blog

Friendships

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 06:25:53 +0100

Alhamdulillah, although we do not have many Muslim children in our area, we have started reaching out to other parents and their children of whom we feel would be a positive influence upon our son.

It is important that our son have Muslim children to play with, as well as discuss Islam, or share in greetings of Salaam. Because he is often discussing Allah wa ta'Allah with other children, children here in our area who are not Muslim will not understand when he discusses Allah or wishes to recite with them.

It is also difficult for him when he witnesses a child doing a deed of which he knows is not correct. If he himself has been called names or treated with unkindness by another child, he will often come to me and we will discuss what happened and learn from the experience.

It is of vital importance that a parent know who the child's friends are, as well as their parents and upbringing. When you let your child alone with another parent in their household, they are subjected to inadvertent teachings that may go against what Islam teaches for us to do. For example, some parents may not find it disagreeable that the child is using foul language. It may also be that your child may witness a parent or another adult doing or saying that which may be considered improper.

I often come across this while taking my son to the local public library, or to the park nearby. We will often hear the shouts of a child calling names to another, without any word of reprimand from the parents.

From whom do you want your child to learn from when you are not in their presence? A child who grows up with a true Islamic upbringing will likely develop a stronger friendship with their peers, and be able to support one another despite what ever adversity they may face in the future.

Insha'allah, I look forward to my son meeting more good Muslim children who take Islam to heart, rather than discarding the teachings altogether.

The Mighty Mississippi

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 02:19:04 +0100

For our English studies, we read the book, "The Mighty Mississippi" written for children who are independent readers. With each page, we discussed the general concepts of the paragraphs as well as where Mississippi is located geographically on a map. I found that my son comprehended a greater amount once he read the book aloud himself versus if I was reading to him and asking him questions based on what he just heard.

At the back of the book, we discussed about the author Mark Twain who wrote many books which took place along this river. Because we did not have one of his books available in our library we decided that we would watch a movie based on Huckleberry Finn. By watching the movie online we were able to pause and discuss the differences in culture and the language they used, though my son did not much care for the fighting and ill mannered ways of Huck.

As the movie played we created our own Mississippi river out of green and blue craft paper, along with the text which we cut out and glued individually. We also cut out smaller strips of blue paper to represent smaller rivers and lakes which flow into the Mighty Mississippi.

2 Times Table - Easy Multiplication using Geese!

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:45:48 +0100

Yup! You heard it right, for this method we created our own geese and used their legs to multiply! How fantastic is that? Masha'allah my son memorized 1 x 2, 2 x 2, 3 x 2, 4 x 2, within 15 minutes! What fun! We first drew up the geese, colored them in, cut out the parts, glued them together and voila! We were ready to practice our multiplication!

We started out using one goose. I told my son, "We have one goose, how many legs does it have?". He quickly answered "two". So I wrote down on a wonderfully large piece of lined paper "1 x 2 = 2".

We then grabbed another goose and added to our gaggle of walking geese. "Now son, how many geese do we have?" Once he answered "2 geese", we wrote down "2 x". "Now what is the total number of legs we have?" He counted excitedly "four!".

Masha'allah what a good boy! After we finished doing the first set together, I had him practice independently. Masha'allah, he did so well! He then taught his toys the method, and we verbally tested him on the answers! Masha'allah only 15 minutes and he had them memorized!

Now it is your turn! Would you like to make your own gaggle of waddling walking geese? I created and uploaded the geese template so you can give it a go! Have fun, and be sure to post your pics on our Facebook page! Let us take a gander and gawk at your gaggle of geese. :) Insha'allah I look forward to seeing what methods you use to teach your children how to master math. :)

Read Geese Multiplication - 2 times table
Digital Publishing with YUDU

Symmetry

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 01:22:03 +0100

This project was done during my sons 1st grade studies earlier this year. One of the beautiful aspects of Allah's creations is that many of his creations have perfect symmetry, in addition to the using golden ratio (Phi). We practiced using symmetry by paper, folding it in half and drawing half of the image, then cutting along the lines.

Step 1. Direct your student to fold their paper lengthwise, creasing the paper carefully with their hands.

2. Teach your student how to draw half of an image so that once they cut the paper, and unfold it, the image will be .

3. With the paper still folded, cut out the image.

4. Once your student has cut out the image, unfold the paper, then direct them to draw fill in the details. Both sides should look exactly the same.

