How to Teach Kids Persian Language

by Rachel Kashef October 23, 2024

Our family's FAVORITE resources are compiled alongside 10 ideas to immerse your child with Persian language.

Does one of these sound like your family:

only one Persian speaker in the household
no fluent Persian speakers in the household
bilingual household struggling to keep Persian in use once children are school aged
entire family is learning Persian together
________ (fill in the blank with any other scenario that is creating a challenge to teach your child Persian)

This article is going to show how with a little effort you can use a multi-faceted approach to immerse your child in Persian language. This is not about explicitly teaching the language, rather making the language engaging, fun and relevant for your child. A resource guide is included at the end of each section.

Jump to the section you'd like to read:

Part 1: Songs

Part 2: Environmental Print

Part 3: Books

Part 4: Learn the Persian Alphabet

Part 5: Conversation

Part 1: Songs

Research shows that music activates both sides of the brain and makes both acquisition and memory easier. It makes sense why most of us learned the alphabet to a tune.

Mixing in Persian music into your rotation will expose your child to the sounds of the language even if they don’t understand the words yet. Expect a lot of “aha” moments as your child learns more of the language and makes connections to lyrics.

You may be surprised to find a lot of familiar childhood tunes are also found in Persian music for children. This makes it even easier to get the gist of the message if you already know the song in English.

Here's What To Do:

Download a playlist on Spotify or Youtube or purchase a CD and start listening
Start mixing in Persian music during playtime, drives, etc. but don’t overdo it. You are aiming for enjoyment and curiosity
Try learning a song together - even if it’s just one verse (or less!)

Tips:

Use visuals to help with songs that teach colors, letters, numbers, etc.
If you find a song your child enjoys, print the lyrics in Persian or as English pronunciations and try singing along together. Need help? Ask a grandparent or friend to help out translating/transliterating.
Find a playlist of Persian music YOU enjoy to turn on while cleaning, meal prepping, etc.

Resources

Music for children:

Persian Kids Songs - a Spotify playlist of the most popular Persian music for kids

Yekibook Songs: Cheshmak by Aitak Ajangzad Spotify Apple Music (also available to purchase as a CD) - One of the most-played albums in our family! There is a lovely alphabet song that we used to learn while following along with these visuals.

Persian Children Songs by Ketty - a sweet album recorded by a woman wishing to record the songs her family sung to her as a child

Pardis for Children:

Songs of Pardis Spotify Apple Music +printable lyrics

Songs of Pardis 2 Spotify apple music

Songs of Norouz Spotify Apple Music +printable lyrics

Songs of the Motherland Vol. 1 Spotify Apple Music +printable lyrics

Songs of the Motherland Vol. 2 Spotify Apple Music

Songs of the Motherland Vol. 3 Spotify Apple Music

Adamak Ensenmble:

At the Farm Spotify Apple Music

In the Forest Spotify Apple Music

In the Sea Spotify Apple Music

At the Beach Spotify Apple Music

Naser Nazar:

Songs of Joy Spotify Apple Music

World of Joy Spotify Apple Music

Sweet Greeting Spotify Apple Music

Short Songs for Awakening: Spotify Apple Music

Free Download

The picture below is a link to a free download of lyrics from a popular Persian children's song. There are instructions on where to find audio/video, lyrics in Persian as well as English pronunciations/translation and a themed coloring page. Enjoy!

Youtube channels with children's songs (use with or without visuals):

Khanoom Khorshid Persian Kids' Music pt. 1 (17 minutes)

Khanoom Khorshid Persian Kids' Music pt. 2 (21 minutes)

Persian Kids' Music (21 minutes)

Spotify playlists for adults:

Persian Acoustic

Persian Soft Music

Persian Classical Music

Persian Dance Music

Persian Oldies (Funk, Psych and Pop of 60's + 70's)

Part 2: Environmental Print

Environmental print is the written language found in day to day life. Examples include restaurant signs, traffic signs, logos, store signage, packaging, billboards, etc.

