Sister Alif blogs

The teachers during Ramadan are always faced with trying to make this blessed month special for their students and still meet the school’s academic standard. I decided to create Ramadan Journal for Grades 2-5. Teachers can use it for their students to enjoy the new school year with this Back-to-school Islamic Journal, and at the same time with meeting the curriculum standard for writing. Keeping a student portfolio on acquiring information and writing personal narratives are part of the standard 1 in NY State English Framework. This could be a jumpstart for more interesting writing on personal narratives. The downloadable templates make it easy for teachers to create the journal with their students which will cut the the project time in half. This can also be used by busy parents who want to make a Ramadan memory book with out the mess.

You can print and add photographs or your child can draw in it, and you can add extra photos on the blank page. Give it as a gift to your child the first few nights of Ramadan. Your child can fill it out through out the month. You can duplicate pages as many as you like, just staple it together at the end! If you want it to last longer, you can have it get it heat bound for 99 cents at Staples.

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 Alif blogs

Sometimes we get so caught up in the consumer world that we forget the simplest things in life can make children love learning. As educators, we are bombarded by different educational companies to buy ready made games and puzzles for our classroom learning centers. I sometimes wish that the walls of the classroom could come off, and the children are able to play  in the natural world of Allah’ Creation. The teachable moments are priceless yet the cost is FREE.

One beautiful, sunny morning, I decided to take my daughter to the park. We packed our basket with little goodies to snack on (and for the birds too), and we walked to the park. As we strolled down the park, we stopped and collected leaves and flowers, and put them in a plastic bag. We fed the geese, and sat down for a rest in front of a tree that almost looked as if it was prostrating. we watched and marveled how Allah(SWT) created all this living things so perfectly. We collected pebbles and threw them in the pond, and to my child’s delight, it would make rings in the water. Our next stop was my girl’s favorite place- Play ground with sand. She played with the sand with her bucket and shovel, as well as used her sifter to find any pebble treasures. She flew on the swing like an airplane, and slid on the slide like she was in an amusement park. Finally, we spread the maidah on the grass, washed our hands, and feasted on our peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some juicy grapes.

What did this child learn from her day at the park? Built new vocabulary, made AB patterns with pebbles, and wrote her name on the sand.

Allah’s Learning Center: sand, pebbles, plants, and birds are the important tools of learning just as much as classroom centers filled with blocks and puzzles.

Share with us what you do with your child outside the traditional classroom!

Sr Alif blogs

..

Team sport

Things needed:

Big tub of water for the center

4 smaller tubs or bins to fill with water

4 sponges

Whistle

Ruler

Warm weather

Firstly divide the children in to 4 teams and explain the rules of the game.  A whistle sounds and one child from each team takes the sponge to the central bucket and dips it into the water.    They have to carry the wet sponge back to their team where they squeeze it into the smaller bucket, then pass the damp sponge back to the next person in their team.  The team keeps going back to the central bucket till each child has had a turn…. or if there are a few children (less than 16) you may let them take 2 turns each.  In fact you may have to try a dry run of this to get the numbers to work for you because we have almost 40 kids when we play!

At first we let them just play to enjoy the game and get a feel for it. Then we blow the whistle and  have a heart to heart.  Someone describes to them how the central tub is like ‘ilm’ and for our ummah to win in this life, we need to find the right kind of ilm and come back and share it with our ummah. You can allow the kids to give you examples of ‘ilm’ and encourage them to read and understand the Quran so that they can share it with their ummah. Then we let the kids play again after they have had a chance to reflect over the meaning of their actions.  They really look forward to the ‘re-match’.  We usually finish by teaching them a small dua that they can say to help them gain the right kind of ‘ilm’.

Just some tips that might come in handy:

We assign one parent volunteer or teacher per group to make sure the sponge is passed fairly and to settle “who dropped it disputes”

Explain to the kids how to run with the sponge or else the younger kids might get wet.

This activity worked well for us with kids ranging from 4 upwards.

The essence of the game is in getting the kids to understand the rules so you need to be loud and clear on that part

The point of the game really is team work.  How to wait your turn, how to encourage friends, being a good sport and being patient.  You could watch the kids carefully while they play and affirm good players or point out how you noticed kids helping each other and cheering each other.

It really helps to sit all the volunteers down before hand and go through the whole game before you get the kids to play it.  Just so that you are all on the same page.  On days when it was hard to coordinate everyone I’d just ring them up and go through it.

