home schooling?

[Has4n]

Salaam.

I live in the UK and am home schooling my daughter. Alhamdulillah, it's quite straight forward. You just have to inform your school and the Council ( Education Department) in writing, that you intend to home school. After that you can either formulate your own method and subjects for teaching. Or you can join a school which offers home schooling. My daughter uses material for Maths and English from " The Little Independent Arthur School ". They provide material for core subjects and also offer places for your child to sit their GCSE's. Hope that helps.

[onetinywish]

Salaam.

You just have to inform your school and the Council ( Education Department) in writing, that you intend to home school.

Unless your child is already at a state school, you DO NOT have to inform the local authority of your intent to home educate. This is the advice given by many home educators and pro-homeschooling agencies. Legally you don't have to notify them. It's not always a bad thing but sometimes some LA's can give the parent a difficult time, imposing their own misconstrued ideologies on them, telling them they have to use curriculum (you don't have to if you choose not to) etc.

I for one wouldn't but that's my personal opinion. I know I am doing a good job and it would just stress me out if I had someone knocking on my door yearly.

Thanks for the info on Little Independent Arthur School brother, will look into it.

[onetinywish]

Just to add...

There are various educational philosophies you can follow when home schooling. To name a few: Classical (Check out www.thewelltrainedmind.com - their forums are very helpful, very good if you like tradional schooling and structure), Charlotte Mason, Montessori and of course unschooling.

Unschooling is when you are led by the child's interests. On one extreme people let their children do whatever they please. On the other you read books with your child and discuss things at length. You visit museums and do field trips. You watch documentaries related to the topic. You may or may not write about it - you may draw or paint. You may not get a lot done on paper but there is still a lot of learning going on.

We resonate between classical and unschooling. We have curriculum for English and Maths. I use Susan Bauer's 'Writing with Ease' and 'First Language Lessons'. This emphasizes on teaching children the mechanics of writing. Children need to learn how to write - sentence structure, comprehension etc. before they can write creatively. They don't analyse, just recall. So you read a passage from a fiction or non fiction book, close it and ask them specific questions eg 'Is the backbone smooth or knobbly?' The child then has to answer in complete sentences 'The backbone is...' and you then write his narration down if he is still learning how to write and then they copy that out. A child who has already gone through this process may write his own narration down and later you will dictate it to him. As he progresses you teach him how to summarize the passage. I also use Galore Park as it's line with the UK National Curriculum as my husband wants the kids to go to secondary so I'm trying to keep them on level with their year groups. BUT inshaallah, my duah is, and please pray for me, to home ed into secondary.

With regards to science, geography, history... We just choose a theme and bring those areas in. We don't study history specifically because much of what has been related is fabricated. We read books and look up areas relating to geog and history on the internet, maps and books etc.

I could go on and on about it. Home ed is hard but is also feels rewarding. If you want to home ed and your kids are young, relax and don't rush in and buy curriculum. It will probably stress you out. Get to know your kids and just read together.

The IHSAN forums as well as the forums on The Well Trained Mind website are really good for further info.

Oh and we get together with other home educators and go on lots of trips together. My kids also attend an art club, separate girl/boy scouts, football, girls multi-sport, maths clubs etc. There's lot to do alhamdulillah.

I know sisters with 6, 7 and 8 kids home educating and a lot of these are reverts mashaallah. Our sisters should feel the courage to do it. It's easy to get bogged down with housework and cooking and whilst these are important, our children are more important so if you are dissatisfied with your child's school or just want to give your children an individualized education, go for it inshaallah.

A reminder to myself of practising 'fasbir sabran jameelah'.... these kids can sometimes make you want to run somewhere far lol and although they are a big test, i'm praying they will become my passport to Jannah, inshaallah and ameen!

ws

[FususAlHikam]

Salaam.

I live in the UK and am home schooling my daughter. Alhamdulillah, it's quite straight forward. You just have to inform your school and the Council ( Education Department) in writing, that you intend to home school. After that you can either formulate your own method and subjects for teaching. Or you can join a school which offers home schooling. My daughter uses material for Maths and English from " The Little Independent Arthur School ". They provide material for core subjects and also offer places for your child to sit their GCSE's. Hope that helps.

Jazakallah, I hope people take advantage. School system was designed to turn people into sheeple.

[verdana]

School system was designed to turn people into sheeple.

Can you elaborate little more on what you meant above? What's your opinion on pre-K, elementary and middle schools of US?

[harith]

Productive Mums: Establishing an After-School Routine











During the three months of summer, many of us abandoned or at least neglected a routine. We basked in the summer laxness. As the school year begins, it is most definitely time to get back on track! Whether you are homeschooling or your children are attending school outside of the home, routines have to be established for our children to be productive and successful students!

After-School Routines pave the way for success. What are your children doing after school when they come home? Do you have some order set at home? There are several ways we can get our children in the habit of following a routine and making the most of after school time.

1) Making the Transition

The transition from being at school all day to coming home should be a smooth process. Upon returning home, children should settle down by putting their things away – this teaches organizational skills, cleanliness, and the beginning of a routine.

Here is a perfect opportunity to teach them a sunnah to establish as part of their life – the sunnah act is to use the miswak upon returning home. The children should get out of their school clothes and ready to have a snack. Take this snack time to catch up with your child – there is much importance in the words: “How was your day?” If you want your children to have a good relationship with you in their teenage years, establish open communication and a good relationship now. Show you are interested in what they have done all day, how they felt, what they learned. This prepares you and the child for the next step.

