Teaching Mastery for the English Speaking Muslim Child

A new book for History, never before written in English

bint Curt — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:26:34 +0000

I know we all have our favorite places online, some blogs, an amazing forum, a “pirate” site with the latest (and oldest) links for shows and movies or just a website on one of our favorite subjects, hobby or passion.

Well, we have also all seen how either a blog we get updates or feeds from or even one we occasionally check in on has the first page starting with the usual “I know i haven’t written in a long time” and of course, you see i’m unfortunately no different from that HOWEVER, as you see, i didn’t start out that way, ha! I would like to apologise but again, that’s what’s expected and everyone else does and (while i am sorry) i will just say: refer to the first sentence. That’s what has caused my absence and what I have been doing all this time instead of posting. Just kidding. I really have been busy I’m just sure yall are tired of hearing that from the other blogs you’ve read and i feel bad for still saying it. I’m almost positive i said it a few posts ago which may have been a year ago, i hope not!

TO PROCEED on the subject of my post: I found an amazing book online that seriously fills a void in me i had since a child wondering about the past and those great Prophets from the Bible almost everyone knew about and WHERE they lived and came from. As a smart child, i knew all History we learned and were taught could not be 100% accurate with many holes, gaps and theories so these events, dates and people that interested me were still so mysterious because of so many unanswered questions i had. Where did they live? How do we know? When did they live? Why did certain events happen? What kind of people were they?

Of course, in relation to mankind and its intentions and actions and much of ancient History most of my questions were answered when at age twenty, i read the Quran but that was later, almost the culmination of my quest of unanswered questions from childhood. Between age ten and twenty-five more questions I had in my mind about History were answered by my Dad, other adults, my elders, and reading about it myself than any school I attended. The questions I had about History and the past were resolved by living, learning and talking to people and gave me more satisfaction than any high school or college class.
I have always wanted to read or learn about History in chronological order, as it happened. To me, it just made sense. Even as a child, I always wanted to learn about History from a balanced, unbiased perspective. I doubted America, the domination of the world who sets the tone for the globe and spends years teaching its students our mere 200+ years of History when compared to global History is less than 5% on the timeline, would teach me History fairly. When even in this “modern” time of freedom and civil and racial “equality” some states are trying to remove American slavery from the History textbooks? Even when I was eight I knew our textbooks were not fair and glorified our way of life and “freedom and democracy” as the only way of life and superior to all other cultures.
It also bothered me that even when delving into learning about other countries, religions and cultures I had no idea what was going on in other parts of the world at the same time. I had no idea what was going on in China when Columbus supposedly discovered America. Or what was going on in Turkey, Russia or even South America when the light bulb was invented. There was no cohesion, no connection, no real comprehension when i didn’t study History chronologically and look at what the people in all different parts of the globe were all doing at the same time period.
I have always wanted to learn History from the beginning, in order, and develop a thorough understanding. I did find someone who accomplished close to this and it’s not translated to English yet and i will come back to that later when i edit the post. Originally I wanted to make a quick post on this book as I have been putting it off, but you see how i got off in a tangent.

TO PROCEED: (boy it would’ve been easier to scan down to THIS one, lol) The book is called “Atlas of the Quran” recently published in English. It has no other counterpart in English that I know of, and I’ve read as well is in a class by itself. Here is a statement from the publishers about it: “ An Authentic Collection of the Qur’anic Information with Maps, Tables and Pictures. This Atlas is new in its subject, a subject that has not been touched before. It helps whoever recites the Quran or studies it to specify the locations mentioned by the Noble Verses, and to mark those places of ancient people mentioned in the Qur’an. This is besides locating areas where the incidents of the prophetic Seerah occurred” Dar-us-Salam publications. Ok, that’s a little drier than i remember it. I guess I was really excited when I found it. I was even happier when i did a search and found it in a few places online, available to read or download. Here is one place : http://www.kalamullah.com/atlas-of-the-quran.html i think i also saw it on Wiziq as well as scribd.

AND last week i also found out all this time i have been saying wiziq when it is pronounced WIZ I.Q. quite embarrassing when a sister pointed that out, especially when you actually look at the name icon it’s obvious. I almost blurted out my own “IQ” to prove i had all my lightbulbs on upstairs. Who even SAYS that anymore? Oh, yeah just another reminder that i’m getting old and sounding more and more like my father everyday,,,”I remember when a McDonald’s hamburger was five cents…” lol

So, there you go, there’s the link. It is an amazing book, check it out. I hate spending money in fact, i always thought it was a virtue but discovered, no saving money and THINGS is actually closer to an obsession and part of my OCD. I didn’t learn about that either till a sister gently pointed out I look it up online and myLord, I see a picture of someone’s bookcase with OCD and the books were all symmetrical with the tallest on the sides down to the shortest in the middle and arranged by subject. I thought everyone did that it just looks better. I never considered OCD because im not a clean freak or germaphobic and not always clean because i’m thrifty…..i save things. Well, i realized i WOULD be into perfection and have an orderly, spotless house if i didn’t have KIDS and i was messy not spotless because i am a ….hoarder. uhg, i said it. I guess the positive thing about it, having OCD, i am an organized hoarder. I always called my dad a “packrat” and everyone did also wow, ding! After seeing that A&E show i realized, no he was a hoarder.

Growing up, we always had many books and magazines (don’t get me started on my dad’s mags). I have never thrown any book out and the only ones I no longer have were loaned out or lost. So i have over a hundred books al hamdulilah, organized and straight. Wait, lemme go check…
I forgot about the ones strewn about the house we’re currently reading or referencing. I have been getting a lot of cheap(or free) bookmarks lately because i find myself and kids using many books at once and don’t wanna continue the spread eagle way of laying them down to mark the place. What does everyone else use? Sometimes I leave a pencil laying inside to mark my place because its handy usually i have it to lightly mark a word I want to look up or important point. Of course, i lose my place as soon as DH or DD needs a pencil and can’t find one. I yell, “Go look in my book laying on my bathroom counter!” lol

Soo a bit embarrassing mentioning my ….interesting quirks but i don’t feel too bad or worried because I know im not crazy. You know Ellen? Ellen DeGeneres? I don’t agree with her on everything (of course) but she writes books exactly the way she talks. And, having read a couple of her books I see I write and seem to have the same thought process/tangent thinking she does. Perhaps she spends hours on her standup or dialogue for her show and days writing her books, i dunno. Gosh, now i was convinced if my thought process was like Ellen’s and SHES not crazy that i shouldnt worry if anyone thinks I AM. Boy, i just blew that. If she spends hours preparing her funny, witty, diagram like spealls then it’s not in the moment and i am NOT like her…who is normal, not crazy. lol.

From what i just said I seriously need to go back to that beginning course in Logic book. It’s not that Logic thrills me, thou i feel it has a place in Classical Education and learning comprehensive, rational thought but i was, what i call, de-shirking the manual, making it safe and friendly for my kids:) I need to go back and finish it. The pencil is gone now so if i can only find my place…

I SHALL BE BACK …..

P.S. I forgot to say i was so impressed with the book and purely fascinated by its scope I bought it. Getting it in the mail for my kids and i was like getting a present, how awesome they love that not ‘real’ presents.

Anyway, I have been supplementing Atlas of the Quran and Ibn Kathir’s The Prophets with the state of Georgia’s k12 History course. It substitutes and compliments it wonderfully and we are to Prophet Sulaiman now. The k12 History curriculum starts off with ’beginning’ man and the Fertile Crescent, Babylon, Sumeria and Egypt and tells the some of the stories of the Biblical prophets as well. So far, it is NEARLY chronological and where in conflict, i made adjustments. I am pleasantly surprised how well The Atlas of the Quran works with Ibn Kathir’s the Prophets. I will write more later on the specifics of how I taught DS History, moved things around and what was supplemented or substituted, inshaAllah. He is really enjoying the online History and the time we as a family, learn the Prophets and people in Ancient History. Lately, we play a game who can recall and list the Prophets alahi salam in order and DS is actually winning over DD and I. Yes, i may be teaching it, but I grew up reading the Bible, some of the Quranic Prophets are not in the Bible. Allah subhanna wa ta’ala says in his book that He sent a Prophet to every nation. We don’t know about them all. Does anyone know about how many? Someone told me once it’s like one hundred thousand?
Of course they all came with the same message: Allah is One, and without partner. Tawheed. La ilaha il’Allah . And the final messenger, the seal of all Prophets, Muhammad, salla lahu alahi wa salam. There is no God worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.

