Sr Alif blogs

Lesson #1  

Narrated by Aisha, Ummul Mu’minin: When the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) arrived after the expedition to Tabuk or Khaybar (the narrator is unsure), the draught raised an end of a curtain which was hung in front of her store-room, revealing some dolls which belonged to her.

He asked: What is this? She replied: My dolls. Among them he saw a horse with wings made of rags, and asked: What is this I see among them? She replied: A horse. He asked: What is this that it has on it? She replied: Two wings. He asked: A horse with two wings? She replied: Have you not heard that Solomon had horses with wings? She said: Thereupon the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) laughed so heartily that I could see his molar teeth.

.

Make a toy horse with wings to teach kids about this incident! My friend’s 4 year old daughter Ayeshah was quietly playing in the living  room, as I was chatting with her mother. I had to take a sneak peak to look at why she was so quiet. To my pleasant surprise she was not watching television or zoned on Leapster, but playing with a small toy horse. I exclaimed, “Oh Ayesha! That’s exactly what the Prophet’t wife used to play with. She had the same name like you too-Ayeshah. She played with a horse toy too…but her horse  had wings!” “Why did it have wings?” So I told her the hadith about the toy horse. “My horse does not have wings…I know!! I can make my OWN wings!” and then she left in a hurry to her room, and came back with two cut out paper wings and she asked me to help her color the wings as she add the finishing touches. And voila! 

Lesson #2   

Narrated Ar-Rubi’ bint Mu’awadh: The Prophet sent a messenger to the village of the Ansar in the morning of the day of ‘Ashura’ (10th of Muharram) to announce: ‘Whoever has eaten something should not eat but complete the fast, and whoever is observing the fast should complete it.’  She further said, “Since then we used to fast on that day regularly and also make our boys fast. We used to make toys of wool for the boys and if anyone of them cried for, he was given those toys till it was the time of the breaking of the fast.”

Get inspired and teach your children to get busy and creative while fasting- just as their little brothers did from generations ago! Here is a list to of ways to keep the kids occupied and relive our deen’s history from this hadith:

Make Muslim yarn dolls: Crafty? Get creative with Umm Abdul Basir’s Muslim Yarn Dolls. 

Make a Muslim doll : Not that crafty? Use Smart Ark’s simple Doll craft kit.

Make Muslim Paper dolls: Download these paper dolls! From A Muslim Child is Born blog.

Lesson #3 

 It’s so important to study and learn our history and deen directly from the Quran. It is rich in stories that we all can learn from. Teaching Quran may be challenging to some,  but an introduction to all the prophets’ stories is a great way to begin!  

Teaching Islamic Stories using Lego figurines: Older children will enjoy this project a lot. After reading through the many pages of the Quran in this fun and creative form, they will surely inspire to make their own. This is a very effective way to learn from the Quran. Why not make them study Surah Kahf on Friday and then get them to make their own Cave stories with their lego pieces? 

These are just ideas to interest your child in Islam by using the means that they enjoy the most.  If something worked for you and your child, we would love to hear from you and add it to this list! Write to us at jannahsteps@gmail.com

Sr Alif blogs

So many math concepts can be taught in the month of Ramadan! Here are some nifty ideas with masjid math connections! 

1. Here is a shape coloring page for kids to color during Tarawih time! DOWNLOAD HERE: masjid math #1

2. Build some Masajid from around the world using pattern blocks. Pattern blocks are a popular form of teaching geometry, symmetry, and patterns. This site offers an Islamic twist. Well worth printing the color downloads too: http://www.scribd.com/doc/21335679/pattern-blocks-masjids

3. Have fun making these 3-D Masjid using legos. What a great way to spend time with your child building masajid with legos! This clever Muslim mom made wonderful masajid with her child. Two models so far…would love to see some more!

