven like a song: alif, ba, ta, tha, jeem, haa, kha. Start on the right and point to each one.
For parents
Goal: Your child learns the first seven Arabic letters, alif to kha, and tells look-alike letters apart by their dots.
You do not need to read Arabic to help. Ask your child to count the dots and say where they are: on top, below or inside.
Ba has one dot below, ta has two on top and tha has three on top. Jeem has a dot inside, haa has none and kha has one on top.
Point to a letter and ask: what is its name, and what sound does it make?
Away from the screen: Roll play dough into the boat shape of ba. Add one, two or three little balls as dots and let your child name the letter you made.