A story
Zoe, Uncle Majid and Zaatar the Weather Parrot
Every morning, Uncle Majid stood on his balcony with his coffee and called out the weather to the whole street. One morning, flap-flap! Zaatar the green parrot landed on his coffee cup.
"Squawk! I want to be a weather parrot!" he said.
"Me too!" called Zoe from the next balcony.
"Then learn the words," said Uncle Majid. "The weather is الطقس, at-taqs."
On day one, the sky was bright. "شمس, shams, sun! And it's حار, harr, hot!"
Zoe fanned her face. Phew! Can you say it too? Shams! Harr!
On day two, fluffy shapes floated by. "غيوم, ghuyum, clouds. One cloud is غيمة, ghayma."
Zoe found a ghayma shaped like a sleeping cat. Zaatar found one shaped like a sandwich. "I'm hungry," he explained.
On day three — whoooosh! — Zoe's hat flew off. "رياح, riyah, wind!" Uncle Majid caught it.
On day four, drip... drop... pitter-patter! Everyone came out smiling.
"مطر, matar, rain!" said Uncle Majid. "Here, rain is a gift. The palm trees drink, and the air smells fresh."
Zoe held out her hands. "Matar is my favourite!"
Then a curve of colours appeared over the rooftops. "قوس قزح, qaws quzah, rainbow!"
On day five, the evening breeze was chilly. Brrr! "بارد, barid, cold," said Zoe, pulling on her cardigan.
Zaatar made up a weather song. Act it out!
Shams is shining, harr and bright,
Ghuyum floating, soft and white,
Riyah whooshes, matar drips,
Barid, brrr, my fingertips!
The next morning, Uncle Majid had a sore throat and couldn't call out the weather. The street was waiting.
Zoe took a deep breath and called from her balcony: "Good morning, everyone! Today there's shams, one little ghayma, and it's not too harr!"
"Squawk! And no flying hats!" added Zaatar.
The neighbours clapped and waved. Uncle Majid gave a big thumbs-up from his window.
Zoe learned that every kind of weather brings something good, and that a little helper can brighten even a grey day.
Words we learned:
الطقس — at-taqs — the weather
شمس — shams — sun
حار — harr — hot
غيوم — ghuyum — clouds (غيمة — ghayma — a cloud)
رياح — riyah — wind
مطر — matar — rain
قوس قزح — qaws quzah — rainbow
بارد — barid — cold
Let's practice:
1. Match the word to its meaning: مطر / شمس / رياح → wind / rain / sun
2. Fill in the missing word: Brrr! It is _____ (barid).
3. Say it aloud and act it out: "Riyah! Whoooosh!"
4. Find and circle the word غيمة: مطر — غيمة — شمس — غيمة
Answers: 1) مطر = rain, شمس = sun, رياح = wind. 2) بارد (cold). 4) The 2nd and 4th words.
"Squawk! I want to be a weather parrot!" he said.
"Me too!" called Zoe from the next balcony.
"Then learn the words," said Uncle Majid. "The weather is الطقس, at-taqs."
On day one, the sky was bright. "شمس, shams, sun! And it's حار, harr, hot!"
Zoe fanned her face. Phew! Can you say it too? Shams! Harr!
On day two, fluffy shapes floated by. "غيوم, ghuyum, clouds. One cloud is غيمة, ghayma."
Zoe found a ghayma shaped like a sleeping cat. Zaatar found one shaped like a sandwich. "I'm hungry," he explained.
On day three — whoooosh! — Zoe's hat flew off. "رياح, riyah, wind!" Uncle Majid caught it.
On day four, drip... drop... pitter-patter! Everyone came out smiling.
"مطر, matar, rain!" said Uncle Majid. "Here, rain is a gift. The palm trees drink, and the air smells fresh."
Zoe held out her hands. "Matar is my favourite!"
Then a curve of colours appeared over the rooftops. "قوس قزح, qaws quzah, rainbow!"
On day five, the evening breeze was chilly. Brrr! "بارد, barid, cold," said Zoe, pulling on her cardigan.
Zaatar made up a weather song. Act it out!
Shams is shining, harr and bright,
Ghuyum floating, soft and white,
Riyah whooshes, matar drips,
Barid, brrr, my fingertips!
The next morning, Uncle Majid had a sore throat and couldn't call out the weather. The street was waiting.
Zoe took a deep breath and called from her balcony: "Good morning, everyone! Today there's shams, one little ghayma, and it's not too harr!"
"Squawk! And no flying hats!" added Zaatar.
The neighbours clapped and waved. Uncle Majid gave a big thumbs-up from his window.
Zoe learned that every kind of weather brings something good, and that a little helper can brighten even a grey day.
Words we learned:
الطقس — at-taqs — the weather
شمس — shams — sun
حار — harr — hot
غيوم — ghuyum — clouds (غيمة — ghayma — a cloud)
رياح — riyah — wind
مطر — matar — rain
قوس قزح — qaws quzah — rainbow
بارد — barid — cold
Let's practice:
1. Match the word to its meaning: مطر / شمس / رياح → wind / rain / sun
2. Fill in the missing word: Brrr! It is _____ (barid).
3. Say it aloud and act it out: "Riyah! Whoooosh!"
4. Find and circle the word غيمة: مطر — غيمة — شمس — غيمة
Answers: 1) مطر = rain, شمس = sun, رياح = wind. 2) بارد (cold). 4) The 2nd and 4th words.
