Reading is Motivation!~

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

As Salaamu alaykunna


Reading is a major important subject for our children, we know that with reading it enables the child with the ability to expand his/her mind and creativity, to be able to communicate better. I believe that in todays world that what children lack the most is originality due to lack imagination. With out imagination you are less likely to be able to express your self and be a confidant reader and thinker. Reading opens many doors to a child's confidants, which allows them to be more engaged in other positive activities. Building their own stories, visual reading, critical thinking and writing. All of these may not seem important to some, but they are very important for children. To help build a much better world today we need more originality along with thinking out of the box style along with more moralized individuals. Its a must.


Here is a site called Story Time for Me! (Free) that offers a wonderful library of online books along with down able actives for children to work on. These books I really love because they remind me of books we read when we where younger. More innocent and teaching good behavior verse most or all of todays books which I have to read first to make sure nothing in it is inappropriate for my children to read. And to me a girl having a boy as a friend is inappropriate reading for children so these books have thumbs up for me.

I am always happy when I see my children engaging into more reading activities, they love it and are thrilled when I put on stores for them to listen to or them to read themselves. Not only do I look forward to it but they do as well because I try my best to make reading fun for them, so that with out them realizing it they are gaining what they need to build better confidence in reading and writing and most importantly communication skills... And it also helps build their vocabulary.

These books gives you just that, as they're dialog is right on point when it comes to teaching children how to properly communicate with each other and a morally respectable way. I say its a MUST HAVE in our only library of books. Enjoy your reading!

Umm Samyrah~

Well Heck, I am SELFISH TOO! and LOVING IT!♥

As Salaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

Many of us choose to homeschool, mainly for Islamic reason but there are other reasons why we strive so hard to homeschool our children as well and one reason often over looked. A homeschool mom has taken the words right out of my mouth as to why I choose to homeschool with a few more added on my list as well. Take a look at what she said here. Spoken like a loving homeschool mother.

Umm Samyrah

Part2: I homeschool because I am selfish – Homeschooling Five

Written on November 17, 2010 by Kimberly in Children, General, Homeschooling Five, Kids, Parenting

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To read Part One go here. Again, a disclaimer:

The question I get asked most often in my every day to day life on and off the internet is this one. I am going to answer it honestly. Some of my readers are not going to like it. Some of you will want to defend why you send your children to school. Some of you are going to try to explain to me why you do not want to or can’t homeschool your children. Here is the thing, this is my opinion. This is me being honest instead of funny and coy about why we homeschool and I am not trying to tell you how you should raise your children or that you are a bad parent for not making the same choices as I do.

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On November 5th I ended my post on “Why do you homeschool?” with the statement that another reason for homeschooling my children was “I want my kids to be kids and I want to enjoy them being kids.” One of the reasons I chose to be a stay at home parent was because I wanted to watch my kids grow up. I didn’t want to miss out on things my children did or participated in. I didn’t want to come home after work and have to jump into a night routine of meals, bath time, and bed time with moments of homework, studying, and crammed in “quality time”. I wanted to spend time with them when they were at their best, their happiest, their funniest, and not when they were tired, stressed, and grumpy after a long day.

I had five children because I am selfish. I stay at home with my children because I am selfish. I homeschool my children because I am SELFISH.

Even on my hardest days when a glass of Crown and Coke sounds good before noon, kids are fighting, toddlers are coloring on walls, and I can’t even take a piss by myself, much less hammer out some writing on the computer, I would rather have my kids here, at home, with me than anywhere else. I don’t want to miss out on those special moments. Moments I missed with some of my children because they were in traditional schools, like that gleam in their eye and smile that crosses their face when they realize they can read or understand simple math or realize the earth rotates around the sun. I’m sure you remember those other firsts, like their first smile, steps, and first foods, then imagine how magical and wonderful it is to watch them learning all about the world around them and how to read! And it isn’t just about watching them learn, it is about watching them play. It is about seeing my kids be creative and using their imagination. I don’t just get to see the finished works of art my children make, I get to witness it being made and it is priceless.

I do not want to give those moments to someone else. I do not want to give a teacher, a practical stranger, those moments. Moments – special, wonderful, delightful moments to someone who will not treasure them nor appreciate them the way I will. Most kids are just another student in a different year passing through their classroom. Rarely does a teacher form a long term relationship with a student. Even if a teacher is very interested in a student and cares about their outcome, there is no way a teacher feels equally about each one of their students each and every year. The bottom line is this – no teacher is ever going to care more deeply, more passionately about my children’s education and well being than I am.

Childhood is such a small part of our lives and I want my children to enjoy it. I want them to get plenty of sleep without being forced out of bed early in the morning to ride the bus or go through a carpool line. I want my kids to be able to stay up late to spend time with their dad when he comes home late. I want to take my kids on vacations whenever I want too or go visit friends whenever the mood strikes us. I want my children to have healthy meals not the garbage served in school cafeterias or the processed foods that end up in most sack lunches. I want my kids to have recess, be able to chew gum, go to the bathroom, wear clothes they picked out and not uniforms, and drink water whenever they need too. I want to have long conversations with my teen about her latest work of fiction or the new vocabulary words she has learned that she is going to use in her own stories. I want my five year old to care more about playing with dolls and digging in the dirt than learning how to read. (gasp!) I want my kids to run around the yard with wooden swords fighting to the death, or using sticks as wands to act out a scene from Harry Potter – and I want to witness it. I want my kids to dress up stuffed monkeys and read them books and pretend to teach them geography or even better, pretend to take them off to some far off land while I take pictures when they aren’t looking. I’ll admit it, I’m greedy. I don’t want to share these moments with just anyone.

I’m selfish and if that was my only reason for homeschooling, it would be a damn good one.