In the end we all feel good. Share your summer games with us at jannahsteps@gmail.com

Sr Alif blogs

At Hamza Academy, Sr. Zahra  continues the Hajj re-enactment with a trip to Madinah. She explained, “Our fourth grade student’s at Hamza Academy had the opportunity to replicate a model of Masjid An-Nabawi, which is the original Mosque built by Prophet Muhammad (SAW).They wanted the travelers of the mini hajj to feel welcomed to their Masjid. The goal of the project was to replicate a piece of Islamic history from the time of our Prophet Muhammad (sws). Students decorated the walls with scenes of the desert. Camels, palm trees, and a desert scene adorned the walls of our school.

 The children that visited the replica of Masjid An-Nabawi, were greeted with the song,  “Tala’al badru alaya” the song of Hijrah. Then they enjoyed a short presentation by the students building the Mosque. They used real bricks, pillars, and tree branches. The little ones enjoyed touching the felt camel on the wall. It was the highlight of their day.”

Sr Alif blogs

During the Hajj season, most Islamic schools around the world use this time to study the Islamic History and the rituals of Hajj.

Some have traditionally copied the entire ritual turning their school into Hajj sites. It becomes a week of excitement as teachers and students get out poster boards, hot glue gun, paint, and glitter to make the Hajj monuments come to a reality.

One upcoming Islamic School in New York,  Hamza Academy, attempted to pull off a “Mini-Hajj ” in 2 1/2 weeks! Fortunately, the strong sisterhood and teamwork  produced an extraordinary event which left memorable time for the students.

The teacher, Sr Bushra commented,”This Islamic month of ‘Dhul-Hijjah’, our school explored the history behind hajj and its tenets.  Students studied about   Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and the great sacrifices he had made for Islam.  As Language Art extension, The students wrote poems about this extraordinary prophet and the struggles he faced.  For Social Studies connection, students learned about the history of Makkah and how the patience of Hajar (A) and her son Ismael (AS)  built the foundation of this honorable city.

We ended our unit with our very own mini hajj.  Students acted out the actual procedures of hajj in a simulated environment. Our teachers enjoyed being the flight attendants and our principal was the chief pilot! Each class made a visual representation of a particular monument in Hajj and presented some information about that monument. One class had even made the Medinah site including a camel !All the students carried their Hajj Bags decorated by the students with drawings of the Kaba and other Hajj sites. Insha’Allah we hope to keep the lessons learned in Hajj alive for those of us who have not had the opportunity to go on this tremendous journey.”

We would love to feature your co-op or school on our blog! If you have a story to share about your homeschooling project or Islamic School event, write to us at jannahsteps@gmail.com

Sr Alif blogs

ACTIVITY #9: GETTING READY IN MUZDALIFAH

On the night of 9th Dhul Hijjah (Day of Arafah), right after sunset the pilgrims leave to travel to a nearby open plain called Muzdalifah, halfway between Arafah and Mina. There they spend the night praying, and collecting small stone pebbles to be used the following day at the Jamaraat. The 3 pillars of Jamaraat represent Shaitan. The act of stoning the three pillars with the collected stones  is a reenactment of the story of Ibrahim (Alayhis Salaam).  He was on his way to obey Allah’s command to sacrifice his son Ismail (Alayhis Salaam) when Shaitan tried to stop him from obeying Allah’s commands. Ibrahim (Alayhis Salaam) resisted his temptation by pelting him with 7 stones each of the three times he showed up.

.Jamaraat Stones Worksheet DOWNLOAD HERE. Do the worksheet with your children after they have understood this concept. If your children are too young to grasp the concept of sacrifice, then teach them about Shaitan and how pelting the 3 pillars or Jamaraat represent Shaitan, and discuss how this may imply “pelting away” the bad thoughts or things Shaitan encourages us to do.

As Rasulallah (Sallahu Alayhi Wasalam) warned us in his final speech on the Day of Arafah, “Beware of Satan, for your safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.”

ACTIVITY #10: PREPARING FOR UDHIYAH / QURBANI

Eid is here….let’s prepare for the Udhiyah! Learn the ettiquette of Islamic Zabiha!