4. Recycle containers can be made into 3-D mosques! This is quite a challenge if your kids are little, but it’s good pass time if you like to papermache and have the time to spend with them. I would recommend making a smaller masjid with the little ones, and tape the boxes together before the child adds the strips. Also, this is a great way to teach 3-D shapes i.e.cube, cylinder, dome, pyramid. This is a great project for the older ones to complete on their own! 

Sr Alif blogs

Each Friday as I would lead my third graders back to class after attending Jumma Prayer, I would make them unwind from their tiring week by sitting down with the latest weekly subscription of Weekly Reader, a children’s educational magazine that covered the latest news and stories on character,  school life and the world around them. And each week as we would lap these readers up, I so wished that I had more time to head such an Islamic Magazine or book series for Muslim kids to replace the ones we were reading to help build their Muslim identity side by side to gaining knowledge while giving them a quality product that inspires them just like these readers have.

When browsing Facebook recently, I was pleasantly surprised by what I discovered. I chanced upon a project just like the one I had imagined all these years! I got a chance to interview the minds behind the project and am really so excited to share this with all of you. InshAllah we will soon see them working on magazines for older children too (pretty please?) My only request to my lovely readers is to support projects like these so we can have quality resources for our young inquiring Muslim minds.

To find out more about Noor Kids, I asked Amin Aaser…

Noor Kids is an activity book series made specifically for 3-8 year old Muslim children in North America. Through our four characters – Amin, Shireen, Asad, and Amira – our goal is to engage little Muslims with Islamic education, Muslim culture, and American integration while instilling confidence in our children’s religious identity!  Our 28 page activity books are published four times a year.

 Who are the people who work behind Noor Kids?

We are a team of two brothers (Amin Aaser, 22 and Mohammed Aaser, 25) who aspire to help Muslim-American Children build confidence in their faith. The two of us grew up in Minneapolis, MN and understand the challenges we face in practicing our faith. Over the last three years, Mohammed and I have both played an active role in our local maddressa, teaching high school students on navigating the Western world.

Mohammed came up with the initial idea for Noor Kids and is currently managing much of the marketing and technology associated with the initiative. He recently graduated with Honors and Distinction from the Harvard Business School with a Master’s in Business Administration. Prior to graduate school, he worked as a Management Consultant with McKinsey and Company. He completed his undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, majoring in Marketing, Supply-Chain Management, and Management Information Systems.

I (Amin) am the author for Noor Kids. In addition to creating the activity books, I play an active role in the marketing and strategy alongside Mohammed. I also completed my undergraduate studies with High Honors and Distinction from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, majoring in Finance, Marketing, and Supply-Chain Management. I currently work at General Mills as a Financial Analyst.

How did you come up with this idea?

The idea came up while Mohammed (my brother) and I were reflecting on the challenges we’ve faced growing up as a Muslim in the U.S. If you recall, headlines last December were overflowing with negative messages towards Muslims due to plans to build a mosque in New York City. During the discussion, our older sister, Shireen, proudly announced that insha’Allah we would soon become uncles as she would be delivering a child!

In the excitement, we had concluded that while our experience as Muslims growing up in the U.S was challenging, it would certainly be more difficult for Muslim children to grow up in the current environment. At that point, we decided that it was our responsibility, as capable and motivated Muslim-Americans, to play a role in brightening the picture of little Muslims in North America!

Alhumdulillah, six months later, we are excited to share the first issue of Noor Kids! Insha’Allah, we are optimistic that Noor Kids will make a positive contribution to little Muslims all around North America!

What are some of your themes you would like to cover in Noor Kids?

We had a chance to talk with 60 moms and dads all around North America. We found that parents are specifically concerned around (1) how their Muslim child is going to fit in, and (2) how their child will maintain confidence in their religious identity.

The themes reflected in Noor Kids seek to solve these problems. Specifically, our stories relate to Islamic education, Muslim culture, and American integration:

(a) Islamic education - given that our publication is an Islamic book, one of our primary goals is to provide foundational religious values to our children. Things that are included are manners/ values, the 99 names, stories of the prophets, Arabic, and a host of others.

