Rafeeq — Arabic for children, at home and in class
From letter recognition to fluent reading, ages 4 to 12. For children who already speak Arabic and for those meeting it for the first time — usable by one parent alone, or by a whole class.
Modern Standard ArabicAges 4–12Parents and schoolsNo adverts
Two children, two different sticking points
A child who speaks Arabic and a child learning it do not get stuck in the same place. Rafeeq runs two tracks rather than one course pitched at the average.
The child already speaks Arabic
They understand everything spoken and still stall on the page. That is expected: the home speaks a dialect, the page is in MSA — two registers. The work is decoding, harakat and written vocabulary, not meaning.
- The dialect-to-MSA gap, made explicit
- Timed reading to build fluency
- Harakat and word endings (i‘rab) in context
- Written vocabulary beyond conversation
The child is meeting Arabic
Often a diaspora family, or a child with Arabic on one side only. Sound comes before symbol: hear it, repeat it, then attach it — the Latin-script scaffolding is removed as it stops being needed.
- Sound first, letter second
- Transliteration scaffolding, withdrawn over time
- The sounds English does not have: ع ح خ ق ص ض ط ظ ر
- Everyday vocabulary before school vocabulary
Four to twelve, not just the early years
The alphabet is learned early; reading takes years to build. Most apps stop after the first stage — which is exactly where families run out of options.
Letters and sounds
All 28 letters, their four positional forms, the short vowels. Heavy on listening, tracing and spotting the letter inside a word.
Reading and harakat
Blending syllables, reading short vocalised sentences, and answering for what was read. Speed comes after accuracy.
Fluency and comprehension
Longer passages, vowel marks gradually removed, vocabulary grouped by root, comprehension questions.
A child can start at any stage — placement is by competency, not by age.
A lesson in five steps
The same cycle every session, so the child always knows where they are — and so does the adult.
The sound is spoken in MSA, alone and then inside a word.
Find the letter among others, in all four of its forms.
Match the letter to the word and the image that carry it.
Blend syllables to read, then write, a whole word.
Write the letter with a finger, in the correct stroke order.
Same content, two ways to run it
A parent does not need an institution to start, and a school does not need every family to buy a subscription.
For parents
You do not need to speak Arabic to sit with your child: every exercise says what to listen for and what to correct.
- Ten to fifteen minute sessions, at the child’s pace
- Several children on one account
- What to revise this week, in one line
- No adverts, no in-app purchases
For teachers and schools
Class view, per-child progression and learning stories to share with families — with nothing to re-enter by hand.
- Per-child competencies: emerging → developing → secure
- Whole-class view, with the strugglers surfaced
- Learning stories sent to parents
- Free pilot for one class, no commitment
Join the list
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What people ask us most
Do I have to be a school to use Rafeeq?
No. A parent can open an account for their child and use it alone at home. The teacher dashboard is an extra layer for classrooms, not a condition of access.
My child already speaks Arabic — what is this for?
Reading. Speaking a dialect at home does not give you MSA on the page; they are two registers. The already-speaks-Arabic track works on decoding, harakat and written vocabulary instead of restarting from spoken basics.
I do not speak Arabic. Can I still sit with my child?
Yes. The audio is in MSA and each exercise states what is expected, pronunciation included. You follow the progress without having to correct it yourself.
Does it stop after preschool?
No. Content runs from letter recognition (around four) to reading unvocalised text (around twelve). Placement is by competency, not age.
Which Arabic is taught?
Modern Standard Arabic — the Arabic of school and of the written page. Dialect is pointed out where it helps understanding, not taught in place of MSA.
What happens when I join the early access?
You get an email when your group opens, with free access through the testing phase. No card details, and one-click unsubscribe.
In the meantime, our free tools
Usable right now, no account needed.