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Homeschool

FOSSWeb

November 4, 2010 by Imaan 2 Comments

OK fans and friends – and there are what… all of 2 of you? :P – here is another homeschooling freebie I dug out of the WWW.

FOSSWeb

FOSS (Full Option Science System) is a research-based science curriculum for grades K-8 developed at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California at Berkeley. It is also an ongoing research project dedicated to improving the learning and teaching of science.

The FOSS project began over 20 years ago during a time of growing concern that our nation was not providing young students with an adequate science education. The FOSS program materials are designed to meet the challenge of providing meaningful science education for all students in diverse American classrooms and to prepare them for life in the 21st century. Development of the FOSS program was, and continues to be, guided by advances in the understanding of how youngsters think and learn.

FOSSWeb

There are interactive activities for kids and teacher resources for grades K-2, grades 3-6 and middle school. There is also a Science Notebook Folio with suggestions for getting started with notebooks plus ideas for deepening student understanding through the use of science notebooks.

I have absolutely no business looking at more home-ed materials, free or otherwise, when I have my books threatening a coup d’etat to expel me out of hearth and home, but I have a tough time trying to determine if you can have enough of a good thing :)

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Homeschool

Qur’an Curriculum

October 27, 2010 by Imaan 1 Comment

Tea, my friend, I know you will love this! And for those of you who like a holistic scheme of work – ah! the science of relations! – I know you will love this too :)

Quran Curriculum - Surah An-Naas

Two lovely home-educating sisters from the UK, Umm Raiyaan and Oum Loubabah are working together on a Qur’an curriculum. In this, they will not only go through the tafseer of the chapters of the Qur’an but also study bring in the scientific, historical and geographical aspects that the chapters touch on. There are art and craft ideas as well.

SO! Check out Umm Raiyaan’s blog where she has listed the curriculum and resources for Surah An-Naas. It’s really wonderful ma shaa Allah so go, go, GO!

Edit: The blog Ummi Homeschools Me has now been marked private by the owner. You’ll need a WordPress account to request access – I’ve not been successful! :(

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Homeschool

A Day In The Life…

October 19, 2010 by Imaan 6 Comments

Alice, you asked about our daily routine so here’s a post just for you :)

When we started out homeschooling, we didn’t have much of a routine. Mars was just an itty-bitty thing then so all I did was read to her a lot. We read just about EVERYTHING we could get our hands on if it was good literature. We would go out a lot and generally talk a lot too :) Since Mars did not attend preschool or kindergarten and since I did not have a helper or babysitter, she would accompany me wherever I went. (She still does only now it is with her sister in tow as well.) I think that this was a positive thing for her as she had contact with people of diverse ages and backgrounds. We did not have a fixed routine until she was about 7 – when she officially fell under the Compulsory Education Act.

Here’s our average day (Monday to Saturday):

5.30 a.m. : Fajr (dawn) prayers
7.00 a.m. : Clean up, change and tidy up the room.
7.30 a.m. : The girls tend to Rocket, their newly-adopted pet kitten. They have to feed and water him and give him some attention and play time.
8.00 a.m. : Breakfast

8.30 a.m. Islamic Studies
9.15 a.m. Arabic homework & Qur’an revision (While Mars does this, Bear and I work on reading and Math)
11.15 a.m. – 2.15 p.m. Study other subjects – English / Math / Science / Geography / History. It varies depending on what day it is. We take a short break for Dhuhr/afternoon prayer in between. They are also expected to spend time with Rocket during any other breaks they take.

2.15 p.m. Lunch (and feed Rocket)

3.00 p.m. Arabic Class at the Institute of Arabic Language
4.30 p.m. `Asr (late afternoon) prayer & Karate class

6.00 p.m. Maghrib (dusk) prayer & Free time (check on Rocket again!)
7.15 p.m. Qur’an class at a neighbou’s home

7.45 p.m. – 10.00 p.m. `Isha (night) prayer and reading, play and bed (make sure Rocket is fed, watered and safe)

As to resources we use for Mars, you can check my page here. We don’t use each and every resource on that page or link listed on the blog each day or week. I don’t feel the pressure to incorporate each and every gem I find into our main curriculum – I’d go mental honestly because there is so much out there :P Our coursebooks form the spines and we use those bonuses as much as we can, but there is no stressing it really.