(b) Muslim culture - the Muslim-American community is not homogeneous by any means. We are not Indian, African-American, Asian, Caucasian, etc – we are all of the above. It’s important for us to share bits about each of these cultures such that children get exposure to the breadth of diversity that exists within Islam.

(c) American integration - while providing Islamic education and Muslim culture, we also want to help kids ‘fit’ in by making religion ‘normal’ and integrating it into everyday society.

What do you see yourselves achieving with this project?

Insha’allah, one day Mohammed and I will both be blessed with little ones of our own. We would love for them to have a resource, like Noor Kids, that would enable them to maintain confidence in their identity and help them fit in. We would love for our children to build a relationship with Amin, Asad, Shireen & Amira as they would Mickey Mouse or Dora the Explorer. In doing so, insha’Allah we will be able to brighten the picture for little Muslims all around North America. At the same time, we hope that others, who are not Muslim, are able to pick up a copy and realize that Muslims aren’t so different – that we share fundamental beliefs and are more similar than many might believe.

How did you come up with the characters for the book series?

Mohammed and I have been blessed with incredible parents! Our Mom is a child caretaker, and because of that, we’ve witnessed over a dozen children raised under our roof. Over the years a couple of children, with exceptional personalities, made a mark on my life. Each of our characters, Amira, Shireen, Asad, and Amin, are created based off of these children and their unique personalities!

Asad – The Scientist! Curious, smart, and kind, Asad breaks things apart just to learn how to put them back together! He loves to play with new gadgets, tell riddles, and solve puzzles!

Amira – The Artist! Creative, bubbly, and caring, Amira loves making works of art. She likes to pick flowers, play dress-up, write poems, and giggle with friends!

Amin –  The Sports Star! Athletic, witty, and playful, Amin loves being around his friends. He loves to learn new yo-yo tricks, telling funny jokes, and practicing soccer!

Shireen – The Explorer! Brave, adventurous, and excited, Shireen’s love for animals and nature takes her to interesting places. She enjoys taking pictures, chasing butterflies, and getting her hands dirty!

Noor Kids, what is the story behind the name choice?

In developing a book series for children, one of the first and most important decisions was around the name. In college, I was introduced to Surah Al-Noor and there are a couple of verses that really made a substantial impact on the person I am today. In Surah Al-Noor (24), verses 34 to 40 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1A0LQs2Vog), Allah proclaims that he is the Light of the heavens and the earth. He says that he guides who he pleases into the light and that the light exists in houses that have made God a part of their life. Allah says that he gives blessings, withholding nothing, to those who he wills!  However, those who are in disbelief do not get the opportunity to see Allah’s light and are in a perpetual state of darkness.

Just like a sailor who is steering his ship under the dark blanket of night seeks out the shine of a lighthouse to find the security of land,  I seek out Allah’s light to provide my personal sense of security. Given the context of the challenging environment which exists in North America for Muslims, finding the light for direction is all the more important, else one might find themselves perpetually lost at sea. We hope that our activity book can serve as a beacon of light for little Muslims; this is why we named the book series ‘Noor Kids’ and why we say that it will insha’Allah ‘brighten the picture’ and be ‘a light’ for little Muslims.

Where can I find Noor Kids, how do I order, and what can I expect from a subscription?

Our activity books series are 28 pages and will be published four times during our first year. Insha’allah, as we receive support and positive feedback from parents, we will increase the number of books that we publish per year. Noor Kids is available for order online at http://www.NoorKids.com. We have a sample on our site as well, and would love for you to take a look for yourself.

What hurdles did you experience while making this magazine?

In developing Noor Kids, Mohammed and I have faced a couple of substantial hurdles, namely (a) making a book that is perfect for 3 to 8 year old children, and (b) spreading the word around the Muslim community in North America.

