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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Homeschooling |
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| eleanor |
| 04/23/02 at 06:21:38 |
| Bismillah [slm] Does anyone here homeschool? I was reading different stuff about it in the internet and one of the most astounding things I found out is that it is forbidden here in Germany :( Another good reason to move away... I don't have any children yet, but I am slowly getting more and more interested in the homeschooling prospect. Simply because I *loved* school when I was attending, I was good at school, and I love spending time with children. I think I could be a good educator to my children. At least for primary school. Then they could decide if they would like to go to a proper school for the remainder. I think the primary school years are so important in the child's development. Values and attitudes will be firmly anchored for life during this period. Since Muslims have such a hard time in schools here in Germany, coupled with the fact that schools are mixed, and the whole country's attitude towards matters of a sexual nature is a very relaxed one, I do NOT want my children educated in a german school. If that means moving to a different country, then so be it. I would probably be just as happy to have my children go to public school in a single sex school in Ireland for example, but if the choice is mine, then I will teach them myself. So really I just wanted to express that and to find out if any of you homeschool and if so, how have you been getting on? In what country and do you get any support from the State for school materials. Do your children have to do tests to prove that they are being educated to an acceptable level? Or if you don't homeschool why not? Any opposition to the homeschool idea? Jazak Allah for any info/opinion wasalaam eleanor :-* |
| Re: Homeschooling |
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| Chris |
| 04/24/02 at 13:45:05 |
| A serious reply, for once, rather than my userl Islam-Blasting rehotic. You could move to Britain. I am unaware of any real problems with Muslims in UK schools, and the ones I met at University are fine people. Well, most of them, I know some to whom I would not give the Time of day. I can ask around if you want. On homeschooling, the few objections that I can think of is Knowledge, resources and commuity. If had had children and I taught them, they would aquire a good veiw of History, fair amount of library skills, computer skills, and a slightly bised view of Religion. That is not enough for any child. Could you find and obtain all the resources you would need to teach properly? I don't think that I could and I'm supposed to be good at finding information. Would they have to take A-Levels? Probably, but could they? It might reflect badly on them in later years if, when interviewed, they say they were taught at home. The employees might say that thay could not have had proper training. The worst possiblity, which forms part of my objection to Islamic schools, is that they may aquire no experiance of other cultures. It is all to easy to believe that other cultures/colours etc, are bad because they are different. Will they regard non-muslims as devils? (all right, thats a bit silly, but I hope that you take my point). Hope that this helps Chris |
| Re: Homeschooling |
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| sweetgrass |
| 04/25/02 at 01:00:47 |
| Well, Elenore, I am looking into homeschooling a bit myself. Here in the States there are three states,--Wisconsin, Pennslyvania, and Colorado that make their public school cirriculum available for purchase as a homeschool course or for participation in public school while actually teaching the child at home. There are a few small legal differences which should not concern you. The website is www.k12.com and I think there is related information at www.covasc.org. This gives the child exactly the same education ciricula as the public schools so you get the whole package--science, math, reading, writing, arts--and whatever else they've got going. I like it because the program is all put together for you--but anyway I am not going to go this route next year with my Kindergartener--I will put together my own program. There is a bookstore here in town I will use. But online there is also--vegisourse. They use a lot of Christian material, but they do also carry wholly secular courses. I looked at a very interesting program offering a years program using German fairy tales as the program base. It sounded exciting and interesting, but I felt that my child is too young yet. Here in the States one can devise ones entire program utilizing materials from anywhere in the world. My friend uses Singapore math and orders her workbooks from Singapore. We have a citywide association that updates members on the law, offers recreational/social activities for the kids, publishes a newsletter, and meets once a month to answer questions and share information. There is an author--Mary Price--who writes books on educational programs. You know she buys them all, shares them with her kids, and publishes assessments of the materials. Here in the States the homeschooling trends is largly a Christian thing, although their reasons for wanting to keep their kids out of school are much the same as those you have expressed. I am only mentioning that to warn you that this is the predominate bias of homeschool education around these parts. However, there are other programs--all it takes is a little research. Have you found some muslim friendly educational materials? I would be interested in including some information on Islam that is child-oriented and written by a muslim. I would like my daughter to be exposed to that! What have you come across? :-* Patti |
| Re: Homeschooling |
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| sweetgrass |
| 04/25/02 at 02:20:55 |
| oOOPs! ::) Mary Pride is the name of the woman who writes the assesments on homeschool materials. The name is not Price. Her books are called The Big Book of Home Learning. My friends also recomended a phamplet called Scope in Sequence. This is a phamplet describing skills, knowledge, and tasks to be mastered at which age. I am sorry not to have information to share which is more Islamic--I am just getting started and my child is only entering K so I have not delved into the subject much at all. Maybe someone out there has found Islamic homestudy material? That would bring me more up to speed. :-X Patti |
