Children are often confused when the same letter looks different. A simple picture explains it.
Four positions
| Alone | Start | Middle | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| ب | بـ | ـبـ | ـب |
| ع | عـ | ـعـ | ـع |
| ه | هـ | ـهـ | ـه |
| ك | كـ | ـكـ | ـك |
The “holding hands” picture
“Letters in a word hold hands. Most letters can hold hands on both sides. Six letters, ا د ذ ر ز و, only hold the hand of the letter before them, never after.”
Letters that change most
- ع and غ: different at the start, middle and end.
- ه: looks very different in the middle.
- ك: the small mark changes.
Practice
- Write one letter in all four forms.
- Find each form in a Qaida line.
- Build words with letter cards and watch them join.
The dots stay
Whatever the shape, dots stay the same, so ب, ت and ث are always identified by their dots. See dot families.
Teacher’s tip: let your child write their name in Arabic. Seeing their own letters join makes the idea click. See writing your name.
Related: Joining letters.