A critical success factor for making a children’s book is ensuring that the content and design are made perfectly for the aptitude of a child. As the author, this meant that I needed to deep dive into the mind of a child and really understand what makes a 6 year old get excited! I started going to the library 2-3 times per week, spending hours upon hours reading children’s books. Instead of spending my free time watching my watching the nightly news, I started to watch Arthur, Spongebob, Recess, Dora the Explorer and a host of other great children’s TV shows. At my local Islamic School, I leveraged my students to observe their little brother’s and sister’s to understand what was ‘cool’ and what wasn’t so that we could ensure Noor Kids is relevant.

After building the initial concept for Noor Kids, we created an online community of 60 moms and dads around North America to provide feedback on our content and design. This group was invaluable to our development as it really helped us understand a parent’s point of view on what they are looking for in an Islamic publication as well. In doing so, we were able to create a product that was ‘Kid tested, Mother approved!’

The other challenge that we’ve experienced, and are still experiencing, is getting the word out about Noor Kids. We have received incredible positive feedback from those that have had a chance to see the sample of Noor Kids; however, we still have a very long way to go. Mohammed and I have invested our heart and soul into this project and we’re insha’Allah hopeful that others in the community will help get the word out and support Noor Kids as they become aware of the project. We believe that Muslims in North America will appreciate the contribution that Noor Kids is positioned to make for little Muslims in North America.

A Request from Noor Kids…

What we ask from you!

If Noor Kids resonates with you, you can help by doing three things:

(a) Subscribe: Through your support, insha’Allah, we can create Noor Kids viably for the long term and ensure that we provide a necessary resource for little Muslims!

(b) Stay Connected: Search ‘Noor Kids’ on Facebook and Twitter and stay connected to get the lastest updates on the initiative!

(c) Tell Friends: Mention Noor Kids to your friends at your mosque or in passing!

Together, insha’Allah, we’ll be able to bright the picture for little Muslims all around North America!

Jazak’Allah Khair,

Amin

Busy Baby Mama blogs

Mothers, are you looking for an online support community? Well, here’s my pick.

GrowMamaGrow is an online community of American Muslim mothers and young women. The project provides a supportive, friendly, and non-judgmental space for women to share experiences, support one another, grow in their spirituality, and inspire each other. Aren’t we all looking for a place like this?

Their blog is updated twice a week with fresh, original reflections on everything from spirituality to peanut butter by everyday mothers like you. Visit the GrowMama Blog on the main page for inspirational posts on a wide range of topics…or even contribute your experiences and ideas. Browse through the archives or the resource center for readings on parenting, self-awareness, relationships, organizing, and health. The GrowMama discussion board is the “kitchen table” of their site, where real women share life experiences, discover friendships, and support each other.  Click on the image below to go to their website. Enjoy!

Umm Professional blogs

March is Women’s History Month, and what better way to learn about women in our history than rekindle the forgotten life of young Fatima Al- Fihri. Fatima was a well known Tunisian aristocrat in Morocco who spent her inheritance wisely. She built a Masjid and spent her fortune to convert part of it into a university.  The first university that still stands in this world today. Read more about her on http://theurbanmuslimwomen.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/fatima-al-fihri-founder-of-the-oldest-university-in-the-world/. Her story takes me back to my very old friend, Sister Sommieh Flower, the former principal of Islamic school in Michigan, who has now moved on from bringing some food to poor refuge Afghan children in Pakistan to making an all-girls school for these children who have been entirely relying on Allah for some miracle-getting education.

She met them eating rotten apples by the road side, and now they come by her doorsteps looking for leftover dal and rice. Their toys and amusement are hours of playing kitchen with sets made out of broken bowls and branches, making curry with mud. Going to school is a dream for them because they spend their day searching through garbage for plastic bags, batteries, cardboard boxes to sell, so they can buy food (usually a few rotis) to survive.

She decided to take action, and be proactive, “Why should I just feed them, when I can teach them how to not only survive but to grow into productive, contributing, member of society?” She has a plan to open a free school for 30 impoverish girls, and is hoping to expand the school. She ensures all students are given full meals twice a day. And she plans to have teachers teaching urdu, english, and other academics, as well as life and craft skills. She is also planning to have computer classes.