5. My son loves unfolding the paper and seeing the results. On this day he made a camera, a replica of the digital canon camera we have.

2nd Grade Line Segments, Rays, Perpendicular & Parallel Lines

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 20:24:18 +0100

Earlier this week, we continued our studies learning about line segments and rays. For this lesson we used two simple materials to complete the lesson. We used straws for the line segments, and paper for the points.

First we cut four squares and labeled them a, b, c, and d. This represents the points that will be used in between each line segment.

We then split the edges of each straw, and placed one "point" on the edge to create a ray.

To create the line segment we placed another "point" at the opposite end of the straw.

We continued this process until we created a rectangle, which we later used to learn about measuring the perimeter. In the process of creating the rectangle, we learned about perpendicular lines and parallel lines.

After my son had created the rectangle, he then used the ruler to measure the perimeter.

After measuring the perimeter, we then added the lengths of all sides and wrote down the process using "P" to represent the word "perimeter".

2nd Grade - Changing the States of Matter

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 19:32:13 +0100

Over the past week we have studied about the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. We drew sketch notes to learn about the H20 molecule, and to assist us in remembering how the molecules change, and how their speed also changes depending on the state they are in.

First we defined how many protons and neutrons are in an hydrogen atom.

Secondly, we defined how many protons and neutrons are in an oxygen atom.

Then we drew the H2O molecule, and discussed what happens when we increase or decrease energy. For example, when we decrease energy, liquid can turn into ice. If we increase energy, or add heat, liquid can change into gas.

We experimented adding and subtracting heat to the liquid form of H20. We noted observations and discussed this together. I gave my son an opportunity to answer questions such as what happens if we add energy to liquid? What happens if we take it away?

In our first experiment, we put liquid in a bowl, along with two various sized brown rocks. We then put the bowl into the freezer and waited for several hours before removing the bowl to observe how the liquid had changed. My son then used his hands and eyes to take experiment with the rocks, while explaining to me what happened. In this way, he understood that when we remove energy, the molecules slow down and form a solid structure. Liquid becomes ice. I

It is important for children to understand that now all liquid is water. Milk can be liquid, as well as vegetable oil, and other substances that can be found in ones kitchen.

In our initial experiment, we also removed the solid structure from the bowl, and turned this upside down to take a closer look at the changes in the structure. We noticed how the exterior walls of the water had turned into ice, while the interior had remained in a liquid state. Thus, we learned that the denser the water the longer it takes for water to become ice.

For our second experiment, we observed the water in a small pot. Within the pot, we had initially filled it with a large mass of water. We observed that it took longer for the water to begin the process of breaking down the molecules and increasing the energy for the liquid to change into a gas. I held my son up, but far enough away from the stove, so he could properly observe the speed of the molecules as they bubbled up and quickly evaporated into the air.

Step 1 to the clutter free home

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:57:41 +0100

As every loving concerned parent has come to know over time, one of the most irksome habits children will undoubtedly incur is the habit to be like they are a miniature tornado. Always seemingly one step behind their mother, another with their hands picking up one toy after another, and forgetting to put them away, thus creating mounds of toys that seem to appear from nowhere only moments after a mother has made efforts to clean up.

At times, a moment is taken to teach the child where things go, and how to clean up, but bad habits are often hard to break. In our house we have spent time quietly sitting down, and even labeling small plastic boxes, and even arranging toys by the type or size. If they are soft they would be placed up higher, and the hard plastic toys would be on the shelves.

It is even tougher, when the parents themselves were not taught how to clean up. Often the habit of organization is not emphasized during their own childhoods, so it is as though they are learning an entirely new way of doing things as they are an adult.

As a many Muslims know, we are expected to keep our homes organized, and clutter free. I will be the first to tell you that this has been an ongoing struggle for me. In our household, there are not many places to neatly put things away, we have books stacked up near the doorway, as we do not have a bookshelf, and have used plastic containers to try to maintain the vast amount of schoolwork creations.

But how do we make this process easier? I am going to try to take on the flylady methodologies and integrate that into my own household. It does not help that we do not have a vacuum. This is on my wish list at the moment. Insha’allah, when we are able we will head off to the store and pick one up, and will probably end up spending the week cleaning the home from top to bottom.

In reading the flylady website, and she recommends taking everything in baby steps. Well, I can do that. Our house is not a complete disaster, but I would like to be one of those Muslimah women who somehow manages to have three or more children and her house is spotless.