Your child (and baby) are constantly scanning the environment and making connections to similarities of shapes, faces, patterns and yes, even letter and word shapes via environmental print

This is why toddler toys often contain alphabet themes. We usually aren’t directly teaching the alphabet at age 1 or 2 but are helping to gain familiarity with the look and shape of the letters.

Here are some words your child will likely learn without you explicitely teaching: STOP, DANGER, OPEN See how environmental print works?

If you are reading this, chances are you are not raising your child in an environment that is rich with Persian print. So now what?

Elementary teachers mock environmental print in the classroom by posting kid-friendly signage for everyday objects (clock, door, pencil sharpener, etc.), creating an environment rich with books (sitting out for kids to see!), hanging literacy-rich artwork, creating bulletin boards...

Here's What To Do:

Hang an alphabet chart or number poster where your child can easily view it
Make a name tag for your child’s bedroom door in Persian script - ask a friend to help if needed
Display artwork that contains Persian letters or numbers
Send notes or greeting cards in Persian - maybe even one for your child (your child will know it says “happy birthday” given the context)
Leave anything and everything you have with Persian print sitting around for children to see: magazines, books, maps, dictionaries, notes, etc.

Tips:

Don’t make a big deal - this isn’t about explicitly teaching but allowing your child to simply SEE the language day to day
If your environment doesn’t have naturally occurring environmental print (many English speaking homes won’t) then get creative. You can even add word labels at your child’s eye level around the home as you might see in an elementary classroom.
Integrate Persian materials with what you already have at home in English. For example, don’t make a separate book basket - books are books, so just let your child explore the two simultaneously

Resources:

Persian Alphabet Animal Poster Art - 16x20" printed poster ships worldwide

Children's Books - many are translated from popular English titles your child may find familiar

Persian Alphabet Blocks - wooden blocks with carved Persian letters

Persian Alphabet Wooden Magnets - hardwood magnet letters

Persian/English Bilingual Greeting Cards - all occasions

Children's Persian Calendar - interactive Persian learning calendar for children

Children's Persian Weather Chart - interactive bilingual weather chart

Persian Number Charts 1-20 + 1-100 - full size and pocket sized visuals included

Children's Clothing - variety of occasions with printed Persian on tees and onesies

Toddler Persian Custom Name Puzzle - wooden name puzzle

Persian Alphabet Wall Letter Decals - rainbow letters for wall application

Books

Does it surprise you to know that children as young as infants gain benefits from books? Toddlers, preschoolers and school aged children do not need to be able to read a book to gain benefits from print exposure.

Concepts of print like book orientation, print directionality and alphabet awareness are building blocks to later learning the alphabet, words and eventually reading - YES, even if they don’t understand the language yet!

Kindergarten students are usually assessed in the very first days of school to see if they know basic skills like how to open a book, which way to turn the pages, etc. Children also use texts to point out letters they can ID in the title even if they don’t read yet.

Since Persian is read right to left, this will require practice. So even if your child is not of reading age or if you can’t read the Persian books yourself, think of it as just one more form of exposure that will reap benefits in the future - when your child IS ready.

Here's What To Do:

Buy picture books in Persian
Intermix Persian books in your child’s reading materials
Allow your child to browse books in Persian without any pressure
Set out books for adults in Persian as well, whether you are learning yourself or have a collection as a native speaker: textbooks, dictionaries, coffee table books, fiction, cookbooks, etc.

Tips:

Buy familiar titles that have been translated into Persian. Your child will know the storyline and may enjoy it immediately-even if they can’t read it yet.
Rotate books in and out to keep things fresh
If you CAN read Persian, offer to read aloud books in Persian. If your child is not used to hearing the langauge, simplify the words and sprinkle in English to help her understand the story.