| Re: Homeschooling |
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| eleanor |
| 04/25/02 at 06:07:31 |
| [slm] nah.. I haven't looked into anything yet. I would more than likely only be teaching primary school level. I don't even have any children yet, probably won't for another 2 yrs or so, Insha Allah... But I do know that (a) my child won't go to a german school and (b) since homeschooling is not an option in Germany then our future as a family is not in Germany. We would love to move to London, Insha Allah. But in a city like London, there is more choice - single sex schools, islamic schools and homeschooling. My husband mentioned it would be okay for a boy to go to school in Germany but not a girl. I disagreed strongly because I felt that the boy would grow up in an environment where girls would be discussed in a disrespectful manner, and that's not on. I am more worried about potential impact on attitudes and opinions than actual bullying/harrassing etc. Although this is another field for worry too. Insha Allah, if I do get to homeschool my children, by that stage we will be living in a Muslim community, where through the mosque and neighbours they will have enough contact with their peers to make friends. Providing enough material for learning is not an issue. It's knowing what to limit it to, that will prove more difficult I would imagine... As for experiencing different cultures, I come from one, my husband from another and we will potentially be living in a third. A biased knowledge of religion? Nothing could be more biased than the religious instruction I received in my Catholic schooling. We never even learned about another single religion. It was Catholicism all the way. We never even learned about the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism. Hopefully, if my child does go to school I will be able to expand on the religious instruction she/he receives/does not receive. wasalaam eleanor :-* |
| Re: Homeschooling |
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| enchantedjewel |
| 04/25/02 at 11:53:56 |
| salaams, i do homeschooling..and i'm in middle school...and believe me..it sooo suxs :'( i hate doing homeschooling..and i know a lot of other gurls whos parents made them do homeschooling..and most of them feel the same..and for me it wasnt like i was going to a public school to began with..i was in a islamic school that was sooo awesome mashallah..i had one more yr till i graduated from there..but my rents insisted on me doing homeschooling..and its good in the sense that i go on my own schedule and stuff...but i hate not being able to see my friends..that really gets me....and being with family and parents 24/7 can drive u up the walls no offense to them or anything..so if u r planning on doin homeschooling with ur kids..first ask them if tehy want to or not..cuz if they dont want to...it can lead to trouble(falling behind in school work)..and if ur forcing ur kids to do homeschooling....make sure u give them enough activities outside of the house.....volenteer work...goin to the masjid..and just let them hang out with friends or let them invite friends over..just my 2 cents..since i happen to be living thro it right now :) salaams, ~Summy |
| Re: Homeschooling |
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| Jenna |
| 04/25/02 at 15:30:17 |
| Wa'alaikum Assalaam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh I would have to disagree somewhat with 'enchanted jewel'. I was homeschooled all my life and am still doing it for college. I was bored sometimes, and lonely *I [i]was[/i] the only child*. Yet my mom explained why she did not want me in the kaffir school system. Even though I was young I still understood as the years passed; why I was doing homeschool. And now being older, I appreciated being schooled in the house. (I did have a few years in the public school system, and islaamic school befor ebeing homeschooled). InshaAllah it will help a lot if you have at least 2 children so they can be companions to one another and/or find another sis who is homeschooling her child, and do it together. (Its better then nothing). Do not let the child make this decision, because it is very important, and its something that should be decided by someone who has experienced the world. As children, we will just grab the first shiny thing not understanding it could be harmful. Homeschooling will be hard, but it will be soo much better, because you can not only monitor your childs curriculim, yet also see who your child hangs around. Where as in a public school you never see who they hang around. Feel free to e-mail me at MuslimahAtHome@aol.com or AMuslimWife@aol.com Your Sis in Islaam Jenna :-) |
| Re: Homeschooling |
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| nabeela |
| 04/25/02 at 16:43:55 |
| [slm] i would suggest that if possible homeschool with a group of parents. This way your child has others to interact with and if you are lacking in any subject it might be another parent's strong point. i work with a group of people and homeschool children. we use some of the state's cirriculum and throw in whatever we want. in this set up children work at a much faster pace then in public school, they are not held back by the class. and since its usually a small group of kids (5-10)its not hard to work with kids one on one at different levels, meaning everyone does not have to be at the same place at the same time, even different grades can be put together. plus you get to teach them whatever you want, your not restricted. homeschooling is not recommended for everyone, only for parents who can really be involved in their child's education. [wlm] |
| Re: Homeschooling |
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| Kashif |
| 04/26/02 at 05:17:01 |
| assalaamu alaikum I was also wondering about this some time ago. How practical is it to get a group of parents (probably mainly mums) to work together for homeschooling? So like, two days all the kids go to one mum's house where she teaches them maths, another day they go to another mum for a different subject, etc. That way, they get to interact with other Muslims, binding communities closer together, and also, each mum would get a day or so away from looking after the kids all day. Kashif Wa Salaam |
| NS |
| Re: Homeschooling |
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| eleanor |
| 04/26/02 at 05:24:34 |
