Standards-based & Literature-based Arabic Language Curricula

According to Dr. Hanada Taha, the Arabic language suffers from three main problems:

First: The lack of standards-based instruction:
A review of Arabic language methodologies in many Arab countries shows that Arabic language teachers have focused their efforts on completing the teaching of textbooks rather than ensuring students acquire the required competencies and skills. This is either due to teachers’ lack of knowledge of standards, progress indicators, and performance benchmarks, or their lack of understanding of how to apply them in their classrooms. As a result, the connection between standards, teaching methods, and assessment remains absent from most Arabic language curricula.

Second: The insufficient amount of teacher training based on best classroom practices and educational research:
Schools develop their own instructional standards, which vary greatly from one school to another, without academic guiding principles or reference standards. Additionally, most Arabic language teachers have not been exposed to classrooms where teaching is conducted using research-based best practices that actively engage students in both learning and teaching processes.

Creative classroom practices struggle to advance due to limited resources and the absence of professional learning communities that encourage collaboration and idea exchange. Furthermore, the concept of professional development has not yet expanded to include purposeful practices such as peer teaching and collaborative planning.

Third: The lack of investment in resources, guidelines, and adequate support:
While some opportunities for general training on best practices exist (such as through workshops and conferences), there is little evidence of their implementation in classrooms. To improve the quality of Arabic language instruction, comprehensive, high-quality training programs for teachers are essential, along with educating Arabic language teachers on instructional methods, child development, educational technology, teaching methodologies, classroom management, assessment, and classroom interaction. When not relying on the textbook, teachers often prepare instructional materials individually, leading to inconsistency and a lack of coherence in resource materials.

Based on this, Dr. Hanada Taha, in collaboration with a select group of Arabic language educators, designed the first standards-based Arabic language curriculum grounded in children’s literature. It has been adopted by several schools, including Riffa Views International School (Bahrain), Emirates National Schools (Abu Dhabi), American School of Dubai (Dubai), Aramco Schools (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Cairo International Academy (Arab Republic of Egypt), among others.