If you would like to support her cause please visit www.sitaraschool.com

Sr Alif blogs

It’s such an honor to have 1001 Inventions come to New York City! I had the blessing of attending this wonderful showcase of Muslim Science exhibition. (Also read Globe Girl’s Post on her trip to the 1001 Inventions here.)

To really take advantage of the exhibition and this wonderful information, these are a few suggestions to make the trip extend into your classroom or to your homeschooling group. Even if you did not have the chance to go, some of their resources are very interesting and can be explained without the Museum trip. Here are some suggestions on how it can be applied in your very own learning environment.

For Ages 8 to 14

1. Assign one week  or one month (depending on your Science and Social Studies Curriculum) to the theme: “Dark Ages or the Golden Ages?”-Brain storm information using a KWL chart on the Dark Ages.

2. Watch the video Secrets of the Library and then go back to the KWL chart to add more information.

3. Break into groups according to the different zones of the Museum, and have them read as much about the zones  and the Scientists that contributed to each zone. Use the link here to download topics explaining some Muslim inventions and how they have helped form many of the products we use today like cameras, clocks, cars etc. Have them share their findings on poster board.

4. If you have a chance to go to the Museum and experience the different zones, download these wonderful worksheets, as they can be used for students to find information on their own at the Museum. If you cannot go, you can easily have them do the search online. Use the Muslim Heritage website (http://1001inventions.com/), as they have all the information the student will need to answer these questions.

5. Enrich your teaching skills and Science curriculum by downloading the Teacher Pack here.  It contains well organized lesson plans on how to teach these topics at an elementary and junior level. Although tailored to a junior or middle school audience, the lessons can easily be tailored down to a younger age group.

6. Finally, each group can do a presentation on different Muslim scientists and their discovery and invention from the different zones. It would also be wonderful if they dressed up in a costume of these Muslim Scientists as well and even create a play!

This is a great way to combine Multi-cultural perspective of Muslim civilization and their contribution to the science world. It’s well worth the trip, and if not it can easily be incorporated into your science curriculum using 1001 Inventions teachers resource kits.

For more information on the 1001 exhibition,you can go to http://www.1001inventions.com.

For the museum trip and fees you can go to  http://www.nysci.org/visit/events/1001

Sr. Alif blogs

There are Muslim homeschoolers’ blogs, and there is Talibdeen Junior. I have to commend the site’s incredible accomplishment in providing wonderful resources, lesson plans, and worksheets that are well thought out and complete. The lessons have been extremely useful to many educators that I personally know, as well as millions of viewers worldwide. Sister Umm Ibrahim, the creator and mind behind this resourceful and inspirational website, integrates Islam in English, Science, and Social Studies using the  United States Education Standards. Her lessons are simple and useful to parents, homeschoolers and educators. My favorite is the the TJ Ramadan blog, it provides lessons for each day of Ramadan which is just perfect for people who want to get spoon fed. Hey, admit it, sometimes we all want to!!

I had the pleasure to interview Sister Um Ibrahim herself.  We ask Allah(SWT) to bless her and her family for her tireless devotion to Islamic education.

Q. Give us a brief summary of your life.

A. Well, my life definitely wouldn’t make the bestseller list.  I am an American Muslim who grew up in California. Married my college sweetheart who I have known for 22 years alhamdulillah and have been blessed with 7  children (one no longer with us) and three stepchildren (belonging to my beloved co wife and best friend who passed away five years ago).  I’ve moved around quite a bit due to husband being in military (non Islamic days) or for religious reasons, seeking beneficial Muslim communities to live in, and then for Hijrah.

Q. Where do you currently reside, and what are you doing there?

A. I live in the Middle East due to my husband’s work. We made hijrah to Egypt back in 2002, and then after living there for about a year and a half, we lived in Yemen for six years (my kids miss it dearly) and are now in the gulf region.

