Sunday, 16 September 2012

Work-boxes in Place!

Alhamdulillaah finally workboxes are at place.

We got these mesh file folders. Its neat and does not take too much space Alhamdulillaah.


Each file folder is labelled with the subject and inside if she has to work with me there is card that says "Work with Ummi".


Every day I fill all the file folders with the next day's work according to the time table. It takes less than 5 minutes for me to do this as everything is pre planned Alhamdulillaah. 

I used the cards to indicate to her the schedule for the day and stick all of them on the "To Do" sheet of paper. She starts the day looking at it and we continue the work.

As she finishes each file folder she takes the books and contents of the file folder and leaves them at the place I have asked her to keep them piled up and she makes it a point to remove the card and stick it on to the "Done" sheet of paper. This shows work in progress.



Alhamdulillaah at the end of the day all file folders look like this empty!


When I read this system many years ago and even last year on different blogs I did not expect to be so productive subhanallaah. I really wanted to give it a try after reading sis Umm Khadeeja's blog post. You can read her posts here and here.

And with all that I still felt Maimoonah would be the same especially where writing is concerned and moods and so on, she would only do what she would want to and leave what she does not want. But I was wrong. Its amazing with the mercy of Allaah alone that this system does make me more organized first and due to that she is settled and finishes all the work without any fuss. Looks forward to it very much. And this year there is a lot of writing to do and all activities are more or less based on text books and work books. But she is enjoying it. I feel she is the same but this system has made me a better facilitator and she is benefiting from this bi idhnillaah. 

Within a day it has helped us to achieve many things. Productivity is very high and everything gets covered, especially Usooluth Thlaathah, Quraan, Hifdhl and even snack. 

The days we start early it makes things easy for us, some days if she wakes up late it goes on even after Dhuhar and can be a little tiring. Most of the days we finish before dhuhar and she has plenty of time to do her playing and reading in the evenings. 

Inshaa Allaah next posts will be on individual subjects that we have covered so far and our progress. 

Thursday, 13 September 2012

Fun Time Activities!

With the work box system in place and things are going methodical over here, Fun Time Activities have been a great hit Alhamdulillaah and aided towards more productivity bi idhnillaah!

Each day she looks forward to this and enjoys it a lot plus finishes her work to get to it with enthusiasm Alhamdulillaah!.

Just want to share some fun activities we did this week. Most of the time when I see and buy or when my husband picks up something from the store I do not give Maimoonah immediately. I collect and give as and when needed, now I collect for Fun Time Activities. So Alhamdulillaah I have few things to give her as a surprise every now and then.


Science in the Kitchen
This is a book that I got from Rainbow Resources and has some easy experiments to do. So this week we made bubbles. Making bubbles is this easy, she thought for the first time I guess!!!

 




Outta Gas
This is a puzzle that I got from Rainbow Resources as well. Nice way to keep the brain busy. She finds it a little difficult to make it still as she has not yet got the hang of it. But she makes different scenes as she likes and spends a lot of time on it.




Thumb Art
This little book has instructions and examples to make art with thumb prints. This is also a Rainbow Resource product.



Brain Teasing Activities - Soap Prints
This is a pack of cards with 52 activities to do with instructions. Easy but fun things to do with things that are easily accessable. This week we did this. She did not want to blow bubbles with the straw fearing she would drink the soap water. But turned out to be great fun!


 

  




Invisible Pen
You can write some secret messages and have a little fun!

 




Little things like this are motivation for the kids, Alhamdulillaah. Also sister Umm Umamah has more fun activities lined up on her blog, and I hope to use some of them too Inshaa Allaah!





Sunday, 9 September 2012

First Day of the new School year!

Alhamdulillaah today was our First Day for this school year. I was to start off with the work boxes but could not do it as planned. I could not get proper boxes and I could not get the labels laminated yet. Inshaa Allaah hope to do so soon. But did not want to postpone teaching any more so managed with what was around and subhanallaah this system went off so well, innalhamdalillaah.

It was so productive, stress free and Maimoonah enjoyed the whole process, now I was thinking within me as most of you would also think since this was the first day and it was a change she enjoyed and did all her work, as time goes on she might get bored, Allaah knows best. We will have to wait and see, but I feel this method organizes me more than her. I know what I have to do and everything is in its place for teaching and no time is spent on taking the books, reference books looking for them and so on. Alhamdulillaah at the end of the day feel so satisfied that the work got done without any stress.

So I took some of the folders I had at home and stuck sticky notes on each folder with the name of the subject and filled the folders with books, worksheets and reference books that needs to be done for today and kept them in order.



Then Wrote a note on the board like this.





We started school at around 8 am and finished all by 12.30 pm. She took each folder to her desk and we did each subject.

