I tried to order the books form the website mentioned above but it is currently out of order. Here is another website you can order from if any of you is interested:

http://www.noorart.com/site/hosted_files/google_custome_search_results.html?sa=&cx=002953284247255524444%3A1qwvlnqriiy&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=scholastic&siteurl=www.noorart.com%2Fshop_category%2Farabic_stories_for_kids_books&ref=www.noorart.com%2Fshop_category%2Fbook_category&ss=1759j457665j10

They also have an extensive collection of readers with enough samples to view here: http://www.noorart.com/shop_category/arabic_stories_for_kids_books

I remember using Starfall to teach letters and letter sounds, it took us about 2.5 months to master everything. It is free and I highly recommend it: http://www.starfall.com/n/level-k/index/load.htm?f

I agree with TMT regarding PSP videos. You can also use the iPhone/ iPad app of Meet the Letters. I think it is as effective as the DVDs because DS learned his sight words using only their apps, so I assume that is applicable to the alphabet too.

I just came across these sets, I think they can be a good addition to any Arabic library, my son has already had many favorites in the English version:

http://search.store.yahoo.net/yhst-77633636073789/cgi-bin/nsearch?query=scholastic&searchsubmit=Go&vwcatalog=yhst-77633636073789&.autodone=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.syraj.com%2Fset38boscmya.html

My Arabic Library

My Arabic Library is a unique educational project developed by Scholastic to encourage a love of reading and learning in children across the Arabic-speaking world. The program has been created to fill a well-documented need for high-quality Arabic-language classroom titles with great appeal to children.

Every grade level library is comprised of a selection of best-selling Scholastic high-interest fiction and nonfiction titles, each carefully chosen and translated by Arabic education professionals. When completed, My Arabic Library will include a complete classroom library for each grade level 1 through 6. Each of these classroom libraries will consist of 30-40 titles with subjects ranging from science, geography, biography, history, folk tales, to contemporary and classic fiction.

Five classroom-quality paperbacks of each title are included in an attractive and durable library box. Many of the titles feature striking color photographs and/or illustrations to accompany the text. A colorful poster displaying the book covers of all titles in the library is also provided with each grade-level library. This poster can be displayed in the classroom and serves as a focal point in teaching the My Arabic Library program. It will help teachers and students organize their reading and also heighten the students' interest in the titles.

My Arabic Library is supported by a comprehensive Teacher Training program, which has been created and developed exclusively for the teachers who will be using My Arabic Library in their classrooms. Incorporating the most up-to-date teaching methods, this training program includes strategies and exercises drawn from the actual titles in the classroom libraries. At the core of both the classroom library and the training program is the Teacher's Guide. This instructional manual provides the teacher with suggestions on all aspects of promoting reading in their classrooms. It includes many lessons and activities relating directly to the titles in My Arabic Library.

Here is a also a link to a video in Arabic about the series (Please copy paste in your browser): progressive.playstream.com/sinc/progressive/mepi/myal.hlf.swf

Teaching guides are available here: http://www.scholastic.com/aboutscholastic/worldwide/mepi/Teacher_guide.htm

Hi Lappy,

I sent an application to translate / proofread in Arabic & French and haven't get a response yet. I also mentioned that I have a Mac and using Parallel Desktop as a virtual machine to run Windows. I can also get my hubby's Windows laptop if Parallel is not the best platform for Babylon.

Thank you!

Assalamu Alaykum Rabia and welcom to the Forum!

LR is definitely suitable for Down Syndrom, you can just search the forum and find tons of threads about it! There is also a blog you may find useful by Kmum, a Brillkids member, you can check it out here:  http://downsyndromeupupupandaway.blogspot.com/

I also did a review for LR here: http://babyalbab.blogspot.com/2011/10/product-review-brillkids-little-reader.html

If you haven't downloaded the trial version yet, please do so you can get a feel of how LR works: http://www.brillkids.com/free-trial.php

Also, if you are teaching Arabic, you will find lots of files in the free download section here: http://forum.brillkids.com/downloads/?cat=94  . I am also working on more LR files (vocabulary, poetry, phonics & Islamic knowledge) and will be uploading them very soon in sha' Allah.

You may also read a book written by Glenn Doman that is very informative, you can order it here if you can't find it at your local library: http://www.amazon.com/What-About-Your-Brain-injured-Child/dp/0757001866

Thanks a lot Evad3!