Step 1: The sink – She recommends just drying the sink after the dishes have been done. Ok. I can do that. Easy peasy. I do the dishes anyways and always make dua’a for my husband.

Step 2: Clutter free kitchen – This one I am recommending as it seems to go well with drying the sink. Maybe each night I can take out the trash, dry the sink, and make sure the top of the stove is spotless?

Now… next step for tomorrow is how to organize a classroom/office with very little actual storage space?

Creating your curriculum map can be fun!

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 01:53:52 +0100

Salam Alaykum Sisters!

One of the most effective ways to ensure the success of your child’s education is through proper planning, such as creating a curriculum map, as well as a flexible daily schedule that fits the needs of your family. If you have Microsoft Excel, you can easily plan out what you will be able to teach each week, or each day if necessary.

Our own schedule is always flexible and changing depending on the time available and the proficiencies that need to be accomplished. Remember the goal is not to keep up with the Jones’s but to stay on target with your child’s education.

1. Microsoft Excel – Use our Microsoft Excel template to create your own flexible schedule. For my son we schedule 45 minute lessons and a 15 min break in between.

2. Studies that need more focus – If your child has a subject that he or she needs to work on more, schedule this time in the early morning, when their minds are fresh. If one week they need extra work on Mathematics schedule this subject first. Once your child improves on one subject, and you find they need to put more focus on other subjects such as Chemistry or Physics then rearrange your schedule. This will ensure that the knowledge gained during each of the lessons is being reinforced.

3. Rubrics – Be sure to keep consistent records of the progress and grades your child has accomplished. Some states require families to adhere to state rules and guidelines, so Insha’allah our site will make this easier for you to comply with your local state laws.

4. Submitting Homework – If you have chosen to utilize our site, the site is designed for parents to have a guideline as to the state curriculum required at each grade level, as well as track the progress of each student. Parents are responsible for grading the students work either using their own rubric or using the rubric provided.

To submit your child’s homework, either take a picture, or write a summary, along with the “unofficial” grade which the child has received. Once the assignment has been submitted, with the grade, our staff will then enter this into the system. You can check which assignments still need to be completed by visiting the assessment section of each lesson.

5. Over all have fun! – You can easily turn any complex lesson, into easy to understand concepts with some ingenuity and creativity.

Save a tree.... teaching without using ink

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:28:53 +0100

I am so thrilled my son scored high marks on his English exam this morning. I am sure we will need to repeat the lesson to reinforce the concept of antonym, synonym, and homophones, however I do feel we are off to a fairly good start.

Late last night I had spent many long hours preparing his lesson plan for today. I was able to utilize Powerpoint to integrate animation, clip art, and interactive files to help reinforce the lesson. I am so happy that Microsoft has now enabled users to integrate flash files directly into Powerpoint, thus making it easier for home educators to make stunning presentations.

I highly recommend for parents to invest the time and money to learn the Microsoft products, as they are so useful and engaging when it comes to presentations. For younger children, educators can download the free plugin "Microsoft mischief" which allows children to use a second mouse with the presentations.

I can often create presentations for him, and we will sit together to create our own sketchnotes based on what we have learned. We will write our notes, and drawings on simple lined paper which can be found at the dollar store. With spelling quizes, I can use his spelling list which is also on interactive presentation format, to test him and have him write down the words.

Welcome

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 03:34:16 +0100

What a fascinating journey one takes when they decide to teach their own children. I have met many amazing and stalwart women who have taken on this tremendous challenge, and have lead their children to become honorable Muslims.

I am excited to announce that through our own journey, my son has surpassed all of my expectations and his joy for learning has inspired me to become a better teacher. Even at the tender age of five, he has suggested improvements in our lessons, which have taken our teaching and learning style to a whole new level.

In one year, my son has completed kindergarten, first grade and begun his second grade studies. I highly recommend for parents to pick out a great curriculum to start out with, however do not just rely on one source, do your research to ensure your child's education is well rounded.

There are many curricula which can be found online, not just from state side but abroad as well. Not all curriculum are equal, some lack in many areas such as science, chemistry and physics. Many american curriculum's expect very little from our children, which explains why many of our children are far behind children in other parts of the world.

If you do happen upon a curriculum that you feel is well suited to your needs, then you have won half the battle to homeschooling. Once you have found a curriculum, it is then much easier then to research lesson plans, or create your own presentations for your children.