In chapter eighteen, verse one hundred ten of the Qur’aan:

“Say (O Muhammad ): I am only a man like you, it has been inspired to me that your Ilah (God) is One Ilah (God, –i.e. Allah). So whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.”

The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say,

“We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination.” (2: 285)

Say, ‘We have believed in Allah and in what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are muslims [submitting] to Him.’ ” (3: 84)

Lisa Russell’s Mrs Hannigan’s home for girls has moved

bint Curt — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 04:03:14 +0000

This is just a quick update that a favorite writer of mine Lisa Russell, has moved her site. Apparently, twice :p

You will recall her from the article I so blatantly stole (er…borrowed?) about the dreaded home school, unschooling topic…drum roll please….”Socialized” To be more accurate, the post was titled, “EVERYONE MUST READ THIS” caps mine, and went on to HER title, “No thank you we don’t believe in Socialization” which to be honest, i got off the San Antonio homeschool website that i have located somewhere. One of the funniest things Lisa ever said was something like, “as if only a dot stood between me and organized…ugg im getting that wrong. Lisa, please correct me if you will… i’ve had three hours of sleep and carschooled all day so please oblige meee…lol

*that reminds me, GOSH I WISH I”D been able to attend the unschooling conference, ugg that burned me!* I wanted to have a henna booth for the parents and facepaint the kids! and meet cool people from all over the US like me…i meant ppl like me, not cool (embarrassed)

ANYWAY, she was here: http://mrshannigan.wordpress.com/ then she went here: http://www.lisarussell.org/blog and http://lisarussell.org / finally (though not promised and the road is paved and long, excuse the pun} she arrived …yaayyy here : http://www.gypsymom.com/ Join her for her family’s new voyage unschooling, writing, learning all the time (our motto) having fun, being together and loving…in a small RV…driving cross country to the …unknown..whooooo. lol. Seriously. Go view it i swear you won’t regret it. She is funky, fun, insightful, disorganized (like me) and …has the most wonderful outlook, maa shaa Allah. I love her new post already about El Paso, Texas. Awesome. Really, i can’t think of another word besides that: awesome. Al hamdulilah. I have quoted her more times than I can count on my fb. (Shhh…it’s a secret)

If we all applied the Golden rule there would be no problems on this earth wa Allahu Alim. Similar is the Prophet Muhammad’s saying, “None of you is a believer until he wants for his brother what he wants for himself”

The media and common (sorry) ignorant folk would have you believe Muslims are not tolerant that is NOT the case. I could go on and on but it’s midnight. Please a sis post daleel (evidence) for what i am saying I will inshAllah come back to this and edit the evidence.

Here it is again, to avoid confusion: www.gypsymom.com I listed the sites above not just my wacky humor ( i been called crazy, zany, hippy and gypsy in my life)and hyper…

but as well because there is still much benefit in her old sites. However make sure you visit her newest site first, it rocks!

First five sisters to check out her site get a free massage with aromatherapy with my signature Enlightened Touch products! Don’t worry if you live in SA the offer is still valid, i am traveling there soon inshAllah, massage table in tow!

http://www.freewebs.com/massageandmendime/

Check out http://www.care2.com/ Largest site about living natural, newest discoveries in health and fitness, creating change, signing petitions and for animal lovers! And awesome site with the best weekly newsletter I’ve ever seen!

Also www.healthymuslim.com

Well, i guess thats it, shew! Did i spell that right? night! (Yes, sometimes i think in rhyme)

Wanna see my poetry? It’s under my notes. Add me here: http://facebook.com/leslie.eisenman

And my fb business page is much more up to date with health and helpful links for the Muslimah or anyone, maa shaAllah really…it also will have recent pictures of the massage room in my home. For those of you who don’t know, I am a licensed massage therapist. I also have a group one health and life insurance license in the state of Texas i passed the test when I was 19 al hamdulilah. The youngest one in the history of West Telemarketing. Don’t even get me started on that company! Everyone in San Antonio knows that! http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Heaven-and-Earth-Bodywork/173365312449?sk=info I went to ACC in Austin, Texas where I completed Medical Assisting. Two years later my dream was realized when I graduated St. Phillip’s college in San Antonio. I received my certificate in Massage Therapy and passed the state of Texas exam shortly thereafter. On the first try. With flying colors. Did i mention I passed on the first try? lol I love shiatsu, aromatherapy and am experienced in many other modalities, check out my website the freewebs one describes services and my mission for women of the world!

G’night facebook! oops i meant ..err wordpressers?

Assalamou alaikom wa rahmatullah thanks so much for your kindness and visiting my site . JazakAllah khair.

*DOES N*E*body know how to get wordpress to stop underlining homeschooling and unschooling? I like spelling it that way.

Quick post to benefit on upbringing, character and parenting

bint Curt — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:14:47 +0000

Quick post to benefit update/edit later inshAllah

This is a reminder to myself as well and the reminder benefits the believer. al hamdulilah.

A child is like radar1 , :

he picks everything he hears and sees in front of him. If his mother is honest, chaste, truthful and brave, the child will be raised in a healthy and respectable environment. However, if the mother goes astray and has immoral and corrupt principles, the child will inherit from her those evil qualities. Even if a child is born on al-Fitrah (Islam), his parents should guide him on the straight Islamic path and teach him the true Faith; otherwise he will be led in the wrong direction if they neglect his education. The Prophet was right when he said: “No child is born except on AI-Fitrah (Islam) and then his parents make him Jewish, Christian or Magian.”2

1.Khayriyyah Sabir, from the book “Dawr al-Umm Fi Tarbiyyati at- Tifli al-Muslim”.

2.Sahih al-Bukhari on the authority of Abu Hurairah.

“You teach best what you most need to learn.”~ Richard David Bach

If you would thoroughly know anything, teach it to others.~ Tyrone Edwards

And both these sayings are in the athaar of this great deen, al Islaam. I will find the quotes by scholars inshAllah. Please feel free to provide daleel and comments, they and it are always welcome whether constructive criticism, correction or general. i don’t believe in censorship for myself or my blog just because you are not stroking my ego! lol

And to Allah alone belongs praise and He is sufficient for me.

Source for above excerpt: Winning the heart of your husband (book saved to desktop)

10 aims of an Islamic Education and upbringing

bint Curt — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:54:00 +0000

It’s been too long and i am sorry for that. My only excuse is i have been living life subhanAllah and since the end of Ramadan life has just been happening to me but now i am determined to take it by the horns, so to speak lol.

I think this “downer” period for lack of sleep and i can’t think of another more suitable word, after the renewal and revival of Ramadan, is common. There are many articles, lectures and videos about it inshAllah I will add them soon i finally found this short list I saved in my computer that I have wanted to post for a while.

When I write or copy anything i usually cite the author, blog, website or other source but there is no record of where it came from, I’m sorry. If anyone knows where i got the list below from online please let me know so i can give proper credit. I do remember I found it online not from a book I own or I have read.

In general it is important to cite references not just to verify where you got your information from so it can be checked but it is of utmost importance to be careful who and where you take your information and knowledge from! The most beautiful of speech or valid argument appealing to your common sense may sound good but in fact, be wrong! Just because it sounds good does not mean it is correct and does not mean it will not influence you negatively leading you to other than the siraatul mustaqeem, the straight path.

In saying this, i know I have sites on here as links and resources but of course they are not all run by Muslims, some have advertisements perhaps irrelevant, innapropriate or having other issues. We don’t take our Aqeedah from such places but as parents and adults we can get many ideas and tips however everything should be weighed against and compared to the sunnah because the sunnah is superior and complete. It actually answers everything from sex ed to parenting to even psychology but the athaar and hadeeth are vast with limited books of ilm translated into English.

This short list is by Imam al Ghazaali who perhaps many have heard of but don’t know all of his biography. I present this here because of its fine advise but as well inspired by his lifelong learning but particularly his end. To learned scholars and in certain circles the truth of his Aqeedah and other issues was known however before he died, may Allah be pleased with him, he wrote more and rectified matters although it is a shame these final publications by him are not circulated as much as his earlier works.

Imam Al-Ghazaali drew up this list of the aims of an Islamic education.

1- To teach them the Qur’an, the biography of the Prophets and Messengers and Shari’ ah.

2- To teach them to obey their parents and respect their teachers and their elders.

3- To keep them away from bad company because behaviour and manners are transferred by imitation.

4- To praise and reward them publicly if they perform a good deed. However, if they commit an evil deed, they should be reprimanded in private, and not scolded publicly, especially, in front of their friends. They should also be used to modesty.

