Honestly speaking, who likes to have a bad day....A happy successful day is what everyone wants where everything runs smoothly, everyone does what they need to do without forgetting or without being told to........and... and......oh I could go on dreaming.
In reality life has it's own surprises for us everyday, what we can do is pray and strive for a successful one. We should remember to start our day with the following dua besides the other morning supplications.
I just love the beauty and simplicity of this supplication and wanted to share it with all of you.
We have entered a new morning and so too the entire kingdom of Allah has entered a new morning. Praise be to Allah. There is no God but Allah, Alone. He has no partner. To Him belongs sovereignty and praise and He is upon all things All-Powerful. My Lord I ask You for the good of this day and that which follows it, and I seek refuge in You from the evil of this day and that which follows it. My Lord, I seek refuge in You from laziness and helpless old age. My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of Hell-fire, and from the punishment of the grave.
Ameen
Would you like to color this picture yourself? Click on the image to find the coloring page
Abi and the boys had an opportunity to attend an Adhan Workshop, by Qari Imran Khan at our local Masjid a few months back. It had been a deep learning and inspiring experience for all.
Lil Muallim # 1 has been practicing the adhan for quite a few years, but more so as he is growing Mashallah. He looks for forward to a chance to give adhan sometimes when we have a large gathering at home to announce Salah time and Lil Muallim # 2 does the Iqamah. Mashallah!
A few days back while intending to review etiquettes and importance of adhan with my Lil Muallims I found the link to the actual workshop at the Understand Quran website. It has the power point presentation, the audio file and all Mashallah!
We are also using the following resources to support our review:
Littke Explorers Magazine's February/March Issue have a special section on Adahn. It's cute and colorful look makes you want to pick it up to read... and you are not disappointed!
If you don't get this magazine... go ahead click on the image. I highly recommend you to subscribe it.
2. Japan Quake Map Animation.......it shows 1087 earthqukaes popping around Japan in circles, wait till 15 seconds pass and the animation becomes eye popping
The Japan Earthquake 2011 has been one of the worst in Japan.
With all the devastation caused the actual impact cannot be measured, especially with the nuclear reactors melting how all this is going to affect us globally is a big question mark. For no matter what 'they' say and proclaim, even they themselves can only make assumptions.
For me natural disasters have become a way of getting closer to Allah........I try to ponder and contemplate about such incidences, but the Turkish Earthquake of 1999, the 2004 tsunami and the Pakistan Earthquake of 2005 hit me the hardest emotionally. The devastations were mind blowing, the stories were heart wrenching. I followed up on these incidents closely, and about them. I may blog about my personal notes about those one day. I often wonder how I would react if I was in such a situation.
Submitting to His Ultimate Power
Accepting my limitaions
Remembering the perished nations and their ignorance
Earthquakes really are a lot more than a natural phenomena and an important topic to teach children, safety, compassion and geography. It is a way of recognizing the Power of God and our own limitations. He (Allah) has bestowed us with the capabilities to prepare, get seismographic readings, satellite photos, maps and even fore warn, but all that does not ensure complete safety. What it does is, test us in so many ways:
How will we react in a time of such calamity ?
What will we do for others in such a situation ?
Will we remember Allah (God) and seek His protection ?
Will we complain ?
Will we realize anything?
Will we change our ways for the better in any way?
Will we remember or get sucked into the dunya again ?
This thought process of mine came about after a very strangely ignorant reaction I had during an earthquake back home in early 1999......
It was early in the morning. First I heard rumbling but wasn't sure what it was, I started walking towards my running washing machine wondering if that's where the noise was coming from. As I walked beside my dining room hutch I realized all the decorated glassware was rattling inside it. That made me realize it was an earthquake and our apartment building was shaking and the pipelines outside were clanging . I first held onto my dining hutch to ensure it wouldn't fall off, then I ran to my husband to tell him what was happening my heart beating. Saying may Allah make it fine in was something natural but once it was all over I realized how empty and ignorant my reaction was:
It didn't occur to me, that it could have gotten worse...it could have been my end as it was many in other areas, where the tremors hit the hardest
It didn't occur to me to pray to Allah for forgiveness and protection
I didn't think of my Akhirah
I hope we all wake up and mend our ways before it's too late!
Dunya (the world) compared to Akhirah (the eternal life!)
Surah Al Waqiah - The Event (i.e. The Day of Resurrection)
If you've read my ramblings about my Math Curriculum in a previous post. You must be wondering how it works. Well you've got to have it to understand it.
What I can say is that is it is neither spiral nor abstract. It builds upon concepts as mastery and comfort is achieved by not doing MORE but LESS.
The minimum required is 5 questions a day yes just 5. Most will of you might think that's not enough but in reality it is. This method takes away the daunting feeling of doing problem after problem on a worksheet but makes the task look short. easy and achievable. Infact it soon makes an average child cry out for more. My kida actually prefer to do several problems per 5 topics, but I have learnt and firmly believe that those who do just 5, make great progress. I know because I tried it.
Initially Lil Muallim # 1 couldn't believe that was all he had to do, but loved the change. The very same day he asked if he could have more questions to do in the next 5 a day. This is because Maths is one of his strong subjects. But when I have found him struggling on a concept I have changed the format of the 5 a days making it simpler.
Here's what our typical 5 a days looked like for Lil Muallim # 1 and # 2
LIL MUALLIM # 1
LIL MUALLIM # 2
That's what I call simple yet effective or in other words "little is more".
In the past couple of months they have become so comfortable and accustomed to this method that they can now pick up their own grade level workbook and do several questions on 5 different concepts they are on by finding the pages on their own.
