Aiming for Eassa to be homeschooled bilingually is tricky especially that I will be his main teacher for both Arabic and English. I dedicate blocks of time to English where I speak exclusively in English with him. We play, read stories, cook and discuss in English.
This is an example of a morning dedicated to English and learning the letter C.
I prepare all my resources and set up the learning area. Introduce the letter of the day, find things that start with the sounds associated with the letter. Reflect on other sounds, search for animals beginning with C, bake a Cake, practice the curves of C on our blackboard with Colourful Chalk pieces, pretend to be a hungry Catterpiller and make a Cocoon, read books about Catterpillars, and use our special Cup for milk with Cookies. Eassa is constantly being made aware of the sounds and letters as we are playing. He may not be conscious of the amount of learning happening but he is absorbing so much language in that time. He replies in English and when he can’t find the words he uses his Arabic in an English accent indicating he needs help.
I go with his interests and give him the lead to pick up items and move around the space. The aim is enriching his spoken language and motor skills rather than reading and writing.