5- To get them used to endurance and patience.

6- To get them used to a rough life and not a life of ease and comfort.

7- To be prevented from insulting, swearing and idle talk.

8- To be warned against wrongdoing and sins, such as theft, disloyalty, obscene language and unlawful earnings.

9- To be allowed to practice some physical education, but only after completing Islamic duties and education.

10-To fully care for and educate children from birth, as their souls are still pure and fresh, because everything that is taught to a child is engraved in his mind, be it good or bad.

I ask Allah to grant us righteous offspring.

SubhannAllah what a reminder this has been for me and the reminder is for the believers.

Ramadaan is here!

bint Curt — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 15:51:18 +0000

Ramadaan Mubarak! May Allah forgive my sins and I ask everyone i have wronged intentionally and unintentionally to forgive me. We are all the children of Adam and brothers and sisters in Islaam.

I bear witness there is no God but Allah and Muhammad, salla lahu alahi wa walam, is the Messenger of Allah.

Ramaadan is the month when the Quran was first revealed and the month we are commanded by Allah to abstain from all drink and food from fajr (when the first light begins to change the morning sky) till sunset. Muslims all over the world rejoice in this sacred month. We follow the lunar cycle not the solar, so Ramadan is earlier every year and never set on the same day or month for all time. We also have the ”sight the moon” or if it is cloudy or not seen, we complete thirty days from before to determine the first day of Ramadan.

The moon phase we look for is called the hilal, or the thin sliver that appears at the beginning when it starts to “wax” after the new moon.

This month, i plan to do at least one lapbook with each child, a masjid/minaret diorama and many other crafts and activities inshAllah. For the lapbook, we will go a little cheaper this time and make it less like a large folder.

We will be hanging up our timeline inshAllah, something i have meant to do for some time. Al hamdulilah i realized both children are on the first year of the Ancients, my daughter for 5th grade and my son in first grade. It was great when I realized this because I can teach them some History together as well as reading from that time period, although with dd she will go into the History deeper, as with the logic stage.

The timeline will be especially useful in the children visualizing the time difference between historical events and people, particularly Prophet Muhammad, saws as he came after the Ancients period we are currently studying. I wanted to fully explain Ramadan to them, have them learn du’a for breaking their fast and other relevant supplications, learn some of the rules and regulations for Ramadan and the special salaat performed in Ramadan. I also wanted to read them humorous and heartfelt stories of the Prophet and his companions during Ramadan as well. Children love to laugh and I know mine learn better if learning can be made fun so i want to try to do that this year.

Dd fasted some of Ramadan last year but I didn’t believe it was obligatory upon her yet for various reasons. This year she will be fasting all month, inshAllah. Since she was in a private Islamic school two separate years I know she knows about Ramadan but whenever you question your children you will usually find where there are holes in the information so I am sure these will come up in our teaching and discussions this month so we can rectify any gaps or misinformation, inshaAllah.

I am having dd also do logic puzzles online as well as with a book I found years ago, called Logic Anyone? It was not one of the books listed in The Well Trained Mind but it follows the pre-logic period getting them ready for the formal study of logic by doing mental exercises and puzzles. When i feel she is ready to begin the formal study of logic, either halfway through this grade or starting sixth, i will start her on the book recommended by the WTM. If you don’t have a logic puzzle books or don’t want to buy what the WTM recommends for pre-logic grade five, or you just don’t want to wait you can print out many logic puzzles and brain benders from online or even play them online. These are some of the sites we have used for logic games and puzzles. Some of them, i can’t even master!

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/math/logic/puzzles/ (easy)

http://www.puzzles.com/PuzzlePlayground/NonManipulativePuzzlesHome.htm (harder, different levels and methods)

http://www.coolmath4kids.com/math_puzzles/index.html Critical thinking and math problems. One of my favorite math sites for kids.

http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/logic_games.html Skill building and interactive. I can’t pass level two on the Sliding block game!

http://www.thelogiczone.plus.com/logic_index.htm Grid logic problems, can be filled in online so no paper needed. For easier or beginner problems, click on Kids corner.

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/brainboosters/ Lateral thinking, reasoning, Spatial, word play. Beginner and up

http://www.puzzles.com/Projects/LogicProblems.html Difficult/Adult

http://www.allstarpuzzles.com/logic/ Rated by difficulty. Some of these middle schoolers can do.

http://www.barcodesinc.com/articles/math-logic-problems.htm what i call a ‘mamalist’. Divided by level and subject

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/brain_teasers.htm Resource list

http://www.printable-puzzles.com/printable-logic-puzzles.php Printable grid logic problems

And of course, there is always Sudoku.

Two weeks before Ramadan started I read, studied and did the exercises in Introductory Logic by Douglas J Wilson to prepare myself for teaching dd. It is the text recommended by the Well Trained Mind for the formal study of logic for grades fifth through eighth but meant for sixth grade. It is very Christian oriented with not just many statements of shirk but also requires a basic knowledge of the Bible, in particular the New Testament as well as a little history from that time, which would be a problem for someone who has no knowledge of that. Although I am Muslim, I was raised Catholic but became a Christian as a teenager, have read the Bible and know some of the events that surrounded the New Testament writers so it was not a problem for me however for my daughter or most Muslims they might be confused. Despite the glaring shirk, i found the text easy to follow but you must have the teacher key, so I have both. I ordered them years ago from Barnes and Noble they where a bit hard to find. However, i am not sure this book would even be permissible to let a Muslim child read, in fact, I am almost sure it is not so i am going to ask someone who is able to ask a scholar. In the meantime, i have rewritten many of the statements and substituting words and statements more appropriate. I plan on using the “new” version when dd is ready. Even with an adult the scholars have warned against even listening to the speech of someone on misguidance so i am not even sure it is permissible for me to read this book! I am halfway through understanding the lessons as well as writing notes and substitutions. i am planning to check out the alternative suggestions, Critical Thinking book one and two and A Case of Red Herrings series perhaps they will be more suitable for Muslims to use for beginning Logic.

I have never really studied logic before except for a little in middle school and college but they didn’t call it “logic”. In Math, we would do analogies,Venn diagrams and word problems where a chart must be drawn to find the answers. For example, we would be asked about the favorite flowers of five children, while no two like the same one:

1.Karen’s favorite is not the tulip. 2. Derek hates tulips and roses. 3. Someone really likes daisies. 4. Fay likes violets. 5. Tanya is allergic to carnations. 6. Scott like the flower to which Tanya is allergic.

And you would use a chart to deduct who likes which flower. Problems like the one above, analogies and some Venn diagrams where the only logic i had, if you could call it that because now that read through Introductory to Logic it’s nothing compared to those! I found it easy to follow although it does get consistently more difficult. If you are not entirely familiar with logic, you must learn it yourself before teaching your child so if they don’t understand or have questions you will be able to explain and help.

In regards to the text Introductory Logic and its issues, i will go further into this later as well as give examples of such problem statements and what I substituted instead. Also, i am aware that with newer editions of the Well Trained Mind, some of the recommended books for different subjects have changed due to discontinued publishing and lack of availability. With each subject we study I will list what we are using and how as well as what others use or what the newest edition of the Well Trained Mind recommends. For instance the History textbook for the logic stage was changed but I actually was able to find one at a used bookstore even though it is out of print.

I will update our craft projects for Ramadan inshaAllah. Some of these i will get from http://tjramadan.blogspot.com/ maa shaa Allah and http://raisingmuslims.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/ramadhan-lapbook-pics-printouts/ with great printouts for a Ramadan lapbook.

What are your goals for your children’s education?

bint Curt — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 04:07:23 +0000

When i’m interested in anything, i research by reading a book on it or reading online. Usually, I read MANY books, other people’s opinions, experiences and reviews, and anything i can get my hands on, so to speak.

I have always been interested in homeschooling. However, what drove me to do it full-time in the beginning was not teaching my own children at home, but a friend’s. She had three boys whose father did not want them in school but she herself could not teach them. I read many books on home education, on many topics. I joined homeschool organizations, online groups, went to seminars on teaching reading and spelling, as well as attending homeschool book fairs and conferences. However, one of the most helpful pieces of advice I got was from a book on homeschooling. It seemed so simple and obvious, yet i had never really clarified it myself: What were my personal goals for home educating?

I think everyone knows the reasons why they don’t want their children in public or private school, or DO want them home educated, most even have a list of all the benefits of homeschooling in their mind. But i had yet to really write down the goals for my children’s education. While these are different for everyone, you cannot really work toward anything without a mission plan and a final goal in mind. In Islam, this is known as our niyyat, or intention.