| [slm] this of course would probably be the ideal situation for some. But I think you would want to make sure that these sisters are good friends whom you can speak your mind to. And that if you criticise something they may have done/not done, then it will not come in the way of your friendship. Get what I mean? Maybe you don't like how she disciplines your child.. or whatever.. But I think that for a group of like minded sisters it could be very helpful and constructive. wasalaam eleanor :-* |
| Re: Homeschooling |
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| nabeela |
| 04/26/02 at 19:15:33 |
| [slm] i completely agree, who you work with has to be someone you are on the same wavelength as. and who teaches your kids does not necessarily have to be the parents, if you know someone who is willing to teach them then that works too. you can have a group of kids being taught by someone else, preferably a muslim you know. perhaps a teacher who is not working anymore, or anyone who is capable of teaching them. thats pretty much what i'm involved in. and alhamdulilah it works out well. then the parents help out with the homework in the evenings, takes some stress off the parents knowing if they can't teach them something then they do have help. [wlm] |
| Re: Homeschooling |
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| Shabnam |
| 04/27/02 at 17:40:48 |
| [slm] I have a friend here in England who took her three kids out of school, ( ages 7, 5 & 3) and started homeschooling them. She got together with other muslim mums and now runs a small Islamic school on the top floor of her house. All of the Children are under 7, but when they get to be 10, she will put them back into state schools. This is because there is an opinion that to send your kids to non-muslim schools when they are under 10, and still innocent is haraam. Although, I must say I don't follow that opinion on a lack of evidences, but when my children reach the age of 10, I will seriously consider homeschooling them myself, as then they will be at that age of maturity and free-mixing. Here in England there are lot of support agencies and web - pages on homeschooling, I've looked into it a bit! Has anyone else heard any opinions about Schooling? [wlm] [wlm] Sister Shabnam :-) |
| Re: Homeschooling |
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| ann |
| 04/27/02 at 17:48:02 |
| Hi I am also intersted in homeschooling. I have started looking into homeschooling information. I live in the States and there are a lot of homeschooling curriclum but most of it is Christain based. I have a least a couple more years to go before I really need to start homeschooling. My children are 3 and 8 months. My husband has started teaching our son the Arabic letter and he is really picking them up fast. I have already taught him his ABC's and he can count to 20 and he knows his colors and shapes and how to write and spell his name. He is also beginning to read and he jus turned 3. But I would like to know what we should start teaching him about Islam and if there are any good books anyone would recommend to read. My husband is Muslim but he does not have that much time to help me with teaching the kids. Insha Allah I to will be Muslim soon. I did find this website that might be helpful RESOURCES FOR THE FULL-TIME/PART-TIME MUSLIM HOMESCHOOLER Any information anyone has about homeschooling I would love to hear it. Thanks Salam Ann :-* |
| Re: Homeschooling |
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| Chris |
| 04/29/02 at 15:05:21 |
| The danger of Homeschooling, as I see it, is that your kids will not meet many non-muslims and will not appriate the diversity of people and life. One of the most amusing incidents in my life was meeting a young muslim boy who said, upon discovering that I was non-muslim, "won't you go to hell then?" I laughed, but some people would have clobbered him. Just my two cents Chris |
| Re: Homeschooling |
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| Maliha |
| 04/29/02 at 15:40:59 |
| [slm] My sister who is 12, was recently told by her Christian friend "if you are not saved by Jesus Christ you will go to hell..."... ::) Anywayz, Ann you might want to check out www.soundvision.com they have cool curriculums for Islamic studies starting from Pre K onward. You might be able to use the material for your children. Inshaallah when I have my children i will either homeschool or teach at the Islamic school they go to...Before ten years of age I would like them to be Hafiz's and Hafiza's Inshaallah ;) And pretty much focus on giving them a firm foundation on deen. My two cents :) Maliha :-) [wlm] |
| Re: Homeschooling |
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| amatullah |
| 04/29/02 at 16:29:33 |
| Bismillah and salam, Take a look to this: http://www.islamicgarden.com/page1042.html http://i.webring.com/hub?ring=muslimhomeschool http://www.ArabesQ.com http://ummawalid.tripod.com/ http://community-2.webtv.net/ONLINERESOURCES/PMHRNSINTERNET/ http://muslimtodaykids.hypermart.net/islamiclinks.htm http://www.muslimhomeschool.com/ http://drkarimaw.tripod.com/MHE/home.html http://ourseeds.jeeran.com/ http://www.islamicschool.net http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/homeschool/home.htm http://www.gomilpitas.com/homeschooling/religion/islamic.htm and last is an old message board http://boards.parentsplace.com/messages/get/ppsunnimuslim8.html go to topic 47/48 for more links listed there as well. This is the link http://www.angelfire.com/oh3/homeschooling/ |
| Re: Homeschooling |
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| Anonymous |
| 05/02/02 at 03:43:34 |
| I believe in homeschooling for the first few years of life. To me, it sounds ridiculous to leave your children for most of the day with someone else whose values are very different than mine. If we are lucky parents we get to spend about an hour to two with them before bedtime, but it just isn't enough to make sure that you are instilling all that they will need to be Islamically rooted. However, I heard that one disadvantage of homeschooling is the lack of social life. A traditional treacher said to me that even if I try to get them to mix with other kids, the fact will remain they get to mix with a more diverse group of their peers (the good, the bad and the ugly) which gives them the experience of choosing friends, rejecting some bad choices,etc that they wouldn't get to do otherwise. IE the circle of friends, or kids in a certain community are more likely to have more in common than not. Do you think that is true???! |
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