In between she had her snack and enjoyed well with the fun activity. Fun activities are something new she would see or do on that day which she has not done before, So this surprise and curiosity makes her finish her schedules fast too. This was today's fun activity, Thumb Art!

 


These are the finished folders.



So today we could cover as planned Introduction to Usooluth Thalaathah where we studied the biography of Imaam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhaab raheemahullaah, listened to the Qur'aan, memorised the last part of a new soorah and revised one old soorah, Maths, Reading, Spelling, Geography, Arabic and English.

Inshaa Allaah will write more on work boxes when I get all my resources for it and when we implement it properly soon.

Also I have still not decided how I am going to blog of our activities this year. May be I will do it subject wise fortnightly or Monthly or only when there is something interesting that we have done. This is mainly because we are using more resources, more books and more work is done within a week. Any suggestions?



Wednesday, 5 September 2012

Back to Home School on Sunday Inshaa Allaah!



Alhamdulillaah all the books and resources have arrived for the new school year and Inshaa Allaah we will start our new school year on Sunday.

This is a post to refresh myself and to refresh my intentions of home-schooling Inshaa Allaah.

This is the third year of our formal home-schooling journey Alhamdulillaah and I have personally learnt a whole lot of things that I never knew before by the grace of Allaah. I feel like I am schooling once again but this time with real love for learning in a very very stress free environment. Thinking back no regrets whatsoever Alhamdulillaah we did have a nice time in school, but as far as learning was concerned I would say its nothing comparing to what I am learning now as well as what Maimoonah is learning now. Innalhamdalillaah!

So if Maimoonah was to go to a formal school then this will be the year she should have been enrolled. This year will be a bit different from last two years here at home where she would be exposed to lot of materials and information. And I am glad that she is in a better position to understand the unislamic aspects involved in secular education and the reason why we have to use some of those materials and she has also learnt to hate the kufr and the shirk involved in them while doing what she has to do. This is indeed the fruits of teaching Tawheed at an early age, Alhamdulillaah. May Allaah keep our children upright till the end with this firmness, Aameen.

Home Schooling for us was a decision taken before even she was born, Alhamdulillaah. And the intentions were to give the correct Tasfiyah and the Tarrbiyah upon the Qur'aan and the Sunnah according to the understanding of the Salaf. To fulfill this we would be focusing and allocating more time in learning the Usools Inshaa Allaah. There will be no rush but time will be spent on Usooluth Thalaathah until she understands and learns the basics according to her level Inshaa Allaah.

The reason for home schooling was also to explore and learn the various subjects which are known as secular subjects which will benefit a believer to live in this world. And this will be done in line with a standard curriculum but it will not limit us from exploring and learning way beyond the curriculum and will not force us to learn what we really do not want to learn. We would be linking all of this secular subjects back to Our Dheen to understand the truth about what we learn Inshaa Allaah we will keep reminding ourselves that true ilm (knowledge) is What Allaah said and What the Messenger of Allaah said.

We will be using the work box system Inshaa Allaah. I have not got any boxes yet but will use whatever is available and experiment this and see how it goes Inshaa Allaah. Will write about our experience on work boxes next week after we do it for a couple days Inshaa Allaah!

Once again I thank the blogging sisters and non blogging sisters who support, encourage, appreciate and help us throughout. May Allaah reward you all immensely and make your  home-schooling journey a successful one. Aameen.

Tuesday, 4 September 2012

I can blog here again!

Alhamdulillaah sis Umm Umamah was kind enough to spend some time and find me a solution online for the blog space issue Maashaa Allaah and now I can blog again on this same blogspot. Jazzakillaah Khayr sis Umm Umamah.

So if any of you experience the same problem on blogger all you have to do is this. (add another contributor to your blog with one of your other email addresses, and you have to continue to use the new admin's email address to upload pictures and to write posts)

So, now what shall I do? Should I continue here or should I continue on the other blog Umm Maimoonah's Journal II? I prefer everything to be in one place Inshaa Allaah and would like to continue here while having the new blog as a back up plan, in case things go wrong I can still continue there Inshaa Allaah!

So very sorry for the inconveniences caused and please do continue to follow us here Inshaa Allaah!

Saturday, 1 September 2012

New Blog - Umm Maimoonah's Journal II





Assalaamu Alaikum!

Qadarallaah Maashaa Allaah, this bog has reached its maximum space limit on blogger and we are unable to continue blogging here.

Hence from now onwards Inshaa Allaah  (from this school year onwards ) we would be recording our activities at a new blog Umm Maimoonah's Journal II We will continue on the new blog until  we have our own domain and own blog very soon bi idhnillaah!

There will be no duplicate posts this blog on the new blog. So if any one wants to refer and look into our past posts will have to do so here.

Those of you who want to subscribe by email please do so again over at the new blog Inshaa Allaah to receive updates of our Home Schooling Journey.