As for the Spanish Phonics, YES PLEASE! It would be great if you can share them on the forum

Wa Alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatu Allahi wa barakatuh,

The project you are talking about is really perfect to teach a whole bunch of things at the same time: Qur'an memorization, vocabulary, rasm, right brain development. I however don't understand the purpose from using different flashcard systems, aren't LR and PPT good enough? (because for me they are  ). Can you please explain how do you use SRS, opencards and Anki, because I feel I am missing sth 

Well, concerning the first stage of the project I am working on, it is a sort of Noorani qua'ida for the Modern Standard Arabic. I'd like to teach my son both the Classical via QN for Qur'an reading, and the MSA for the rest of all the books: from storybooks to Fiqh. I have been using way too much DVDs with him and couldn't find ANY program that teach phonics properly. So I decided to make DIY LR presentations. I will be isA consulting Dad who taught Advanced Arabic Literature for more than 35 years ma sha'Allah.

Advanced stages will isA include sarf, tasreef, balagha, aroudh, etc. LR should be especially convenient for this as I intend to emphasize patterns using split mode (or equivalent) to show words stems and roots, a major characteristic of the Arabic language.

Please let me know if there is any thing you would like me to include in the project.

JAK

SA

Evad3,

My son really enjoys your files and I highly appreciate your efforts.

Thanks for sharing!

Wa Alaykum Assalam Sister,

Sorry I completely missed out your post. I didn't get any email notification . Also, Eid Mubarak (I see you wrote your post in Ramadan, I hope you enjoyed it as well as the Hajj season).

To answer to your question, I think you are doing wonderful, ma sha' Allah. That is so detailed, did you think of any other way to make it simpler (at least technically)? How many hours do you think you need to work on that? I wish I could help, but I am currently working on Arabic Phonics, I plan to make LR files that would cover everything in 6 months isA, then move on to Sarf & Tasreef the pattern phonics way. So kids will intuit Grammar rules by just watching flashcards of repeated patterns. I would like to include examples from Qur'an, Hadith and Arabic fine poetry & prose. The whole project may last 3 years    So please make du'aa for me  Oh, and I will be slowly adding LR files isA so keep an eye on my uploads

jazaaki Allahu khaira.

By the way A_BC, I saw the video with your toddler reading in four languages!!! Really impressive, congratulations!! You both have a very good Spanish accent! 

Thanks a lot! That's very encouraging, especially that I don't speak it fluently. I am trying to study the language more often so I can communicate properly with my son during our Spanish afternoons (twice a week).

Oh, I wanted to add one more thing, getting scared during toddlerhood is part of their emotional development. You can find out about it here: http://www.babycenter.com/0_easing-your-toddlers-fears_1503644.bc

You're welcome! I hope it works!

Hi Jayanubian and welcome to the forum!

YCCR DVDs are excellent, my son enjoyed watching them too! If you are interested in LR, it's the perfect time to start using it, because:

1- at some point, your son will be done with the DVDs (though you may show them again once in a while for review, but not too often, as he may get bored)

2- you can show him the LR curriculum for review AND learning new words that are not in YBCR & YCCR

3- LR will offer endless learning opportunities, you can download hundreds of files from the LR library to teach Encyclopedic Knowledge, languages and more English vocabulary ( http://forum.brillkids.com/downloads/?overview=1 )

4- you can create your own lessons especially with the new version of LR that is FANTASTIC! You can find more info here: http://forum.brillkids.com/announcements/update-to-little-reader-v3!/

Regarding LM , my son enjoys it a lot for the moment though he didn't really wanted to watch it at some point. I just changed the icons according to his interests and always put the female voice  now he loves it!

Concerning LMs, we watch several lessons during the day, my son always asks for it and I can see he did a good progress in just a few months.

I hope this helps!

You are not alone     My toddler can also get  so scared when watching YCCR (especially of a hippopotamus, a disguised boy, a man saying "Hello" on the phone, an ostrich, and other unexplainable things I can't remember now). A fun fact BTW: he quickly learned those words!

Also, I've recently bought a DK Eyewitness DVD about rocks & minerals, there is a skeleton who opens his mouth when a rock falls on him, my son got so scared and didn't want to see any skeleton after that, I had to skip a whole chapter in our science curriculum   So what I do is quite simple: just skip the slides, fast forward the video, or show it to him in a month or so, hoping his attitude will change.  BTW, I never tell him that a monster or a ghost are scary things, I emphasize they are just imaginary creatures.

With LR, you may try one or more of the following:

- Show them only the word flash, you can skip the pictures & videos,
- Customize the lesson with pictures of  "friendlier"  cows, sheep and goats 

- Skip the lessons for the moment and try again in a month or so.

Starting to intuit phonics at such a young age is amazing! you must be doing a wonderful job!

Keep up the good work!

A question: If I create a back up, will it be possible to get all my custom files the way they were organized in the previous version? I have a pretty good number of categories and it will be too time-consuming to import them one by one. Thx