Resources:

Alefba Book - This was an exciting find for our family as each page features a letter of the alphabet along a corresponding word in Persian AND a transliteration with English letter to help with pronunciation. Keep in mind that the letter names and sounds are not included so you should familiarize yourself with the Persian alphabet before tackling this one.

ABZoo by Nooredin Zarin Kelk - This is a darling softcover alphabet book written in Persian. The art is beautiful and captivating for children to look at while listening. If you are learning to read Persian yourself this is a great project to tackle learning the words to this book. It is approachable, written in an easy-to-read font and contains rhymes which seems to make it a bit easier to build fluency. It is not bilingual, so if you are learning the language you may need to look up some words to translate.

My First Picture Dictionary Our first copy has been so well loved through the years that we ordered a second to have a "nice" copy but that too has been worn as our children all love this book from ages 1 to elementary school aged. This is one of the most used books in our family!

A Sick Day for Amos McGee - A classic of our generation translated into Persian.

Fly Guys Books - This a common series your child may already be familiar with in English. It targets children around 5-8.

Piggie and Elephant Books - This common series is familiar to most early elementary students and contains very simply and funny stories about two unlikely friends. If your child is familiar with the English version of these stories, it will be easy to follow along as there are just a few words on each page.

This is How We Do It This is a beautifully illustrated book that shares how people work around the world. It is a wonderful book just for looking and provides great print exposure in Persian but is also has interesting text that engages children as well.

Englisi Farsi Picture Books - Each page of these books features a large picture with the word written in Persian along with a pronunciation guide in English. Great way to allow your child to learn as you read or leave around the home for your child to practice independently.

Bilingual Picture Books by Anahita Tammadon - My Maman, My Baba, My Brother, My Grandma and Grandpa, The Meaning of Nowruz, Our Haft-Sin, Soraya's Nowruz Dance, Yalda Night Celebration, Dina's Ghomeh Sabzi Stew, Googoosh, Shaadi & Joojoo In particular, the holiday books are fantastic for introducing Persian holidays in your child's classroom, reading at home and allowing children to explore at holiday time.

Short Story Book Set in Persian - These little readers make great read aloud stories and have had a lot of use in our home. The text is small and is written in Persian.

Assorted Persian Children's Books - This website sells a variety of books that are originally written in Persian, translated from English to Persian and some that are bilingual.

Part 4: Learn the Persian Alphabet

First off, let’s head straight for the question that many ask: Why would I learn (or teach my child) the Persian alphabet if we don’t plan to read or write Persian? Common question!

For starters, there are UNIQUE sounds in the Persian alphabet that English speakers do not use. Familiarity with these sounds will make it easier to understand words and pronounce them. Even if you never plan to use it for reading, master the sounds!

Do you prefer to use transliteration- Persian written out phonetically with English letters? Some sounds from the Persian alphabet cannot be written with English letters in pronunciation guides because the English alphabet doesn’t have the sounds, thus it becomes EASIER to read in Persian, which is written almost entirely phonetically.

So maybe you DO want to read just a little bit of Persian - it can be so helpful!

It can be daunting to learn Persian - even if you’re just dabbling with the basics.

Learning the alphabet may not have been your idea of where to begin learning, however a MAJOR CONFIDENCE BOOST is in store once you have the 32 letters memorized. You’ll feel an instant shift in your learning when you can look at text and recognize the letters that previously just appeared as squiggly shapes.

Just a thought...Chances are your child has already learned the basics of another language through television or school. So at the very least, aim to match that level of proficiency in your child’s heritage language.

Why not start with the alphabet?

