As we expand and start our 1st of its kind Arabic immersion preschool in California, we invite you to be part of this empowering journey.

What ALEFE has done so far

In less than 3 year of operation, we took Arabic out of the two boxes by successfully blending two innovative approaches to offer rejuvenated Arabic in four public schools in Sacramento.  

The two innovative approaches we used to take Arabic out of the "traditional education box" are the Montessori approach and the ACTFL standards. The Montessori approach relies on hands-on educational materials and activities that children can relate to. Many of these materials may look like toys or games to an outsider when in fact their effect in engaging students both mentally and emotionally is remarkably higher than any other traditional approach.  We blend the Montessori approach with ACTFL standards which are US standards for the teaching of foreign languages. Here is an example of how we blended the two approaches in our program at Atkinson Charter Academy Sacramento (January 2018).

To take Arabic out of the "Community box", we successfully offered an Arabic program where 60% of students were from non-Arabic heritage. Watch the video above to see what our parents said about this experience!

Now, you are invited!

As we expand to launch California's 1st Arabic immersion preschool in Sacramento, we invite you to be part of this empowering journey. In our immersion preschool, half of the instructional day will be taught in Arabic while the other half will be taught in English. 

ALEFE believes that preparing children for a better tomorrow involves educating them at a very early age to become global citizens. To thrive in this global world where political and cultural tensions are on the rise, our children need to develop  three very important skills:

• high cognitive skills which will allow them to use their own logic and reason in an ocean of media biases and prejudges,
• developed language skills which, in addition to boosting their brain development and improving their cross-cultural understanding, will open doors for them to communicate with one of the fastest growing markets in the world,
• peaceful problem-solving skills which will teach children inner regulation, integrity, and respect for others and oneself.

Our Montessori inspired teaching

ALEFE immersion preschool will implement a Montessori, play-based inspired process to support children's emerging cognitive skills in literacy and numeracy. Each of our four classrooms will be divided into five sections: Language, Mathematics, Sensorial, Practical Life, and Culture. Children will move freely between the five areas, choose their job, and work quietly on it in the area designated for that (their small Montessori rugs) with the individualized support of their teacher. 

Self-regulation education process

To develop peaceful problem-solving skills, ALEFE preschool will bring a special emphasis on developing students’ inner regulation, integrity, and respect for others and oneself. In the classroom, our trained teachers will teach and coach students in using a number of peaceful techniques for conflict resolution including the Grace and Courtesy curriculum and the Love and Logic approach.

Future K-6th grade charter school

Through this project, ALEFE hopes to plant the seeds of the 1st Arabic immersion charter school in California. The preschool sits on a 2 acres lot that can take at least 5 portable classrooms allowing this location to eventually become home of the elementary K-6th school serving at least 166 students. Check out this short video to see our vision for the property by 2027.