These are the goals for my children’s education:

1. To develop a love of ilm (knowledge) and become lifelong learners.

2. To be literate and able to communicate well through speech and writing, in Arabic and English with knowledge of Latin and Greek roots. To memorize part if not all of the Quran in Arabic, as well as du’a and hadeeth.

3. To learn life skills, such as computer literacy, cooking, nutrition, health, transportation, hobbies and Arithmetic.

4. To discover their interests, passions, and abilities using them to better themselves and be contributions to society.

5. To know their Creator, Allah, to know the correct Aqeedah, to learn and practice their deen Islam, and all that it requires from manners and good character to fiqh and the prayer.

The goal for our education as an adult or teaching our children is an education that enables us to live in this world (dunya) while preparing us for the hereafter(akhirah). We ask Allah to give us beneficial ilm and protect us from that which does not benefit and give us success in this life and the next, Ameen.

Now, while the goals for raising and educating children are different for everyone, for Muslims who follow the Quran and Sunnah, it should all have the same basic fundamentals. It could be summed up in one statement, a verse from our Lord:

And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship me (Alone).(Al Quran 51:56)

If I were to teach anyone the essence of our belief, I would use these two hadeeth, which every Muslim should know.

Both of these are collected in the famous An-Nawawi’s Forty Hadeeth, hadeeth number 2 and 3:

On the authority of Omar, who said, “ One day while we were sitting with the messenger of Allah there appeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black; no signs of journeying were to be seen on him and none of us knew him. He walked up and sat down by the prophet. Resting his knees against his and placing the palms of his hands on his thighs, he said: “O Muhammad, tell me about Islam”. The messenger of Allah said: “Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, to perform the prayers, to pay the zakat, to fast in Ramadhan, and to make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so.” He said:”You have spoken rightly”, and we were amazed at him asking him and saying that he had spoken rightly. He said: “Then tell me about Imaan “He said:”It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in divine destiny, both the good and the evil thereof.” He said:”You have spoken rightly”. He said: ” Then tell me about Ihsan” He said: “It is to worship Allah as though you are seeing Him, and while you see Him not yet truly He sees you”. He said: “Then tell me about the Hour”. He said: “The one questioned about it knows no better than the questioner.” He said: “Then tell me about its signs.” He said: “That the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and that you will see the barefooted, naked, destitute herdsman competing in constructing lofty buildings.” Then he took himself off and I stayed for a time. Then he said: “O Omar, do you know who the questioner was?” I said: “Allah and His messenger know best”. He said: ”He was (the angel) Jebreel (Gabriel), who came to you to teach you your religion“ related by Muslim

On the authority of Ibn Omar, the son of Omar bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with both, who said : I heard the messenger of Allah say :

“Islam has been built on five [pillars]: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, performing the prayers, paying the zakat, making the pilgrimage to the House, and fasting in Ramadan.” related by Bukhari and Muslim

The first hadeeth actually includes the second, however, the first statement after, “Tell me about Islam” is considered the five pillars of Islam and the second, “Tell me about Imaan” is our Aqeedah. These are the six articles of faith.

In addition to memorizing Quran, these two hadeeth should be a top priority for teaching your child because these are the fundamentals of our Belief.

For my children, I asked them, “What is Imaan?” The response : To believe in Allah, His books, His Angels, His messengers, the Day of Judgement and Qadr. Then i asked them, “What is Islam?” and they answered accordingly.

In addition to the Shahada, these two hadeeth were the very first pieces of ilm I taught my children. I remember having dd memorize this when she was three, she easily memorized it. This is why we take advantage of the parrot stage, when they memorize everything easily and soak it up. When they are older, they will start to understand and put it together.

What is most important in teaching my children are not my feelings or ideas but that which Allah, subhanna wa ta’ala holds me responsible for Himself, and this is stated in His Book. As a Muslim, it is my responsibility to teach my children about their Lord and the responsibilities to Him as His servant. All other knowledge is secondary. There are many things I wish my children to learn but knowledge of our Creator is the priority and I will be asked if I fulfilled my task on the day of Judgement. May Allah increase me in knowledge and grant me patience.

Lastly, actions are by intention so it is important to purify your intentions in regards to the education you hope to give to your child. Do you want your child to excel because you didn’t, or to show him off? Do you want him to memorize the Quran so people will know he is Hafeez? Do you want your child to become a doctor because of pressure from your family or because it’s common? What are your personal reasons for what you want him to learn and do with his life? Evaluate your goals and reasons and make sure they are purely for the pleasure of Allah. This is advice to myself as well!

Say: Lo! my worship and my sacrifice and my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the Worlds. He hath no partner. This am I commanded, and I am first of those who surrender (unto Him). (Al Quran 6:162-3)

May Allah forgive me if i said anything wrong He is perfect and the mistakes are from me.

Please correct any mistakes by me with comments. Added ideas or suggestions are welcome. May Allah guide us to the straight path.

Beggining again cont. Creation, Adam and Science

bint Curt — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 09:53:25 +0000

As I said before, we are waiting for ds’s (dear son) k12 curriculum and in the meantime I started First Language Lessons, continued arithmetic and began the Ancients with him.

He grew bored soon with the first couple FLL lessons but i’m glad he did quickly memorize the definition of a noun. For some of the memorization exercises where the child memorizes a poem from FLL, i replaced some with poems with Islamic themes from children’s Islamic books or online http://www.islam4kids.com/i4k/i4k.cfm?scn=ss&ID=4 Also, the focus is on narration and when the child is better able to write, copying and dictation.

For narration, passages or stories are read to the child and they relate the story back in their own words. There are many choices and ways homeschoolers have done this such as: reading popular children’s books to the child, stories from the Bible, Islamic children’s books, passages from the Quran, folktales and cultural stories from various countries. To read these books in order historically or according to what is being taught at the time would follow the classical method and prevents confusion in the mind of the child in regards to the timeline of history when cultures flourished and important events or discoveries occurred. Especially for a young children, it doesn’t make sense to read a book to them about Ben Franklin or Abraham Lincoln while covering ancient Egypt. However, reading popular books like Blueberries for Sam orI’ll love you forever would probably not confuse the child. Use your best judgment when choosing which books to read to your child or for practicing narration, copying or dictation. Keep in mind what is important to you for your child to learn and the goals for your child’s education.

There are many children’s books you can check out from the library, download, or even read many fables and short stories online. The Gutenberg Project has many free books online. Here is the children’s shelf link with non-fiction, history, literature and fairy tales: http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Category:Children%27s_Bookshelf Your local library usually has an online feature where books and other media such as audio books can be downloaded.

A site with many Islamic short stories with moral theme you can read to your child and have them narrate back http://www.islamcan.com/increaseiman/index.shtml

For phonics and reading I practiced the words he doesn’t automatically know or has a hard time with from a printed list of the most common words in the English language. These are considered sight words because they usually cannot be sounded out; such as have, said, and she. In the past, i also used Alphaphonics with him. Last week he was reading from Word Mastery an old phonics book by Florence Akin and can be downloaded from google or here: http://donpotter.net/PDF/Word%20Mastery%20-%20Typed.pdf

For the Ancients and History I am not just starting from the beginning but am reading to ds books or passages from that period. I started with the creation of the universe and i visited a few sites, compiled information to narrate to him and had ds look up ayaat from the Quran about the creation of the universe. I then realized he may have over 20 ayaat memorized at a time of surahs from Juz amma but he does not know how to look up a verse from the Quran in English! So i showed him how to do that. We read several verses which I will list here:

“Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before We clove them asunder, and We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?” (The Qur’an, 21:30)

“It is He Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. They swim along, each in an orbit. ” (21:33)

“And it is We who have constructed the heaven with might, and verily, it is We who are steadily expanding it.” (51:47)

“Who created the heavens and earth and all that is between them in six days, then He Istawa (rose over) His throne (in a manner that suits his majesty) (25:59)

“By Heaven with its cyclical systems.” (86:11)

Also, Surah 21, ayat 32, 7:54, 51:7, 2:29, 41:11. InshaAllah i am going to have ds memorize and understand the ayat 7:54 in Arabic.