Q. How many children do you have, and what are their ages?

A. 6 biological children: ages 17, 15, 12, 8, 5, 2 and 3 step children in my care: 10, 8, and 6 .

Q. What is your educational background?

A. I have a B.S. in Civil Engineering. I would love to be able to get a Master of Education in Curriculum Instruction some day, in sha Allah.

Q. One thing we do not know about you…

A. I was voted shyest person of my high school class.  I tell some of my cyber friends and they cannot believe it as they say I seem so outgoing from my writing on my blog.  Islam and having kids has given me a lot more confidence and a greater love for life than I ever had before Islam, alhamdulillah.

Q. We see you as a woman of many talents, but what talent in your opinion is one that you wish you had.

A. I really wish I had talent in the area of graphic design/art. I’d like to squeeze some illustration from my oldest daughter, because she has more of an eye for design and color coordination than I do, ma sha Allah.

Q. What does the name Talibiddeen Jr mean, and how did you come up with it?

A. When we were in US, one of the states we lived in required us to register our homeschool with a name. I was flipping through a name book at the time and I saw that Talib meant student, or seeker of knowledge.  I can’t remember if that entire name, Talibiddeen or just Talib was in there but I had also seen some names such as shams uddeen, etc that used deen in the name, so I thought, how fitting for young Muslims!

Q. You have many websites, what is the reason for you to break them into multi sites?

A. It is easier to maintain (usually) a lot of smaller sites, than one big one.

Q. List all your websites.

A. Right now, the functional ones are: Talibiddeen Jr. (Full homeschool site, but only Islamic Studies resources are available at this time), TJ Homeschool Blog, TJ Ramadan, TJ-Hajj (haven’t updated since the first year, but it is still available. Other sites I have maintained and hope to revive in the future, in sha Allah: Orderly Muslim Home and Raising Muslim Daughters

Q. How many hours do you dedicate to your websites each week or day?

A. Not a set amount.  I used to have more time for them the past couple of years, but now only really maintain the blog on a regular basis.  I make materials all throughout the week as needed for our homeschool and at least try to post  them on the blog if I can’t update on the main site.

Q. How do you manage to work on them while you homeschool?

A. I have a lot of big kids and so they are able to do a lot of housework which gives me some “free” time. I only go out for grocery shopping really and don’t have outside commitments, so I don’t have other things to take up my time outside of homeschool and daily household maintenance.

Q. Mashallah you have a lot of computer skills that enable you to form your own materials, can you tell us what kind of computer software you are savvy with?

A. For my website, I use Expression Web. I took html and css tutorials to help me to customize my site.  I use Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, which I absolutely love.  It is incredible what you can do with today’s PowerPoint, it’s not just for presentations, I make print materials in it as well. But honestly, all you need is just a capable word processor (I use Word for the bulk of my materials) and then I PDF the files for those who may not have word or an equal counterpart.

Q. Who has been your inspirational teachers or educators?

A. Really, Islam has been my best teacher.  It has taught me how to live, and to worship my Lord, which is the reason we are here in the first place. Islam covers every aspect of our lives.  Such a blessing Allah has bestowed on us, ma sha Allah, to be Muslim, the greatest gift of all.

Q. What is some advice you would like to share with other inexperienced homeschooling moms out there?

A. Know that homeschooling will ALWAYS be a challenge. I’ve been doing it for 12 years and sometimes I still feel like a novice. Although at times, you might feel inexperienced, every homeschool is unique and what works for one home schoolers may not work for yours. However, you are in charge, and you set your priorities for YOUR children. The going will get tough, but hang in there, and ask Allah’s help. If this is what you truly believe in, then focus all your energy on your family, and don’t look back.

Remember that homeschooling is not just about the teaching secular subjects, but it’s about training your children to be well rounded Muslims.  Even if you have had a day with little academics, always look at what you have done Islamically. I try to make sure that if little else gets done, we remember Allah throughout our day.