For Bear, we use the following:

  • Reading A to Z and Calvert’s reading programme – I downloaded Reading A to Z’s material when they had an ‘open house’ and Calvert’s is what Bear inherited from her sister
  • Reading Made Easy by Valerie Bendt
  • Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching – Mathematics Enrichment Programme
  • Living books – we use good literature for Science, Geography and whatever else she is interested in learning :)
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Dad’s Worksheets

August 19, 2010 by Imaan No Comments
Dad's Worksheets

If you have a kid who is allergic to Math, you would understand why I am always on the lookout for creative Math resources. I’ve thrown out all the books that have made Mars cry (oh, I kid you not…) and have embarked on The Smarty Pants Math Club :P It’s really just a funny name for our Math lessons (got the idea from Marilyn Burns’ Math for Smarty Pants). We are using CIMT’s Mathematics Enhancement Programme (free! ahem!), living Math resources and worksheets we’ve downloaded online.

Dad’s Worksheets is one of the sites we are using for additional exercises. This dad has reviews of Math books and resources he has used, downloadable handwriting and graph paper, Spaceship Math (oh, my kids love them catchy names :P) and tonnes of worksheets (5,137 and counting!!)… all FREE!

So pay the site a visit… it is really all that and a bag of chips :)

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Good Company

June 27, 2010 by Imaan 1 Comment

My kids and I are at the F9 park almost everyday of the week. They have their karate lessons and I tag along. I love going going there because I get two hours to unwind after a day of homeschooling and chores. I catch up on some reading or use the time to plan the coming days’ homeschooling material. What makes my evenings there so enjoyable is of course watching the kids as they train. I’ve had the pleasure of watching the younger ones blossom and been treated to impressive shows of the older students’ skills.

Once in a while though, I don’t have a good time. It is usually when I am forced to make polite conversation with … well, the sort of people I really wouldn’t have for lunch. You see, there are some folks, who, upon finding out that we homeschool, cannot seem to get off the subject and keep quizzing me on the whys and wherefores. Every time we meet, I get the same old set of questions or the same sense of incredulity. Last week, a mum saw me jotting down a few notes and proceeded to question me (again).

Lady: So… what are you doing?

Me: I’m just jotting down some notes for tomorrow’s Science lessons.

Lady: Oh… YOU teach your daughter? I thought she went to Roots because your exercise book says so. (I’d already told her we homeschool.)

Me: No, it’s just a book I bought from the store.

Lady: But… why do your kids not go to school?

Me: Mars has a compulsory exam to sit for in Singapore in 2013, so it’s just easier this way. (I can no longer be bothered to give an honest answer as to why we homeschool. Let them believe in the long arm of Singapore law *S*)

Lady: Oh… can they sit for an exam if they don’t go to school?

Me: They study and prepare for the exam at home.

Lady: (looking quite unconvinced) Oh… I’ve always thought children would not study at home.

Me: (smile becoming a tad forced by now) No, they do just fine.

Lady: (still with the disbelieving smile) I mean, you know, if they don’t go to school, then it can be hard to control or encourage them.

Me: No, not really.

The conversation went on a little longer and by the end of it, I was really at the end of my patience (even though I did not show it). It was not just the interrogation. It was the fact that she really was not interested in my answers because she kept fixing me with a doubtful stare. It was all I could do not to retort sharply, but I realised not a little too soon that I should not have harboured any resentment towards her. Homeschooling is practically unheard of in Islamabad. Many women here live with their in-laws and have a great deal of responsibilities. They would not have the luxury of being able to home-educate even if it was something they had heard about. (Yes, I say it is a luxury because I think it is a blessing that I am able to learn with my children.)

Perhaps my irritation stems from my own feelings of anxiety. While I believe that homeschooling is the best for my family, it has its stressful episodes. We have good days and bad days just like any other family. My kids have trouble with their lessons and sometimes act up too. I find myself having to fight the impulse to make them perfect to legitimise our homeschooling. It is really silly of me – I don’t homeschool my kids because they are geniuses and I certainly don’t need to prove anything to anyone. My kids don’t need that kind of pressure. I should just take criticisms in a positive way by using them to improve myself and my methods.