Obviously this came around after my marking their 5 a days on a paper for a few weeks, which looked like this:
Mind you, that's not the only way we do math. You'll be finding out about that soon.
This post has been long due and is about something I did early last year with Lil Muallim # 2. Before formally introducing fractions to kids I think we introduce it in so many ways in our daily life.
We've all heard the following in our homes...
"I don't want this cookie it's broken in half!"
"Two slices out of the eight are mine!" I want one whole whole roti"
My point being the concept was already there. Now there was a need to look at it mathematically. I tried the same thing with Lil Muallim # 2 taht I had done with Lil Muallim # 1, a few years ago.
I took some scrap paper and folded them in halves and quarters.
Then I asked him how many parts the paper was divided in?
Each time he counted and answered accordingly
I then wrote the fractions on each half for him to show how each part was a fraction of the whole.
He then practiced coloring fractions on various worksheets I found online as well as in his math notebook.
The other day, we repeated the activity. This time round I made him fold the paper and make different fractions.
He made...... 1/2, 1/4, 1/3 and 1/8
Then he asked for more paper saying.....
"I want to try making bigger fractions"
Once he was done folding he opened the folds excitedly and counted how many parts he got each time. I loved the fact that without realizing he got his answers fast by doubling and skip counting, showing multiplication readiness.
This time he got.......1/6, 1/10, 1/12 and 1/25
In fact, that whole day he kept folding paper from time to time, trying to make smaller and smaller folds. In the end, he was quite pleased with himself for making:
I am often asked what Math curriculum I use? Well, initially I never looked into any curriculum for math or any other subject, for that matter. I made up my own curriculum with Internet as my guide and resource for Lil Muallim # 1. I did lean towards Math Mammoth as moved on to upper elementary.
But as I started to work with Lil Muallim # 2 and Lil Muallimah along with Lil Maullim # 1, I started looking for a clearer direction. I started to loose my confidence in being able to provide what they needed. Well time showed that I was worrying needlessly as I really didn't workbooks but mathematical thought and attitude.
What made me realise that?
A friend told me about this new Math curriculum she found in her search for a math curriculum for homeschoolers. I was intrigued.
What makes this yahoo group even more special for me was the fact that the author herself is on the group and replies to almost EVERY email personally with tips and ideas. I simply LOVE her humility. Mashallah
Let me tell you, in a matter of weeks I was totally sold on this curriculum. Now I just had to save up to buy it. and buy I did! Alhumdolillah.
WHY?
Because it is nothing like anything else out there. It doesn't have workbooks or worksheets but actually provides the tools and freedom to teach and learn math in FUN and relaxed way. I can't rave enough about this wonderful Math Curriculum, prepared by homeschooling parents Carlita and John Boyles.
WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL
Oooooh!! Sooooo many things!
It's made by homeschooling parents so they know EXACTLY how it is
It teaches you to think OUT OF THE BOX and SEE math everywhere
It teaches you there ISN'T only ONE WAY and how to find what works for each individual child
It gives you the freedom to work with your child's strengths and weaknesses WITHOUT pressure
It allows you to curb the curriculum to your child's abilities and not to curb the child to the curriculum
It goes with the child's maturational level and not grade level
It tailors itself to each individuals learning styles
It takes away the tears and brings smiles and joy
It gives confidence to the parent as well as the child
It makes Math natural, infact so natural that you start seeing math in things you never noticed before
It allows you to follow your child's interest and PLAY MATH with him in everyday life
and and and... I could go on
If you are wondering, why I am rambling and raving so much?
"NO I haven't been paid to say all this ! Hahaha"
I just love the freedom and confidence Math on the Level has given me in teaching math and want others to experience it too.
I truly thank Allah for showing me this path, All Praises are for Him The Facilitator.
I also use, Maria Miller's, Math Mammoth as it works very well with Math on the Level for my family. We love the tips and tricks she teaches in her books and videos.
Plus, I use several Math worksheets generating websites some of which are listed here on my resource blog:
Soon after the success of the first sensory tub, I made our 2nd one. Having done it once, I better understood the method and potential of this activity. I truly had a LEARNING BY DOING experience with this one. Alhumdolillah.....This is one of the biggest reasons I call my children my Lil Muallims.... they are my little teachers as they teach me how to teach them Mashallah!
Ok back to the sensory tub. Here's what It looked like:
The cutest and funniest thing was that as soon as Lil Muallimah realized I was collecting yellow things for her new sensory tub, she actually picked and chose what she wanted in it.... LOVE IT!!!
I used: Yellow lentils, rubber duck, hair clips, beads, lego, paper clip, balloon, kinex rod, pasta (rotini & fettuccine), construction worker figurine,crayon, eraser, toy banana, toy spatula, toddler link toys, stickle brick, and the yellow hat which is actually a toy farmer figurine standing in the lentils.....
This Sensory Tub stayed on one corner of our dining table for 2 weeks. Lil Maullimah kept going back to it and played out many stories in it (mostly with farmer brown and rubber ducky as the main characters in it) and hide and seek game by burying the objects in the lentils and then fishing them out. Mashallah!
I loved the fact that she not only kept going back to it but also took care not to topple over her sensory tub.
You can find many inspiring ideas for Sensory Tubs here:
When I was linking back Counting Coconuts I giggled to find that Mari-Ann had rubber duck in her yellow sensory tub. I guess it's the most obvious choice when finding yellow things for kids :) Will definitely be leaving a comment about this on her blog :)
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