And those who are following me please do switch over to the new blog and follow us if you wish Inshaa Allaah for regular updates.

Sorry for all inconveniences caused, my apologies.

Once again Jazzakamullaah Khayr and Thank You for continuing to being with us since last 3 years while encouraging, appreciating and motivating us and supporting us throughout. Baarakallaah Feekum!

Hope and pray that this blog would benefit you as well as me to please Allaah alone and give our kids the correct Tasfiyah and Tarrbiya upon the Qur'aan and the Sunnah according to the understanding of the Salafus Saalih (The Sahabah, the one's who followed them and the ones who followed them). Aameen.

Science Lessons - Grade 1


Science – Grade 1

Since we are not following a particular text book for Science, these are the Topics we intend covering for this School year Inshaa Allaah based on the Cambridge Primary Curriculum

Topic -1
Scientific Inquiry
Resources – First Encyclopedia of Science
Junior Science 1 – Introduction – What is Science
Cambridge Stage 1 http://www.nclack.k12.or.us/cms/lib6/OR01000992/Centricity/Domain/98/si%20poster%20abbreviated%20K-1.pdf
http://www.nclack.k12.or.us/cms/lib6/OR01000992/Centricity/Domain/98/si%20work%20sample%20template%20K-1.pdf
Experiment – Science in the Kitchen – How Dishwashing liquids helps to make things clean.



Topic - 2
Plants  
Resources - First Encyclopedia of Science – Page 20
Quick Links Activities
Cambridge Stage 1
Nature Set – Science on a Garden Adventure
Just Look Microscope
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/scottforesman/sci_1_ARS_A1_exp2.pdf
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/scottforesman/sci_1_ARS_A1_exp1.pdf
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/scottforesman/sci_1_ARS_A1_inv1.pdf
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/27/13927.pdf



Topic - 3
Humans and Animals
Resources - First Encyclopedia of Science – Pages 22/24
First Encyclopedia of Animals
Quick Links Activities
Junior Science 1 – Chapter 1
Cambridge Stage 1
Use Venn Diagram to note Differences and similarities between Humans and Animals
Healthy Diet – Junior Science Book 1 – Chapter 1
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/81/14481.pdf
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/68/14168.pdf
Humans and Animals Reproduce and the babies grow and become adults



Topic -  4
Humans and Animals – Your Body / Senses
Resources - First Encyclopedia of Science – Pages
First Encyclopedia of the Human Body
Quick Links Activities
Junior Science 1 – Chapter 1
Cambridge Stage 1
My 5 Senses – Book
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/11/14011.pdf



Topic -  5
Material Properties
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/29/14029.pdf
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/47/14047.pdf
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/31/14131.pdf
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/24/14324.pdf
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/25/14625.pdf


Rocks
Resources - Cambridge Stage 1
First Encyclopedia of Science – Pages 36
Junior Science 1 – Chapter 3
Let’s go Rock Collection – Reading Book
Rocks Activity Set
Rocks on Card
Jelly Stones – Hands on
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/41/14041.pdf
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/95/14595.pdf
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/86/14586.pdf



Topic - 6
Material Changes – Solid, Liquid, Gas
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/21/14321.pdf
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/68/14568.pdf
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/54/13954.pdf
Resources - Cambridge Stage 1
First Encyclopedia of Science – Pages 34
Junior Science 1 – Chapter 3
Quick Links Activities
What is the World Made of
My First Chemistry Kit



Topic - 7
Forces and Motion / Gravity / Friction
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/69/14369.pdf
Resources - Cambridge Stage 1 and 2
First Encyclopedia of Science – Pages 40
Quick Links



Topic -  8
Sound
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/84/13984.pdf
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/71/14071.pdf
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/58/14158.pdf
Resources - Cambridge Stage 1
First Encyclopedia of Science – Pages 54
Quick Links



Topic -  9
Weather / Change of Environment/ Pollution
Resources - Cambridge Stage 1
First Encyclopedia of Science – Pages 12 -14
Quick Links
Where does the Garbage Go



Topic -  10
Light / Colour/ Shadows
Resources - Cambridge Stage 1 and 2
First Encyclopedia of Science – Pages 52
Quick Links
Junior Science 1 – Chapter 5




Topic -  11
Earth and Beyond – Day and Night / Change of Shadows / 
http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/52/14152.pdf
Resources - Cambridge Stage 1 and 2
First Encyclopedia of Science – Pages 8,
First Encyclopedia of Our World
First Encyclopedia of Space
Quick Links
What Makes Day and Night
Floating in the Space




Topic -  12
Electricity
Resources - Cambridge Stage 1 and 2
First Encyclopedia of Science – Pages 56
Quick Links
Electricity Experiment Kit



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