Having a party?~

Bismillah

Salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullah

My goals for the kids is to give them a since of happiness along with teaching them the religion as teaching them the religion will be a guide to teaching them happiness.

First thing i have noticed about us Muslims who regard our self upon the adherence to the salafi dawah is that we strip away a lot of social fun from our children. This bothers me and it may be that i can pinpoint it so due to the fact that I did not grow up this way so it sorta stands out..  Ok granted we do not celebrate birthdays or many other celebrations at that, but, who said its wrong to reward them? 

It is not wrong to make a cake and give them a nice little non holiday day or a rewarding day so in the since of rewarding them, I will make cakes and decorate the home and show them we have a fun side in life too so that they will not go chasing others lifestyle.  

I have seen this with my own eyes, Families work so hard to give there children an Islamic lifestyle yet they forget that their children are watching others and some are whom whether they are Muslims or not are just plain people who they should not want them watching or following, But cud you blame them at all for that.  I have seen so many people lose there children to the dunya to this reason alone and its all because we lack social communitiship (yeah i just made that world up a little but if you pay attention you will see what I am trying to say)...

I was a born Muslim child and I am a witness to it. When you do not give to your children they will go find it somewhere else. You do not want them looking where they should not be looking at.  Although, some kids are just plain curious! :)

One Somili sister (a dear friend) said to me, " How can you expect Samyrah to do a good job with learning how to cook and clean when she has no peers to compete with". When she said this I admit i had a strange look on my face but what she was saying started to stick as she kept on talking. She than went on to say, "Girls are competitive, when we are in our village the girls all compete with each other and the one who can make her mom smile the most is the one who wins". Subhannallah, She bought back some many memories of my childhood just by stating this.

When we where younger, we had cooking contest and sewing contest and all. We had people in our lives to teach us different skills that we just thought was fun things to do at that age. And when I see how we are today and how we lack this it makes me SOOO sad for my children as they are missing this. But thru Allah azza wa jal's help  

 I do not know how to sew very well but I can teach how to do the basics why not just start there, I do know how to crochet. Teaching any skill is a test and can make you want to run away but when you think about the very person who took the time out of (now i know ) busy life to teach us why not return it back to someone else.

Teaching period is a task and its a due favor to be returned back to the community! We can do it its our children's god giving right mashallah. May Allah bless us in it ameen!

moving right along, back to parties LOL ha ha ha!

Samyrah just passed her assessment test on math and she did VERY good Alhamdulillah she got a 90%, I am not really shocked mashallah the girl is very excellent/and smart when it comes to math. Mashallah I will plan a nice lil girl party for her with cake decoration and small affordable gifts :) cant wait. I am just as excited as she will be once she fines out.

May Allah bless us all upon Birr wa Taqwa! Ameen Allahuma Ameen!

Until next time inshaallah!

Where going on a Nature "Walk"!

Bismillah~

Where going on a Nature "Walk"!

Today, our expedition was to venture out on a Nature walk. Should be fun since we are in a different world (Egypt) I am wondering how this will go.... Hmmmmmm will be back with an update lol he he he he....

Here is what well do inshallah.
For a Nature walk you want to be prepare for both the walk and the children. So I have prepared a small list of what I will bring along our trip.

*Paper, crayon and pencil for rubbing arts and stories...

*plastic bag for collecting anything interesting to us...

*Nature walk scavenger hunt game...
I spy something soft
I spy something blue
I spy something hard and breakable. etc etc.

*a note book for a nature walk journal entry.

Will be back with this weeks results inshallah

until next time....

Umm Samyrah♥

Our mini Lesson on Eclipses

Bismillah~

AsSalaamu alaykuuna, 

Hey gurls, its the Home schooling momma just wanted to share with you all a mini lesson we are doing. I know I am like 7 days late, but its still worth it and hey! Its never to late to learn anything.

I selected this site called Science a-z.com (I am sure you all have heard about it) for a number of reasons, one was because its just darn awesome! Sorry, I am just saying! One reason why this or these types of sites are appealing to me is because when living overseas well we just do not have much resources at hand so the net always comes in pretty handy alhamdulillah for that. Well... It is a Science spin off of the well known Reading A-Z.com site which lol I also love as well. Anywayz...

Kids are learning about Eclipses so here is the lesson....

Lesson Objectives

Reading Strategy	Ask and answer questions
Comprehension	Main Idea and Details
Grammar and Mechanics	Commas
Word Work	Conjunctions

Book Summary

Eclipses are amazing events that have caused wonder, fear, and excitement throughout history. This informative text explains the two different types of eclipses and how they occur. The reader will also learn what ancient people thought eclipses meant, the famous scientists who studied them, and how they learned to predict when eclipses will happen. Engaging photographs and diagrams enhance the text, and the book concludes with instructions on how to view eclipses safely.

About the Lesson

Targeted Reading Strategy

• Ask and answer questions

Objectives

• Use the reading strategy of asking and answering questions to understand text
• Identify main idea and details
• Identify the various uses of commas
• Identify and understand conjunctions

Vocabulary

• Content words: accuracy, astronomers, coincidence, cosmic, light filters, obscured, omens, orbited, partial, predict, theory

http://www.readinga-z.com/book.php?id=1428




*If you go to this site here you can read the Eclipses news letter for different grade levels and make a mini lesson out of it along with this as well. 




Ill post the links to the pdf for the News letters here mashallah




grade 2 :http://www.sciencea-z.com/content/widget/LunarEclipse_NewsArticle_2_L.pdf




grade 4: http://www.sciencea-z.com/content/widget/LunarEclipse_NewsArticle_4_L.pdf




grade 6: http://www.sciencea-z.com/content/widget/LunarEclipse_NewsArticle_6_L.pdf







Enjoy them all!~




until next time~

Umm Samyrah