Sites i visited and related simple information in relation to creation and what Allah says in his book:http://www.creationofuniverse.com/index.html, and http://ahmed-rouas.blogspot.com/. Another more detailed site with ayaat about creation, the universe, the earth, the water cycle, etc http://meccanprinters.blogspot.com/

And a well published full color booklet with all the science in the Quran from the development of the embryo to the universe is http://www.islam-guide.com/ A MUST SEE ESPECIALLY FOR NON MUSLIMS

Next week we will review more in depth of the creation of Adam and beautiful hadeeth and other narrations compiled by Ibn Kathir in The Prophets:

“He created man (Adam) from sounding clay like the clay of pottery.” (Quran chapter 55, verse 14).

>Abi Musa al Sha’arai narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Allah created Adam from a handful of dust taken from different lands, so the children of Adam have been created according to the composition of the land. Therefore from mankind we have white, red, black and yellow ones; we have good and evil, ease and sorrow, and what comes in between them.” (Sahih al Bukhari).

>Ibn Masud and other companions of the Prophet (PBUH) said that Allah the Almighty sent the angel Gabriel onto the earth to get Him clay therefrom. The earth said: “I seek refuge in Allah from your decreasing my quantity or disfiguring me.” So Gabriel returned and did not take anything. He said: “My Lord, the land sought refuge in You and it granted.” So Allah sent the angel Michael for the same purpose, and the land sought refuge with Allah and it was granted. So he went back and said to Allah what Gabriel has said before him. Then Allah sent the Angel of Death, and the land sought refuge in Allah, the angel said: “I also seek refuge with Allah from returning without carrying out His command.” So he took clay from the face of the earth and mixed it. He did not take from one particular place, but rather he took white, red, and black clay from different places.

History and Science in relation to Islamic education

Muslims follow the Quran and Sunnah and all things relate and can be related to the book given to mankind and the recorded books of hadeeth which can now even be found on the web. With an older child, subjects, especially Science can be approached with a common sense attitude and then we can show the evidence in the Quran and Sunnah. For instance, common arguments about creation by a God have been used with atheists and many such proofs can be taught to the older student:

1. Discoveries in astronomy have shown beyond a reasonable doubt that the universe did in fact, have a beginning. There was a single moment of creation, disproving the earlier Scientific statement (theory) saying there was no beginning and there is no end to the Universe and it has always been here.

2. Biochemists and mathematicians have calculated the odds against life arising from non-life naturally by unintelligent processes and the odds were astronomical. With more recent discoveries scientists are no longer confident life could have evolved naturally via unintelligent processes. If life did not arise by chance, how did it begin?

3. The universe and our Earth is ordered by natural laws, such as Physics. Where did these laws come from?

Getting back to teaching the parrot years or grammar stage, the first verses I quoted from above about the creation of the universe uses phrases like, “clove asunder” which is advanced vocabulary. It also depends on what translation you use, some are written in plain English, some more old English and much higher reading level closer to the Arabic meaning because Arabic is so deep and there can be no true, direct translation. So I either explain those to my six-year-old son or use an easier word on his level to replace words or phrases I know he doesn’t understand.

When i started the Ancients with dd, i had her copy ayaat from the Quran about creation, the creation of Adam, then on to Adam and Eve and on with the Prophets, in order. I wanted to do a timeline but we never got around to that with her but i have the rolled paper ready for ds!

These are some helpful sites i used for the Prophets, they can be read to the child or the child can read them. I prefer Ibn Kathir’s The Prophets which is quite extensive and requires editing to narrate to the child but there are many books or stories online with simple stories of the Prophets. Here are some i used: http://www.islamicity.org/KidsCorner/story/adam/adam1.htm to read to the child the story of Adam http://prophetsofallah.tripod.com/prophets/index.html (with timeline, lesson plan and questions) http://www.angelfire.com/on/ummiby1/ and you can download the in-depth, comprehensive The Prophets by Ibn Kathir here: http://kalamullah.com/ibn-kathir.html or as i said before from:http://muslimkids.multiply.com/

http://www.muslimkidz.com/ Here goto stories and you can read out loud the story of Adam. This site is colorful and also has many neat games, basic islamic information and learning Arabic.

There are also many yahoo groups of sisters who homeschool. One with stories of the prophets and ready-made lessons is : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamforchildren/ under the file section, may Allah reward the sisters who worked hard to make these and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimhsers/ And of course, a group for Muslims that use the Well Trained Mind : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IslamicWTM/

There are endless resources on the internet and i have some saved on disk and on the All You Need tab. Here are a few I used or plan on using for dd, in the logic stage (5th-8th): http://islamicunitstudies.wordpress.com/category/history/

For World History, some American, Geography, the Prophets, Companions and Caliphs : http://www.freewebs.com/ikhlashomeschool/socialstudieshistorygeog.htm In general, this is an excellent site with many, many links and resources, just click on home or use the sidebar

Awesome new interactive site of the Prophetic timeline: http://www.prophetictimeline.com/

For History and Science in relation to inventions and discoveries, as the Classical Method is about teaching sequentially in order, this is an amazing site for parents and teachers: http://www.1001inventions.com/media/teachers-pack

Youtube has the BBC’s documentaries of Islamic civilization, over an hour long. Europe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0IaCK-7z5o and Islamic Spain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE-F2tybkDQ&playnext=1&list=PL966822DD792F0955

So, again these are a few resources for the older child, even up to high school. Many are fascinating even to adults, like me

Thank God there has been a campaign these last years showing all the Muslims and Arab contributions to Math and Science, it was never taught in my time and almost non-existent in schools for decades, if not a century. Muslim civilization was progressing and far advanced in a time of discovery when Europe was in the “Dark Ages”

This next week I will start Cain and Abel as well as Prophet Seth, Adam’s son and after that unto the next Prophets until we get to the “first civilization” Mesopotamia, Sumeria and Egypt. Then i have children’s library books on Homer’s the Odyssey and Iliad but I have to map out the timeline and make sure I cover things fairly in order A; hamdulilah my prior central library had a book cellar where they sold children’s books for .50 cents each! I had gone and stocked up on folktales from all lands, so i have enough for the History Ancients till Medieval time period.

InshaAllah i will post my progress, new links, recommended books and I hope to add pictures soon. Since i moved and my cell changed numbers, i haven’t been able to get the photos and videos to send.

~Peace and blessings to the rightly guided and I hope this finds you in the best of faith/high spirits and health.

Starting over again and beginning anew: the parrot years and logic stage

bint Curt — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:41:26 +0000

When you have a child, you naturally begin teaching them even before they begin talking or walking. In the medieval past, the Trivium was taught as mainly three subjects: grammar, logic and rhetoric but perhaps the reason the classical method has experienced a revival is because it transcends all time and people because, it roughly corresponds with the progressing development of the child’s brain and skills. Another reason i feel Classical education has become popular is because our modern school system in America sucks, for lack of a better word. Ok, i can use other words, many longer A beautiful short video illustrating why children fail in school: http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/animalschool/animalschool.swf

I won’t even delve into problems with schools but i will list three main issues i have with government-funded schools. Children are not instructed in a way that makes them lifelong learners or encourages thinking but are simply taught to get the right answer and sometimes that answer isn’t even correct according to others but it is to the textbook publishers. Education here is largely approached as one- size- fits- all where individual talents are not recognized or developed and weaker areas are ignored while grades are given when the child doesn’t truly understand the subject or content. The grade earned is not accurate compared to what the child learned. In other words, there is no mastery only satisfactory or sufficient enough to go on to the next concept or grade while in reality there are many “holes” and no true understanding of the subject. Finally, values standards and morals are no longer expected or being taught in schools. I am not talking about religion, i am talking about a child learning they are not the center of the universe and how to behave and interact with others. i learned teaching dd, the latter is defined as a course in “citizenship” and was required as part of the curricula in Texas and some other states.

Citizenship is loosely taught in kindergarten as “Social Studies”. You know that book, All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten, yeah values that’s what i mean. In Islam we call it Adaab and Akhlaq: manners and character. Our public schools have no real character development.

I know some would say that character development and teaching values is the parents job, but there needs to be consistency between school and home for the child to excel. In the 1800′s and early 1900′s this wasn’t a problem because school teachers had most of the same attitudes and values the parents did. I’m not staying ALL of their ideas were good* but accountability for your actions and academic excellence was emphasized. With modern society and largely the breakup of the family, babies and small children are away from their home. Children are away from their mothers in daycare or preschool and this has created students who are unattached, uncompassionate, with behavioral problems as well as speech, reading and math delays. It is not only the breakup of the family or mothers working but the lack of values and morals in society now in general. The new generations motto” ITS ALL ABOUT ME”.