2) Homework/Studying/Review

This is where some parents slip up – some children are allowed to lounge for long periods of time and then hurriedly do their homework just before bedtime. The sooner they do their homework, the better. We are teaching to our children now that it is not okay to procrastinate, and that once we handle our responsibilities, then we can afford the luxury of other activities.

While the school lessons are fresh in mind, take time to work with your child on their homework; if your child did not understand the day’s lesson, take the time you spend working on the homework together as time to also help them understand the lesson. This is a time that requires patience and positive affirmation. It is difficult for you or the child to understand the lesson/homework if it’s being rushed, so it is advisable to do this in the earlier part of the routine.

3) Preparation for the next day

The key to success (in dunya and akhirah) is preparation. Teaching our children to prepare for the next day will make the next morning smoother and calmer insha’Allah. Help children prepare their book-bags. As a mom and teacher I have found children coming to school with missing books, homework etc. Take time to help children have everything ready for the next day, even clothes. Laying clothes out in a designated place is important. When children jump out of the shower in the morning, everything is set for them, down to the socks!

4) Family time

Make dinner a time to have that quality bonding time and memorable moments. Growing up I have many memorable moments at the dinner table. Also take this time to explain to your children what will be happening next – that after dinner you will do x, y, and z (the night time routine, whether that includes story, bath, brushing teeth, etc.). This way, everyone will know what to expect and it will become a habit and what we strive to teach as aspects of being future successful adults: routines, preparations, time management.

Homeschooling moms such as myself should alter this list to their homeschooling schedule and also teach the importance of keeping a routine.

While this is not included above, activities should be scheduled around the prayer times so that you teach the importance and establish the practice of praying punctually insha’Allah. Also pray as a family, the hearts are joined together when we pray together. As well, it is beneficial to schedule some time even if it is just 15 minutes or half an hour to have ‘deen time’ – here are some ideas: you can teach them Arabic/tajweed (how to read The Qur’an), read a Prophetic story, discuss an Islamic character trait/virtue, explain the basics of Islam, memorize a short surah with them, listen to an Islamic video. Treat this as an exciting activity to similarly inspire enthusiasm among your children, and ensure that this time is particularly enjoyable and engaging (discussions, questions, quizzes). You can incorporate Islamic learning during After School Routines, reciting duaa’s at the dinner table and ending the day by reciting Ayatul Kursi before sleeping, and making duaas for the ummah/family/friends. It’s easy to add acts of ibadah all throughout the day, and turn are actions into ibadah.

Establishing good habits starts from an early age. My four year old has his schedule on the wall that was made by Creative Motivations and so he is able to check off for himself the things he did that day. His schedule includes home-school, breakfast, potty time, bath, etc and this helps him to learn the same important steps that will help him in the future. Raising productive successful children is part of our mission; let’s do that in the best way! Implementing these simple steps is a good start on our road to productivity insha’Allah!



About the Author


Ameera Rahim is part of the parenting team known as Habeebee Homeschooling (http://habeebeehomeschooling.wordpress.com) and is seen often providing support, resources, and sharing her family’s homeschooling journey on facebookwww.facebook.com/habeebeehomeschooling.

She resides with her loving husband Ameer Idris in New York where they homeschool their three boys and love sharing their hands-on learning experience. Ameera advocates early learning, family bonding, and early literacy in the homes.

[bintAmirah]

السلام عليكم

جزاكما الله خيرا sister onetinywish and brother harith, mashaAllah they were very useful posts. I am trying to prepare for homeschooling ahead of time, not even pregnant yet! InshaAllah we will see, please make du'a for my studies and for my future children inshaAllah.

[AbuAaminah]

Alhamdulillah we are homeschooling our kids for last 4 years.

[1DREAM2REALITY]

Those who oppose it, they say that children don't develop communication skills and the confidence to deal with people.

I hear this one a lot.

I have seen most homeschool kids are academically superior, much more mature and independent. Most muslim homeschooled kids I know graduated highschool by age 15, 3 years ahead of their peers. For the kids following a serious religious track with their regular studies, socialization and self-confidence is not a problem at all.

I too have noticed the same amongst my friends who were home schooled. We will be home schooling our child as soon as he is old enough for Pre-K.

[Amna4]

I was homeschooled my entire life, university being the first "real school" I attended.

If you wish for your children to be accepted among their peers (peers being the group you wish for them to associate with, not necessarily everyone of their age group), it is important not to push them too hard during the early years. By this, I'm saying, in the US, aim for Pre-Algebra in 6th or 7th grade, biology, chemistry, etc in highschool. If the "core" subject matter (math, science, English) they are learning doesn't match up at least somewhat with what their peers in public schools or madressa are learning, they could be ostracized and wish to be placed in an institution.

By all means, require them to learn each subject thoroughly, and stress the languages and hifz without leniency.


To address the "not developing communication skills":
I am constantly complimented on my composure when dealing with people, my ability to deal with children, and respect for authority and adults. I am able to communicate with all ages, take leadership positions, as well as follow directions. I was socialized, but socialization of a homeschooled child is dependent on the parents to allow and promote contacts while the child is young. The older the child gets- the more responsibility will be placed on them, with the confidence that the parents have been able to instill strong character in the youth.