At the end of the day, what helps to make things bearable is – and it is strange coming from me, a loner who seems to prefer her books and computer to people – good company. I thank Allah for always putting inspiring people in my path whenever I start to slacken or to doubt myself. I got to know the one other (yes… ONE!) mother who homeschools her 3 daughters in Islamabad. I was initially nervous about meeting her – social events intimidate me! – but I gleaned so much about her family from just a couple of visits that put me at ease. She had friends who would help out and hang out at her home – I thought it was lovely how hospitable she was ma shaa Allah. It is also such an ego-booster that her kids practically pounce on my kids like they have been waiting for them forever the moment we enter the gate! Meetings with her revive me considerably – it isn’t just the good food she serves us :) It is also her strong belief and determined effort in home-educating her kids.

Another friend I met homeschools her 7 kids in Karachi. We crossed paths in person at a time when I really needed the encouragement. She was visiting Islamabad and I spent several hours just nattering with her. What struck me most about her was her strong sense of tawakkul – full trust in Allah. She embraced the many changes in her life – the arrival of a new baby, reconstruction to her home and pulling her kids out of public school – with perspective. She pushed on and seemed undaunted, believing in her children’s abilities and in her duty to home-educate.

Maybe the next time someone asks me about homeschooling, I won’t have to fake patience in the face of incredulity. Maybe I can just smile and tell them, “You know, I am not alone in this…”

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Yesterday, I had a sobering chat with my friend wh Yesterday, I had a sobering chat with my friend who is a member of a minority group here. (I am keeping things vague for her safety and mine.) She has a relative who is also a friend of mine. 

In both my early encounters with them, I’d always sensed an air of reserve and secrecy. I understood that we had different beliefs, but I could not understand what I perceived as fear. Not being a native here in Pakistan, I’d had my share of bewildering and unfathomable encounters, so I’d left things at that. Maybe I’d understand in time to come, I thought.

They had always been very kind to me and I tried to reciprocate as best I could. For all our (acknowledged) differences in opinion and belief, we found some common ground and focused on doing some good. My friend’s relative donated science kits as well as books for my homeschooling gang and I’ll always be grateful for that. 

I read news yesterday about how my friend and her people do in fact live in danger. She told me how she fears for her husband’s life every single time he leaves home. She jumps every single time her doorbell rings. She worries about sending her daughter to school for fear of bullying or worse… Target killings of her people are a reality.

It made me feel so ashamed because this is tragic and downright disgraceful for any country, but even more so for a Muslim one. 

It’s OK to disagree. It’s OK to debate. It is NOT OK to terrorize and it is NOT OK resort to violence. It is wrong and it is unjust and it is EVIL to do so. When dealing with people of different beliefs, can we not be civilised? Can we not be HUMAN? Can we not behave the way our deen taught us? 

We need to find a way to make things better. It is not right to allow people who know precious little about Islam to desecrate it. 

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#islam #minorityrights #knowyourreligion #pakistan
Journalists say this time it is different. Rushdi Journalists say this time it is different.

Rushdi as-Sarraj, Yasser Murtaja’s friend, told Al-Jazeera, “This task is difficult under normal circumstances, so you can imagine working under a fierce offensive that does not distinguish between a journalist, a civilian or a military leader.” Israel is working hard “to silence the image and voice, and to ban any news or information that exposes its crimes”.

He also says, “My family doesn’t stop calling me, fearing that I could be harmed. It is an endless circle of fear and exhaustion. But we must continue sharing our message.”

Praying for Muna El-Kurd @muna.kurd15 , her brother @mohammedelkurd and all the journalists putting out the truth. 