Here’s what to do:

Display visuals of the Persian alphabet at your child’s eye level
Use a Persian alphabet song to put the letters to music (great one linked in resources)
Choose a letter of the week to focus on and don’t be afraid to pair it with an English letter that has the same sound if there is one
Use a learning resource that explains the letter sounds and variations of letter shapes (don’t get scared off but some letters take different shapes)

Tips:

Use a visual that includes the letter names and sounds written in English
Point to an alphabet visual while singing along to an alphabet song - so helpful!
Keep the Persian alphabet in sight with books, artwork, games, worksheets, etc.
Keep it fun and don’t add too much pressure. It’s just the ABC’s well... آ ب پ

Resources

Persian Alphabet Song by Aitak Ajangzad - This is the cutest alphabet song and our family used it to teach the alphabet to everyone by following along with the pocket chart from the Persian Alphabet Learning Set (below). You'll find yourself singing this song in your head - it's catchy and so cute! Find it on Spotify, Apple Music and Youtube or purchase the CD.

Persian Alphabet Learning Set - This set is tried and true by families all over the world and you will see what a breeze it is to learn the Persian alphabet with colorful visuals, pronunciation guides in English and tips to understand how written Persian is pronounced.

Persian Alphabet Big Easy Box Set - Open the box, read step-by-step directions and begin a weekly letter study with your child! Includes hands-on materials, a mini pocket chart, engaging materials, an adorable set of miniature alphabet to match each letter and the coordinating poster/flashcards as well as reproducible mini books for further practice. Learn the Persian alphabet the FUN way!

Persian Alphabet Animal Poster - The easiest way to give your child exposure to the Persian alphabet is with environmental print and this adorable poster will bring joy and learning to any playroom or bedroom.

Persian Alphabet Memory Game - Cute memory matching game that uses easy-to-remember animals and objects to help children remember each letter.

Persian Alphabet Coloring Book - Adorable coloring book that coordinates with the illustrations from the memory game above.

Printable Persian Alphabet Games - These downloadable games can be printed at home to provide fun and easy ways to reinforce letter identification and letter sounds for preschool and school-aged children.

Perfect Your Persian - A beginner workbook for elementary aged children (grade 1+) This is a great resource for children who already have some familiarity with Persian language and are ready to start learning the alphabet and how to read and write. This book is written and published by the Chicago Persian School.

Perfect Your Persian 2 - This is a follow-up to book one. We have not used this book yet but plan to move onto it when finished with book one.

Learning Farsi by Sedeghi Banai - This is a paperback book that goes through each letter of the alphabet (in order of ease) by introducing simple words and sentences that correspond with each letter. There are additional sections that feature more common words and simple passages. If you or your child are leaning to read Persian this is a great place to start practicing. Our family has two well-worn copies of this book!

Part 5: Conversation

Stay with me!

You may be thinking this one is too much.

Maybe you have no desire to gain fluency.

Here’s why to try it:

Whether you are aiming for fluency or simply exposure to Persian language, nothing is going to help more than hearing the Persian language in actual conversation.

I’ll never forget when this happened...

As we were wheeling our cart to the car in the grocery parking lot, our preschool child overheard a gentleman speaking in Persian. This is rare in our community. Given the man’s age, hair color and language our 3 year old child exclaimed, “I think I see Baba Bozorg!” Instantly recognizing that the man was speaking Persian felt like a real success for our family at that time and ensured us that we were getting somewhere by exposing our children to conversations.

Alright, so how is this going to work if we don’t even speak Persian in our home?

Let’s get creative about this!

Here’s what to do:

Encourage your relatives and friends to speak in Persian with your child - even if your child doesn’t understand yet!
Take your child along to places where there will be Persian conversation happening
Encourage your child to partake in conversation in whatever way it appropriate and approachable - even if that is just to say “salam”(hello) and “khoda hafez”(goodbye)

Tips:

Teach your child the very basics of conversation in Persian (how to say hello, goodbye, nice to meet you, etc.)
Allow your child to simply listen in on others conversing. Don’t put your child on the spot or insist on engagement.
Notice and point out familiar words to your child. It can be after the fact - mention what you heard and see if your child recognized any words.

This post will be updated weekly to include 10 in-depth sections complete with a resource guide for each. Stay tuned for more!

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