Design and make a poster of your own to display in your local Halal meat store before Eid ul Adha!! Help educate your community about the importance of following Islamic law on this special day! If you would rather not work from scratch, download our template instead: Template for Udhiyah- Qurbani DOWNLOAD HERE or print this: Empty Page Template with Animals DOWNLOAD HERE.

The Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, “There is a reward for doing good to all living creatures.” So let us make this day an occasion to earn Allah’s reward and to avoid the punishment of those who mistreat animals.

PS: The Etiquettes of Udhiyah poster was designed for Jannahsteps by Jazba, a group of ardent Muslimahs who strongly believe that Islam is the ‘backbone’ of  liberal women, providing  them the biggest support in terms of respect and rights. Jazba shares the responsibility of promoting peace and justice across the  world.  (Mashallah! May Allah help you succeed in everything you venture out to do for His sake. Ameen)

8th day of Dhul-Hijjah has arrived….5-7 million Hajjis are making their way to Mina from Mecca!

Sr Alif blogs

ACTIVITY #7: 8th DAY OF DHUL HIJJA- WE’RE HEADING TO MINA!

8th day of Dhul-Hijjah has arrived! 5-7 million Hajjis are making their way to Mina from Mecca!

Mina is a small village east of the city. There they spend one day and one night in enormous tent cities praying hard, reading the Quran and resting for the next day.

Have your child do the worksheet. Mina Tent Worksheet- DOWNLOAD HERE. Cut and paste pictures of what Hajjis might need inside the tent of Mina. Discuss the things people might take with them when they go camping. Discuss the difficulties old people might endure living in such conditions. Why do you think old and weak people are motivated to get through the Hajj rituals? Also ponder on the thought that thousands of people have waited their entire lives saving for Hajj, many old people have done the same, and now Allah has given them a chance to make Hajj.

ACTIVITY #8: DAY OF ARAFAH

On the second day of the Hajj (9th Dhul Hijjah), the pilgrims leave Mina just after dawn to travel to the Plain of Arafah. On what is known as the “Day of Arafah” the pilgrims spend the entire day making duas. Muslims around the world who are not at the pilgrimage join them in spirit by fasting for the day. Our beloved Messenger (Sallahu Alayhi Wasalam) delivered his last speech on the Mount of Arafah on this day.

Help your children understand the importance of this day and think of what they may ask Allah on this special day. Arafah Dua Worksheet DOWNLOAD HERE

Sr Alif blogs

ACTIVITY #5: WHAT SHALL I WEAR TO THE BIGGEST EVENT ON THE PLANET?

What do Hajjis wear when they go for Hajj? In this activity, children familiarize themselves with the unique hajj dress code. Cut these cute Muslim Popsicle puppets and allow children to pretend play as their Popsicle puppet buddies go on Hajj with them. Learn to recite the Talbiyah. Help children repeat the Talbiyah and memorize it. Ihram Puppets DOWNLOAD HERE

Extension Activity: Children love to dress up! Demonstrate with 2 pieces of white towels, how men must wear the Ihram. Allow girls to try out different hijabs and jilbabs or long dresses! Girls cannot cover their face during Hajj. Boys cannot wear anything on their heads during Hajj. Contemplate with them as to why these rules apply during Hajj. Help them understand why people from different walks of life (whether a King or a pauper) all come to Hajj and are viewed as equal in the eyes of Allah- the Hajj dress code only promotes this equality.

ACTIVITY #6: WE’RE IN AL KABA: “LABBAIK ALLAHUMMA LABAIK!”

What is the shape of the Kabah? What color is it? Do you know how to say that color in Arabic? How many doors or windows does the Kabah have? Does anyone live inside the Kabah? Who built the Kabah? These are some of the questions kids can be  asked. Journey along with them as they seek answers. Download the Kabah template and decorate it with gold paper strips or glitter glue.  Kaba Template DOWNLOAD HERE

Here are sample Kabahs made at Hamza School in New York by Preschoolers.

Older children can make a 3D model and do the following extension activity.

Extension Activity: Using online resources help your children learn about Al Kaba and find pictures that help them understand what the inside of the Kaba may look like. Also learn about the history of Al Kaba in the recent past. Understand what it may have looked like in the early 1900’s and compare it to images from today.

Sister Alif blogs

ACTIVITY #3: ON A CAMEL, ON A PLANE, ON A SHIP…              WE’RE OFF TO MAKE OUR FIRST HAJJ TRIP!