#palestine #freepalestine #freemunakurd #freemunaelkurd #savesheikhjarrah #savesilwan #savelifta #savemohammedelkurd
«THROWBACK, Summer + Winter 2019» «We returned «THROWBACK, Summer + Winter 2019»

«We returned to the park after the lockdown earlier this year… sadly our tree for all seasons is no more 😢»

FOREIGN LANDS by Robert Louis Stevenson
Up into the cherry tree
Who should climb but little me?
I held the trunk with both my hands
And looked abroad on foreign lands.
I saw the next door garden lie,
Adorned with flowers, before my eye,
And many pleasant places more
That I had never seen before.
If I could find a higher tree
Farther and farther I should see,
To where the grown-up river slips
Into the sea among the ships.
To where the roads on either hand
Lead onward into fairy land,
Where all the children dine at five,
And all the playthings come alive.
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#throwback #pakistan #islamabad #lifeinpakistan #lifeinislamabad #homeschool #homeschooldays #homeschoolcoop #homeschoolinislamabad #homeschoolinpakistan #naturediary #naturejournal #science #charlottemason #charlottemasoninspired #charlottemasoneducation #charlottemasonnaturestudy #charlottemasonliving #charlottemasonhomeschool #cmnaturestudy #cmnaturejournal #naturewalk #natureramble #naturestudy #naturejournal #homeeducation #outandabout #ilookisee #islamabadhomeschoolers
A couple of you asked me to make a post of my stor A couple of you asked me to make a post of my story in response to LV’s despicable use of the keffiyeh design. Pictures in this post are from hirbawi.ps and @palestine.pixel … 

EDIT: yes, my second slide should have been edited and it is bugging me. I repeated 1930s… sorry! If you want a more polished version, DM me. You get my meaning anyway, right? 
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#palestine #freepalestine #keffiyeh #gaza #jerusalem #savesheikhjarrah
«YET ANOTHER THROWBACK, Jan. 2020» I was feelin «YET ANOTHER THROWBACK, Jan. 2020»

I was feeling a little out of sorts (again) – I’d left the house a mess (again) and the boy and I were in a rush to get to the Art Co-op. Habiba @ourlivinghomeschool was doing a session on Wassily Kandinsky that day. 

We were delayed by a massive traffic jam and our stress levels rocketed when an obnoxious motorist kept sounding his horn repeatedly as if to shoo other cars out of the way. What was everyone else to do but wait for the jam to ease? 

We made it just in time though…barely! As we ran towards the gathering, it was as if a huge weight was lifted away. This gorgeous view greeted the boy and me, alhamdulillah. When we got down to studying Kandinsky, we felt more than fine.

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#pakistan #islamabad #lifeinpakistan #lifeinislamabad #homeschool #homeschooldays #homeschoolcoop #homeschoolinislamabad #homeschoolinpakistan #naturediary #desidiaries #charlottemason #charlottemasoninspired #charlottemasoneducation #charlottemasonnaturestudy #charlottemasonliving #charlottemasonhomeschool #cmnaturestudy #cmnaturejournal #naturewalk #natureramble #naturestudy #naturejournal #homeeducation #outandabout #ilookisee #islamabadhomeschoolers #artcoop #artoutdoors
«THROWBACK, Mar. 2019» Once upon a time before «THROWBACK, Mar. 2019» 
Once upon a time before Covid.

The calm before…

We had our Monday meet up again at Fatima Jinnah Park. The air was cool and crisp and the skies sunny when the nature gang got together. Then, it was on to a jolly game of Simon Says – Katelynn’s @_k8erpotater clever way of teaching the kids about body parts and how they move.

The kids did their usual tree climbing and exploring. Then, the dark clouds started rolling in. We took a while to decide whether or not to leave – the park literally looked dark and ominous on one side and cheery and bright on the other. We only started rushing for home when lightning split the sky. The kids were not to be hurried, however. They felt little pellets hitting them and stopped to investigate… hailstones!

Our ramble was cut short and I got cold and wet, but I think it was a gorgeous day. We got to learn about nature in a very real way.
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#pakistan #islamabad #lifeinpakistan #lifeinislamabad #homeschool #homeschooldays #homeschoolcoop #homeschoolinislamabad #homeschoolinpakistan #naturediary #naturejournal #science #charlottemason #charlottemasoninspired #charlottemasoneducation #charlottemasonnaturestudy #charlottemasonliving #charlottemasonhomeschool #cmnaturestudy #cmnaturejournal #naturewalk #natureramble #naturestudy #naturejournal #homeeducation #outandabout #ilookisee #islamabadhomeschoolers
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