According to the WTM, the first stage is preschool or first grade till about fourth grade. Logic begins at either fifth or sixth grade depending on the student’s abilities and is generally considered now to be “middle school”, six through eighth grade. Some schools start “middle school” at fifth grade. The logic stage begins to ask how and why, connecting and understanding what they learned or memorized in the grammar stage. Rhetoric begins when the student uses all the information they have learned from the grammar and logic stage to express what they have learned through writing, speaking and even debate. Being able to communicate throughly, eloquently and ready for college level work is the goal of the Rhetoric stage. For more information about the Trivium stages and classical method read an excerpt from The Well Trained Mind here http://highereducation-mama4x.blogspot.com/p/wtm.html Also i enjoyed reading her blog, it’s a good overview the WTM for those who haven’t read the book or for beginners.

Any psychologist or parent will tell you that in the beginning years the child copies by word and action whatever he/she sees. This is the parrot stage, the “grammar” stage in the Trivium. When the child grows older, about age nine or ten they start to make connections, compartmentalize and rationalize the information they have learned. They become a thinking being. I know that in Judaism the age of understanding and becoming responsible for one’s actions is twelve or thirteen, which is based on the Torah or Old Testament. Muslims are told in the Quran at age ten the child must start praying. In Islam it is puberty around the age of ten the child is accountable for their actions but it depends on the level of mental maturity and physical development. Recently I found out age fifteen is the latest age for accountability if no other signs of puberty are present. i will look up the scholar that said this.

I have three children. My daughter, my first baby, is now eighteen. She will be starting college soon and wanted to stay in Texas when we moved out of state. My other girl dear daughter age eleven,(dd) is now starting uncharted waters: the middle stage of the Trivium, the logic stage. The baby of the family my son, (ds) is considered in first grade now and he is six years old but will be seven after September. i am starting over again using the WTM but he has memorized many chapters of the Quran in Arabic and some dua between age three and six, as well as beginning reading and math. He has been begging me to let him lead the prayer but i said no not until he is seven but i realized he is already seven because we follow the lunar calender. The lunar calender is shorter by about two weeks I think, so technically he is seven. Muslims are commanded to have their children pray at age ten so it is important to remember at age nine they may already be ten thus it is obligatory for them to make salat.

I enrolled my son in an online school in our state that uses the k12 curriculum. Check it out with sample lessons at www.k12.com I don’t recommend it for everybody because it is highly accountable and time-consuming. When i taught my dd with it in Texas, we spend at least five to six hours a day on instruction. K12 is designed for the first grades until grade four or so to be dependant on the parent while after fourth and fifth when the child’s computer skills are sharp and reading is easy they are supposed to be more independently learning. By high school the student is expected to be fully independent, while only coming to the parent for a few questions or to keep track of progress, which is easily done online. Dd is ONLY an independent reader, everything else she has to be nudged or nagged, lol. Eventually, the Texas k12 program was like pulling teeth but she did love online classes which they held for math and other subjects especially for kids needing help. If you could not attend at that time, you could watch a recorded class later, it was really neat.

Anyway, k12 can be good for some home educators but it’s not for everybody, it’s very thorough and covers subjects and topics you may not want to, or want to go a different route, or you may not agree with their interpretation. You also have to move at the class pace and can fall behind if the child doesn’t understand or wants to delve deeper.

I did feel World History was pretty un-biased and i liked the approach. unfortunately dd does not enjoy History the way I do but i’m gettin her there I absolutely LOVED the way k12 teaches spelling. More on that later.

K12 divides Language Arts into four areas: Grammar, Writing, Spelling and Reading (Literature). Of course, k12 Reading is the same as schools: snippets of great folktales and books with comprehension questions and other activities afterward, something I don’t like and the authors of The Well Trained Mind are against. Even as a child i preferred to read novels and talk about it in class verses excerpts and tedious worksheets. Dd starting loosing her luster and her favorite subject became a chore. Later, i will write a post about their reading list as well as their approach to spelling, similar to a seminar I attended on teaching spelling.

Years ago, i also discovered Sequential Spelling another awesome, common sense approach to spelling. It is particularly succesful with dyslexic children and adults or others with learning disabilities. For more info, visit http://www.avko.org/sequentialspelling.html

In addition to phonics, i am a fan of the most common words in the English language or the Dolch site words because they appear most frequently in what we read and they do not follow typical rules, so the child cannot sound them out. If the child can master these, it would be a great benefit to their skill and speed in reading. There are many lists and sites online with the Dolch list or you can search most common words English language. I have some of my favorites saved on a disk, i will add that later. Here is a free sample from the sequential spelling site of 220 Dolch words check it out, it’s really neat how they cover them: http://www.avko.org/Samples/650/650%202.16.50-90.pdf

So, we are waiting for ds’s first grade k12 curriculum to arrive. In the meantime, I helped him increase his reading and arithmetic. I also started him with the Ancients for History. Currently he is able to read short vowel words, most common sight words and words with silent ‘e’. Even though he was nowhere near his sisters verbal skills age one and up, suddenly he started making logical connections they never did at his age. While his sisters always exceeded what was in What to Expect the First Year guidelines, he was speech delayed and in all other areas from birth to almost three AT LEVEL or average. I felt bad then because they were so advanced at each stage compared to him I thought he wouldn’t be as bright as his sisters. I was surprised when he started making statements that were far beyond a child’s comprehension at his age and making logical connections. I wish i could remember one he made before. The other day when I reviewed the multiplication tables with dd, he shouted out the answer not because he memorized it but because he counted it in his head, something his sister was never able to grasp at age six! We tested him several times and even dd was surprised and proud of him. I will take that over her being annoyed at him anytime!

I am testing and recognizing his strengths so I can further develop his strengths while increasing his abilities in weaker areas. I feel so many children’s strengths are not recognized or fully developed whether artistic, linguistic, mathematically or in humanities. I wasn’t trying to rhyme i swear sometimes my thoughts come out like that. We started the first couple lessons in First Language lessons, which he almost immediately memorized after i repeated the definition of a noun and grew restless after five minutes. Actually, i’m sure I have told him what a noun is and that’s why he was impatient.lol. I read online the first book, levels one and two is very repetitive while the second, levels three and four speeds up considerably. This is true so with dd i had skipped ahead once she understood the lesson. With my son, it is even more important to move on once he ‘gets it’ because he grows bored and likes to be active. Although none would describe his sister as introverted, she can read for hours. i hope he can do this one day!

I meant to start this post with what i did so far with ds and dd. Ds, beginning the grammar stage, new for him, again for me and logic with dd but my thoughts and writing grew too long so i will write a separate post and continue an overview of what we did in the next post, God willing.

*Such as, children should be seen and not heard

Hard decisions, changes and new wonders

bint Curt — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:11:14 +0000

dd reading to her brother (ds)

I have gotten a few requests as to my well-being because I haven’t posted in quite a while.* InshaAllah that will be changing for it is my intention to post weekly at a minimum now. One reason i shall be more consistent is because…..drum roll please…..i am starting all over again homeschooling my youngest child, my son. He is six years old and starting “first grade”.

From now on i will use ”ds” standing for dear son when referring to him. I apologise for being gone so long but i hope to make up for it by continuing to record, describe and document our progress starting with first grade and fifth/sixth grade for my dd using the steps laid out in The Well Trained Mind. InshaAllah also we’ll be using First Language Lessons, Story of the World, Writing with Ease and various books I’ve collected in twenty years all while implementing Islam and the sunnah, the example of Prophet Muhammad, salla lahu alahi wa salam. Tarbiyyah is the Arabic word for bringing up and self improvement. In particular that of raising up a child, instilling in him knowledge, more importantly the correct knowledge and skills to succeed in this life and the hereafter; the dunya and akhirah.

The goal of this blog is to chronicle how i use the Well Trained Mind and other publications while substituting or supplementing Islamic lessons and resources. For instance, in First Language Lessons level 1&2 there are many short stories and passages such as Aesop’s fables or poems to read to the child or the child has to narrate or copy. i replace some of these with short islamic poems or famous Islamic cultural stories. i may recommend or suggest appropriate books, other avenues or explanations such as when covering Homer’s the Odyssey or Iliad or Greek mythology.

