Teach Middle East Magazine Apr - Jun 2020 Issue 3 Volume 7 | Page 41

Advertorial for American children to have books where the landscape, buildings, costumes and people were from, say, Saudi Arabia, Oman or Kuwait. And yet this is precisely what children in some regions of the Middle East have. Many school libraries and classrooms are filled with window books. These are important, but by giving children access to books such as the Arabia Readers collection we can help them grow up with an increased sense of self-worth and more motivation to learn. The story, the setting and the values present in children’s reading materials are integral not only for identity but also for those who are learning English as a second language. Providing children with images that are familiar speeds language acquisition. This is what inspired Silva Education Ltd, an independent publisher, to produce Arabia Readers, a six-level collection of easy readers that allow developing readers and English learners in the Gulf region to learn through engaging stories that celebrate their own values and culture. Each story in the collection follows two British children, Haya and Hamad, as they visit their cousins, Amal and Ali, in the UAE. The cousins’ adventures explore cultural heritage in a modern and enjoyable way, while also inspiring readers to lead exemplary lives. In A Special Tree, for example, Haya is fascinated by the palm trees she sees in the garden, having never seen a palm tree in the UK. This prompts Grandmother to tell the girls about all the special properties of this important tree. And in A Very Clever Bird, the children help out a Bedouin man who is camping in the desert after his clever falcon repeatedly visits their house. To find out more about the Arabia Readers collection, visit: www. arabiareaders.com. Available to order from Panworld Education/Magrudy’s. Available in print and digital versions. Contact: [email protected] Developed by educational and cultural consultants in the UK and the UAE, the texts expose children learning to read in English to language in a natural, yet graded way. Divided into six levels, the collection offers shorter stories for younger readers and longer, chapter stories for those developing more confidence. As well as a valuable library and English classroom resource, Arabia Readers can be used to support Moral Education teaching. The collection has been mapped to the Moral Education curriculum (UAE) and additional teacher’s resources, including classroom materials, provide instructions on using the books in guided and independent reading sessions that cover the pillars of Moral Education. Class Time Term 3 Apr - Jun 2020 41