I’m trying to figure out exactly how to go about teaching my kids (home
schooling). There is so much information out there, it’s almost blinding and
certainly very confusing. In the meantime, I’m doing this and that, here and
there and I think because they are under 5, it seems to be working.
So far the progress for M is:
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Islamic
studies: who is Allah, where is He, what are His attributes/names/abilities.
How do we worship Him (asking for things, reliance, trust, loving Him). What
does He expect from us (to be truthful, to show kindness, to remember Him at
all times, to thank Him for everything we have/like, to try our best to please
Him). Next I will be starting with the Prophet (salallahu alayhe wasalaam). I
tried before but there was confusion because her cousin is also Muhammad so you
can imagine the confusion.
-
Quran: surah
Fatiha, the 3 Quls, al Masad, an Nasr, and we just started al Kafiroon (she
calls it “tricky” and I have to agree subhanallah). Not all of her
pronounciation is perfect and she still needs some prompts but she has most of
it down mashAllah so we just make sure to do a lot of revision mashAllah.
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Math: number
up to 100, their shapes, counting in Arabic and Swahili to 10, and she is
starting with simple arithmetics (additions up to and totaling 10). Days of the week are mostly good, she misses
Thursday and Friday sometimes. We are starting on the months of the year in
English and will do the Islamic months at the same time. She knows about
Ramadhan thoughJ. Also to start working on is
telling time, we haven’t covered that at all. She loves measuring and telling
shapes of things. she uses her counting skills and knowledge of shapes very
well whenever we do activities or when playing by herself or with her brother
mashAllah
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Reading: she
loves books and reading. She often re-tells herself the stories I read for her
using the pictures for prompts. She is starting to recognize some simple words
(sight words) up to 3 letter words so that’s great. Her alphabet, both caps and
small letters, present no problems mashAllah. She can also write them pretty
well and we recently started copy work, of which is very good at mashAllah. I
haven’t focused much of the Arabic alphabet but will be giving that side of
things some sprucing up inshallah and plan on working with her till she can
start to read in Arabic as well inshallah. She does know the alphabet for the
most part so it’s a start right? It’s hard to teach two languages at the same
time.
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Languages: her
English is actually superb and of a very high level mashAllah so nothing to add
there except to keep up with reading high vocabulary books and keep talking and
explaining things as I have been doing inshallah. Her Arabic is pretty basic
because I stopped using it around her in order to facilitate her integration
into the family here in USA. However, we plan on doing an immersion program for
her and her brother this summer when we take them to DZ inshallah. Dh will also get a teacher for her to spend a
few hours a week supplementing whatever I or him can’t teach her ourselves
inshallah. As I did with English, I plan on getting her some good Arabic
cartoons and other children friendly entertainment programs to help with
picking up the accent and correct pronunciation inshallah. This year I decided
I would add Swahili to the picture. I do think children’s minds are ever so
malleable and a very able to learn many things mashAllah so I’m taking
advantage. I have already started speaking to them mostly in Swahili and
amazingly enough; they are picking it up very fast mashAllah so I will continue
my efforts. A little bit here and there is better than nothing at all so I hope
to have some good news at the end of the year inshallah.
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Life Skills:
we started cooking together mashAllah. Simple things like boiling pasta, mixing
dry or wet ingredients, cookies, cake mixes, bread, and pancakesJ. With a little help, she can clean
herself in the bathroom but I still prefer to do the big clean ups. She can
brush her own teeth, wash her own hands, brush her brother’s teeth, wash her
body (shower), dress herself with everything though she can’t hook the zipper
for her jacket yet. She is usually very good at picking her own outfit and
dressing herself and matching things properly. I still do her hair. I think I’d
like to keep doing her hair until she goes to live with her husband inshallahJ. She’s very good at self-learning,
and also at teaching her brother many things mashAllah. They play very well
together mashAllah, which makes me so happy Alhamdulillah.
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Manners: she
has some of the basic Islamic manners down pat and we are still working on not
talking while on the toilet and also the bathroom Dua. She has the sleeping and
waking Duas down pat, as well as Bismillah before eating/dressing/undressing
and various activities, as well as Alhamdulillah for sneezing and YaHarmukAllah
for the other person. I still haven’t taught her the traveler’s dua, the one
for using a vehicle/climbing into the car, and the full one for leaving the
home/entering the home though we are working on her remembering to enter with
the right leg each time.
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In General: I
feel that the whole schooling has been very natural, without a formal
atmosphere or even a set curriculum or program, just when I think she is old
enough to attempt something, or she herself shows an interest in that thing or
perhaps the circumstances or situation brings up the lessons and we capitalize
on this. Like going to the Museum she learned about butterflies and dinosaurs,
about various animals, about various environments, etc. Also watching various
programs she keeps learning things and her interests in various matters get sparked
and I try to capitalize on that inshallah. To be very honest, I’m absolutely
amazed at the capacity that children have for learning mashAllah. To know that
Allah imbued them with such an ability and most adults view children as
incapable of grasping important matters is really an insult to their
intelligence. I’m working to rectify whatever prejudices I may have towards
these little amazing people mashAllah.
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So far the
progress is I is:
-
Language
Development: mashAllah I’m really impressed with him so far. We speak mostly
English and like I said, I started enforcing the Swahili for everyone and the
kids are picking it up. I is taking everything in stride and his ability has
not been impaired by the introduction of the new language. I was hesitant to do
this because with M, we switched mid-way, about 6 months before she turned 2,
to Arabic and I felt even as I was doing it that it was the wrong thing and
that it was going to delay her and though she did speak, it wasn’t before she
turned 2, I feel she would have much earlier had I stuck to just one language
for just 2 or 3 months longer. With I, he will be two in about 3 months and I
feel the switch happened at the right time. Also, he has M to practice his
language skills with and that I think is a total plus for him mashallah.
-
Reading: I
haven’t done anything with him on this but I feel like in a couple more months
he should be able to handle letters and numbers, again because M is around to
“teach/play” with him mashallah. For now he counts random numbers out, and
expresses his feelings using proper words in full sentences mashallah. For
example he would say ‘I love you mama’
or ‘I love to play mama’ or ‘I love khubz (bread) mama’ or ‘I love you babu
(grandpa)’ or ‘where is bibi (grandma)’, or ‘I love baba’ or ‘let’s go play
mama’. He also still uses a lot of one words like ‘TV’ (lol he’s addicted to
this one I think), or ‘book’ or ‘apple (which he uses for both apples and
oranges)’ or ‘water please’. I love his ‘please’ it’s just the cute with mama tucked
in for good effect. He also says Bismillah for eating and Alhamdulillah when he
sneezes, and Allahu Akbar for praying, along with folding the hands and making
sajda (laying down his whole body though) mashallah.
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Life Skills:
he’s learning to undress himself; so far the shoes and jacket are a success
mashallah. He knows to put his arms into the holes for sleeves and which
article goes where, such as hat on the head and shoes on the feet mashallah. He
eats mostly with his right hand mashallah may Allah make him right handed. He
knows the trash and puts things there when indicated and knows the sink and
puts dishes there mashAllah though he does sometimes put the dishes in the
trash but never the trash in the sink so I wonder at that sometimesJ. He also knows “clean up” and can
pick up after his toys and return them to their box/place.
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In general:
honestly I feel he is doing very well in learning things, from manners to the
right actions, to languages, and good behavior. Being that he’s not even two
yet, I really have no expectations and am willing to be surprised and amazed by
any progress he makes because it is truly a miracle from Allah mashAllah.
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