All kids are different so don’t expect that one cookie cutter method or curriculum will work.  Some kids will thrive in homeschool and others will appear not to. My oldest, 17, has been unschooled (not by my choice) for most of his life. He just doesn’t like to study, but ma sha Allah, he loves to read and takes the initiative to learn on his own when he wants to. Most importantly, by just listening to him speak about his religion and his love for it awes me, and makes me realize that this is the fruit of my Islamic Training with him. So, focus on your children’s strengths and interests. Some might go running to college, and others are not. But If you give them the gift of Islamic knowledge and the love of learning, you have given them a skill for a lifetime that allows them to learn on their own, in sha Allah.

Q. What in your opinion is the most important characteristic a homeschooling parent should have?

A. Love for their Lord, their religion and their children and desire to fulfill this role of educator/nurturer that Allah has bestowed upon you. Your heart has to be in it to succeed (and remember that success means different things to different people).   Also having or improving your organizational skills is high up there on the list.  Not being organized has really killed our endeavors or progress at times.

Q. What would you like to accomplish by your websites?

A. My hope is just to make things easier for fellow homeschoolers maybe saving time or money with the things that I make and the information that I share. When I started homeschooling there were very few Muslim homeschooling web sites with resources and lesson plans. When I saw a lot of non Muslim homeschooling sites sharing their things, I thought to myself, why  not me? I started making my own worksheet and lesson plans which I uploaded it on to my website and blog.

Q. What are your future plans for your website?

A. I’d just like to grow it and be a comprehensive site for Muslim homeschoolers. I would like to islamize non-muslim homeschool sites, and I would like to offer this to the Muslim community.

Q. Is there a special message you would like to send to your readers?

A. I truly appreciate all the kind words, duaas, and feedback that anyone has left on my site or emailed me with. I really do value it. You will never know how many times a kind word from someone who liked my site (and wrote to tell me about it) has truly brightened my day and made me feel as if I really made a difference (well, a difference for other than my family, lol).

Q. What are your favorite links and resources?

A. Ummmm, can I say mine? LOL. Well, there really are a lot of great sites out there, non Muslim and Muslim homeschooling. One of my favorite blogs is run by a dear friend of mine, http://ummabdulbasirscreativecorner.blogspot.com/.  She is such a creative sister ma sha Allah and has so many neat crafty type things on her site . We have worked together on a lot of projects and her creativity and design skills blow me away. Other great sites are Yemen Links.  And again, there are so many more Muslim blogs and sites today, that didn’t exist when I started homeschooling.

We want to leave you with these extremely useful links from Sr Umm Ibrahim’s website for this blessed month of Ramadan:

Worksheets and Activity pages- http:/tjramadan.talibiddeenjr.amanahwebs.com/04-edu-center-ramadan-activities.htm (links to coloring pages, worksheets)

Preparing the Kids for Ramadan- http:/tjramadan.talibiddeenjr.amanahwebs.com/01-prepare-ramadan-kids.htm

Ramadan Writing Center and Prompts to get kids writing during Ramadan- http:/tjramadan.talibiddeenjr.amanahwebs.com/04-edu-center-ramadan-writing.htm

Sr Reminder blogs

Here’s a poster that is surely going to get attention in your house. It will not only act as a quick guide to Ramadan etiquette, but it can also be your daily Ramadan checklist. If that’s not reason enough, it’s even cool for your teenager to want to post it in his bedroom and show his best buds when they come visit! Feel like you want to contribute something to the masjid this month? Then this may be the perfect gift to take along to your local Mussallah.

If you’re looking for more free poster downloads. Check this out: www.islamicposters.co.uk

Sr Reminder blogs

As we welcome Ramadan, here’s a great website to some useful and practical ways of  preparing and boosting our spirit before the blessed month commences.

http://soundvision.com/info/ramadan/spirit.asp

For the complete collection of Ramadan articles:

http://soundvision.com/Info/ramadan/