These little blue foldout books are designed for play. Unfold the pages and see how the Farsi alphabet relates to the English alphabet. Farsi (also known as Dari) uses the Arabic alphabet. The first letter is Alef, an ancient word believed to have derived from an Egyptian hieroglyph.
I remember sounding out my letters when I first learned the English language, as a refuge in America. In my English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, my teacher brought in books that were playful and humorous to ease the tension of learning the foundations of a new language and culture.
Inspired by these early books, I use sound, phonics, to bring the two alphabets and languages together. I also use visual art and symbols to make associations and build bridges. Certain visual symbols have universal meanings, pre-language.
