Let's Simmatch: An Interactive and Fun Method in Learning Arabic (Hija'yyah) Letters

Abstract

Language barrier and conventional methods are among the factors that contribute to the challenges in learning Qur’an recitation among young Muslims in Malaysia. This has led to the creation of SIMMATCH, a teaching method in which learners were introduced to Hija’yyah (Arabic) letters by associating them to similar sounding objects that bear almost similar shapes to the letters. The SIMMATCH method was developed by integrating the VARK (Visual, Audio, Reading/Writing, Kinesthetic) modalities. In order to determine the effectiveness of SIMMATCH method, it was piloted to 25 preschoolers from a public school in the district of Jerantut in Pahang, Malaysia. The study adopted a collaborative action research approach and data were obtained by means of a pretest and two posttests. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25 and the results of the t-test indicate significant difference in the mean of the pretest and posttest 1 and 2; p<0.004, p<0.000 respectively, suggesting overall effectiveness of the SIMMATCH method in increasing learners’ ability to recognize and memorize Hija’yyah letters. The study concludes that the SIMMATCH method has great potential in preparing young learners to the mastery of Hija’yyah letters.