I will give an example of substitutions i use Islamically with The Well Trained Mind. In laying the basis for your child, pre-school to about grade 4, memorization, narration, copying and dictation are emphasized roughly in that order, as their brain and skills develop. Summarizing is to come later when the child is able. We started following the Well Trained Mind when my daughter was about seven. When the child can write without difficulty, it suggested copying from great writer’s books or essays that have complex sentences, the Bible, or other publications. When dd was seven or eight, following the WTM directions i had her copy from the Noble Quran. It had a lot of long, advanced words because of the depth of Arabic translated to English and that edition used some plain English and some old English. I had her copy ayaat on the creation of the universe and Adam and depending on the English translation of the Quran, there can be some complex sentence structures! I also had her copy passages from The History of Civilization: The Age of Faith, volume IV by Will Durant. In the future for both elementary (Parrot stage) and middle(Logic) on this blog i will illustrate and record how I blend Islamic ideals and lessons with The Well Trained Mind and other sources. This is my goal inshAllah.

The reason for the title of my post is there have been MANY changes in our lives and that was why I have been absent from blogging. We lost a family member and moved twice but what i was most saddened about were the decisions i had to make. One hard decision i came to was sending my daughter, then age ten, to school. This was her choice and she had made is very difficult to teach her for a long time. At the time, she was the main child I was homeschooling and wanting to use the Classical Method with and her brother was barely starting to read so I didn’t feel like i had anything to blog about on THIS subject anyway, haha.

It is very important when learning, that you have a positive attitude. Despite my efforts and i am not perfect by any means, dd (dear daughter) refused to allow me to teach her anymore; becoming sullen, negative and impossible to please. I finally concluded that not only was she not learning, that the extent i wanted her to learn was not currently important to her as well as she was just plain unhappy. I know what an unhappy childhood is like and i didn’t want her to feel that way nor did i want her to remember her childhood as being sad or angry when those years are supposed to be magical and imaginative. Anyhow, we had some success using Texas Virtual Academy, a public charter school online that uses the k12 curriculum. There are many things i like about k12 and many advantages but i will talk about that later.

Eventually with the k12 Texas curriculum she became unresponsive and was falling behind in Math but mainly just did not want to learn the extent of the material, in particular, Texas History. I know I detested Texas History when i was in school. I found out later that Texas is one of the few states that requires you learn about…your home state. lol. I realized later also, when we kind of accidentally fell into unschooling that she just was not ready to get certain aspects of the Arithmetic at her grade level. After quitting TXVA, i decided that since her reading level was eight grade (since 3rd but then she was in 5th) she had a fantastic vocabulary and good grasp of spelling and no interest in History of any sort, that we would focus on Math and i would let her read books and novels the rest of the time. She is an avid reader and adores it, like me. Science was covered by hiking, bike riding to pond, nature and woods by our house and me talking about it constantly This seemed to work for a while but most importantly she finally memorized her multiplication, managed long division, got ‘grade level’. I accomplished what 3 schools had not, al hamdulilah. Finally though, she got burned out with being home and wanted to go to school everyday with other kids. She purely wanted to be social, she had no other reason for wanting to go to school as she was able to read all she wanted and learn anything at home.

I chose a well-respected, academically rigorous college prep charter school. They did not even have sports and PE only three times a week. One advantage to her going there was an assignment to write a novel in English. I was really impressed with her ideas and ingenuity and the final product of the book. However, her attitude about going to school changed when a pretest determined she would fail the math part of the TAKS and they were requiring her to attend Saturday tutoring till noon and after school that wouldn’t allow her home until five pm. My daughter is very headstrong. She was reluctant to leave, she liked the teachers and friends, non-Muslim girls who she knew were a good influence and even young Muslimahs who wore hijaab (scarf) but when they explained to her tutoring was mandatory, her mind was made up to leave.

I know many would say that I should have made her stick it out but truthfully I don’t believe children should be at school that long nor should it engulf their lives unless their homelife is abusive. I also believe that family time and bonding is just as important as an education, which you will eventually get anyway. This i was starting to realize after homeschool conferences and meeting many unschoolers. Except for learning disabilities and other issues, most children learn to read on their own and pick up most life skills they need without formal or institutional instruction. *Gasp* i know the contradiction of saying this on a WTM and classical schooling blog but there is no reason we shouldn’t strive for excellence within ourselves or our children when it comes to learning. Again, while it is possible to achieve a minimum or satisfactory level of education without systematic instruction from a parent or school, why not put extra effort to truly master or reach ones’s highest potential in different subjects and areas? I believe the way of following the Trivium is sound but i don’t believe in every child or student having to keep up with a set of by grade “standards” or that a child who learned to read by age three has an advantage or will most certainly surpass a child who doesn’t read till age ten. I have seen many delayed readers even as late as twelve increase their proficiency exponentially, like the speed of light!

So, after online school and attending a charter school, it was back home again but there was little time before Summer break began. I am against my daughter being in school the coming year but it is what she wants. In the meantime, i am still starting logic with her and going over creation of the universe, Adam, the Prophets and Ancient History in order as much as I know. There is a timeline in the Well Trained Mind with Abraham and Moses listed, of course an estimate, a ‘guess’. We know that age of the Earth according to the Bible does not agree with Science but in the Quran there is total agreement with Astronomy, Anatomy, Biology, meteorology, Physiology and more. I swear, i was not trying to list that alphabetically it just came out that way! lol

*Sigh* Since last post we have had many new wonders: new adventures; mainly with pets, bugs and nature, a new state, Georgia, new house, almost a new life. My son is really starting to ask questions and love learning. Each day i marvel at the things i can teach him. I just wish he would stay still and not be so loud! Starting over again when i have used the WTM in the past with dd, i have some experience and a new perspective. I am more relaxed and confident. There is no rush. We are enjoying the process not just heading for the finish line. We are living in the glory and miracle of the moment, not focusing on the end result. There are so many things God has shown us, for us to contemplate, explore and understand. I think before homeschooling my first, i may have missed some of the moments. Last year and now I don’t think we are missing those moments as much. Spotting a single sun beam shining through the clouds in the distance, marveling at the huge spider’s web reaching three feet across the top of our balcony, watched still and quiet, barely breathing as we peered through the blinds at the male cardinal eating breadcrumbs from our porch and laughing when the very tall road runner smacked into our back door, confused and still trying to come through while a lizard hung from his mouth.

Homeschooling my son now full time and my daughter after school, weekends and vacations, i can’t wait to embark on this journey of learning again and i hope to take you all with me.

*p.s. THANK YOU :p

EVERYONE MUST READ THIS!

bint Curt — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 10:16:35 +0000

Ok. I don’t normally do this or believe in using other people’s articles, but I HAD to repost this and the only reason besides it has the PERFECT title and from the author’s words it’s like she’s my twin, is because it has been posted a few times, is easily found and I providing the original link. uhh…did ya get that? it’s 4 o clock in the morning for me. :0 Lisa Russell is a writer and educator and has her own blog at http://lisarussell.org/blog/ God willing I will be posting two more helpful posts shortly as well as further explanation and example of how we build and sustain Islamic knowledge with the Classical Method, WTM, even K12, as well as through teaching Social Studies and Spelling. I am really excited how DD has been coming along with our new curriculum and how easily I am connecting and supplementing it with a comprehensive base of Islamic History, Seerah, Aqeedah, and Adaab. All praise is due to God. What we have been doing is truly Tarbiyyah as well as one form of “unschooling” at it’s best.

posted May 5, 2009 6:16 PM by Michelle Kretzschmar SAHERO

No Thank You, We Don’t Believe in Socialization

I can’t believe I am writing an article about socialization, the word makes my skin crawl. As homeschoolers, we are often accosted by people who assume that since we’re homeschooling, our kids won’t be “socialized.” The word has become such a catch phrase that it has entirely lost any meaning. The first time I heard the word, I was attending a Catholic day school as a first grader. Having been a “reader” for almost 2 years, I found the phonics and reading lessons to be incredibly boring. Luckily the girl behind me felt the same way, and when we were done with our silly little worksheets, we would chat back and forth. I’ve never known two 6 yr. olds who could maintain a quiet conversation, so naturally a ruler-carrying nun interrupted us with a few strong raps on our desk. We were both asked to stay in at recess, and sit quietly in our desks for the entire 25 minutes, because “We are not here to socialize, young ladies.” Those words were repeated over and over throughout my education, by just about every teacher I’ve ever had. If we’re not there to socialize, then why were we there? I learned to read at home. If I finished my work early (which I always did,) could I have gone home? If I were already familiar with the subject matter, would I have been excused from class that day? If schools weren’t made for socializing, then why on earth would anyone assume that homeschoolers were missing out? As a society full of people whose childhood’s were spent waiting anxiously for recess time, and trying desperately to “socialize” with the kids in class; It is often difficult for people to have an image of a child whose social life is NOT based on school buddies. Do you ever remember sitting in class, and wanting desperately to speak to your friend? It’s kind of hard to concentrate on the lessons when you’re bouncing around trying not to talk. Have you ever had a teacher who rearranged the seats every now and then, to prevent talking, splitting up friends and “talking corners.” Were you ever caught passing notes in class? Now–flash forward to “real life.” Imagine the following scenes: Your employer is auditing the Inter-Office Email system and comes across a personal note between you and a coworker. You are required to stand at the podium in the next sales meeting to read it aloud to your coworkers. The Police knock on your door, and announce that because you and your neighbor have gotten so close, they’re separating you. You must move your home and your belongings to the other side of town, and you may only meet at public places on weekends. You’re sitting at a booth waiting for a coworker to arrive for a scheduled lunch date. Suddenly a member of upper management sits down across from you and demands your credit cards. When your friend arrives, you just order water and claim you’re not hungry, since he stole your lunch money. You’re applying for a job and in an unconventional hiring practice, you are made to line up with other applicants, and wait patiently while representatives from two competing companies take their pick from the lineup. You’re taking your parents out for an anniversary dinner. After you find a table, a waiter tells you that seniors have a separate dining room, lest they “corrupt” the younger members of society. You go to the grocery store only to find that since you are 32 years old you must shop at the store for 32 year olds. It’s 8 miles away and they don’t sell meat because the manager is a vegetarian, but your birthday is coming up and soon you’ll be able to shop at the store for 33 yr. olds. You’d like to learn about Aviation History. You go to the library and check out a book on the subject only to be given a list of “other subjects” that you must read about before you are permitted to check out the aviation book. You’re having a hard time finding what you need in the local department store. The saleslady explains that each item is arranged alphabetically in the store, so instead of having a section for shoes, you will find the men’s shoes in between the maternity clothes and the mirrors. Your Cable Company announces that anyone wishing to watch the Superbowl this year must log on a certain number of hours watching the Discovery Channel before they can be permitted to watch the game. You apply for a job only to be told that this job is for 29 year olds. Since you’re 32, you’ll have to stay with your level. In a group project, your boss decides to pair you up with the person you don’t “click” with. His hope is that you’ll get learn to get along with each other, regardless of how the project turns out. These absurd examples were created to point out how absolutely ridiculous the idea of “socializing” in schools is. Many people had a friend who they stayed friends with all through grammar school-WHY? Because their names were alphabetically similar, and they always ended up in line with each other. As an adult, have you ever made friends with someone simply because your names were similar? How long would such a friendship last and how meaningful would it be, providing you had nothing else in common? People often use the bully as an example of why it’s so important to let kids “socialize” at school. If that’s so important, then the bully needs to go to JAIL after a few months, because self-respecting society simply doesn’t put up with that, nor should my 6 yr. old. Sure, there are crappy people in the world, but the world does a much better job of taking care of these things. A bullying brat in the first grade will still be a bullying brat in the 6th grade. He will still be picking on the same kids year after year after year, unless he moves to a new town. How long would the average adult put up with a bully? Personally, as an adult, I have only come across one grown up bully. I choose not to be around this miserable woman. So do many other people. THAT is real life. If she were a coworker, I would find a different job. If she worked at a business I patronized- not only would I refrain from doing business with that company, I would write a letter to the bully, her manager, the owner and the main office. A kid in a classroom has no way to emotionally protect themselves against such a person. I would never expect my kids to put up with bad treatment from a bully in the name of “toughening them up.” For what? So they can be submissive wimps when they grow up too? So they can “ignore” their miserable bosses and abusive spouses? In real life, if an employer discovered that an employee was harassing the other staff members, that employee could be fired (pending the 90 day evaluation) or relocated. In real life, if you are so dreadfully harassed by a coworker you can seek legal recourse independently. In a classroom, the teacher and other children are often powerless. The idea of learning acceptable social skills in a school is as absurd to me as learning nutrition from a grocery store. As Homeschoolers, the world is our classroom. We interact with people of all ages, sexes and backgrounds. We talk to and learn from everyone who strikes our interest. We use good manners in our home and I’m always pleased when others comment on the manners my children have picked up. I believe good manners to be an important social skill. Respecting common areas is also of value to us. We often carry a grocery bag with us on walks, in case we find trash that needs to be discarded. When we’re waiting at a bus stop, if there is trash on the ground, we make a point to carry it onto the bus and discard of it properly. Once, while waiting at a bus stop-we saw a grown man drop his popsicle wrapper on the ground. He was 2 feet from a trash can-my daughter looked up at me with eyes as big as saucers. I told her (out loud) “It must have blown out of his and from that little wind, because no-one would throw trash on the ground on purpose. I’m sure when he’s done with his popsicle, he will pick it up and throw it away correctly- otherwise, we can take care of it so we don’t have an ugly world.” He did pick it up, rather sheepishly. I can’t imagine expecting my children to have a respect for the cleanliness of common areas in an environment where bathroom walls are covered in graffiti and trees are scratched with symbols of “love” of all things. Another social skill we strive to teach our children is that all people are created equal. I can’t imagine doing that in an environment where physically disadvantaged children are segregated into a “special” classroom. Or even children who speak a different language at home. They are segregated and forced to learn English, while never acknowledging the unique culture they were raised in, and not enabling the other students to learn FROM them. Learning, in school, comes from the books and teachers. We will learn Spanish from a BOOK, not from a Spanish-speaking student; and not until 7th grade. I have never felt it would be beneficial to stick my 6-yr. old in a room full of other 6-yr. olds. I believe God created a world full of people of all ages and sexes to insure that the younger ones and older ones learn from each other. A few years ago, we were living thousands of miles from any older family members, so I brought my kids (then 5 and 2) to an assisted living facility, so they could interact with the elderly. Staff members told us that many of the older people would wake up every day and ask if we would be visiting soon. We always went on Wednesdays. My daughters learned some old show tunes while one of the men played piano, and the others would sing along. If I didn’t have to chase my 2-yr. old around, I would have had plenty of women ready to share the art of crocheting with me (something I’ve always wanted to learn.) If a friend was too sick to come out of their room during our visit, we would often spend a few minutes in their room. I always let them give the kids whatever cookies they had baked for them, and I ended up cleaning a few of the apartments while we visited, simply because I would have done the same for my own Grandmother. Every room had pictures from my kids posted on their refrigerators. We called this “Visiting the Grandmas and Grandpas” and my daughters both (almost 2 years later) have fond memories of our visits. I’m sure that if we were still visiting there, my unborn child would have a thousand handmade blankets and booties to keep him warm all winter. I don’t remember any such experiences in my entire School life, although I do remember being a bit afraid of old people if they were too wrinkly or weak looking. I never really knew anyone over 60. I never sped down the hall on someone’s wheelchair lap, squealing as we popped wheelies and screeched around corners. I never got to hear stories about what life was like before indoor plumbing and electricity, from the point of view of a woman with Alzheimer’s, who might believe she was still 5 years old, talking with my daughter as if she were a friend. I never got to help a 90 yr. old woman keep her arm steady while she painted a picture. And I never watched a room full of “grandma’s” waiting for me by the window, because we were 15 minutes late. On a recent visit to an Art allery, we noticed a man walking back and forth, carrying framed artwork from is old pickup truck. I asked my 6 yr. old if she thought he might be the artist. We both agreed that was a possibility, and after a little pep-talk to overcome her stage fright, she approached him and asked. He was the artist, and he was bringing in his work to be evaluated by the curator. We all sat down and he explained some of his techniques and listened to her opinions about which piece she liked best. He told about how he enjoyed art when he was 6 and would “sell” pictures to family and friends. He recounted how he felt while creating a few of the pieces, and how each one has special meaning to him. He even let her know how nervous he was to show them to the curator and how he hoped she found them as interesting as we did. As he was called into the office, a group of thirty-four 3rd graders filed past, ever so quietly, while their teacher explained each piece on the walls. The children were so quiet and well behaved. They didn’t seem to mind moving on from one picture to the next (The problem with homeschoolers is they tend to linger on things they enjoy). They didn’t seem to have any questions or comments (Maybe they’ll discuss that later in class). And they never got a chance to meet the gentleman in the pickup truck. I hope my kids aren’t missing out on any “socialization.”

©2000 Lisa Russell Used with Permission Lisa Russell; A Gen X homeschooling mom, writer, wife, daydreamer, U.S. traveler, hiker, poet, artist, web designer, and whatever else suits the moment. Lisa Russell can be contacted at: http://www.lisarussell.net or: lisa@lisarussell.net