Disadvantages of using School of Distance Education

Asalaamu alaikum,

This will be very quick as I am (as usual) pressed for time. I raved on in my previous entry about how wonderful the school is now read about what isn't so wonderful:

While the school isn't so strict about completing the workbooks, I still feel as though I am under enormous pressure to keep going and doing the activities even when my son isn't really in the mood. It ends up not as fun but as a chore for both of us. (Admittedly this doesn't happen often but there are days when I feel as though we haven't been doing "enough" and I push my son to do maybe too much).

I guess I can see this is really not a fault of the school but a fault with me and my teaching technique. (We just have to finish this unit OR ELSE).
I will have to relax a little bit more and concentrate more on the fun aspect or leave things. Honestly, it's just preschool - I shouldn't be so hard on my child!

I iz lazeee

Asalamu alaikum,

I'm sorry for my sporadic postings on this website. My homeschooling has been going along quite well mashaAllah. My son is enrolled in the School of Distance Education and so far we've had no problems alhamdulillah.

Basically we are sent workbooks that we return to the school once completed. The workbooks we have at the moment are Language, Handwriting and Mathematics. Each workbook has 10 activities and while it's suggested to do one activity from each of the books everyday, they aren't so strict. We sort of do whatever we feel like whenever we feel like.

Here's my experience so far:

Advantages:

-It's great for me as I don't know much about curriculum structure and organising day to day activities. If you're a homeschooler who prefers the natural learning approach then this might not be for you.

-You know automatically that your child is following the State curriculum (again not so important for some people who are totally against the school system). THis for me is quite crucial - not just for my own peace of mind but to put my family at ease too. If I ever decide to put him into school, he's already up to date with the other children.

-I didn't realise but we are currently doing a "Learning through play" program with the preschool (COOL!). We are sent a toy box ever 6 weeks with a few games, toys, puzzles and usually a puppet or musical instrument (please no comments about haraam haraam). We send the toy box back to the school by the due date with a little letter telling the teacher which toys were played with the most, which weren't that fun and which type of toys we would like in our next box. It's like Eid ever 6 weeks! I think I love it more than the kids.

-We pay NOTHING. When I first enrolled my son, I was sent an art pack with paints and about 6 or 7 different brushes, felt pens, chalk and paper and even a bottle of craft glue. Of course we've run out the glue but the paints are still going strong. Our workbooks and toy box come with a self addressed sticker (reply paid so no cost) so it's just a matter of posting the books and toybox in the same package it arrived in. Easy.

-The school's library send us 4 books every 4 weeks, with a feedback form on how the child enjoyed the books. If there is a particular book we want, we just order it from the librarian. (as above, return in the same envelope and reply paid).

-My son has his own teacher who marks his work and I am given a comments sheet where I can write all the things we happen to be struggling with. She will respond straight away with a letter addressed to my son or with an email to me with advice on what to do. This I am finding invaluable (is that the right word?). How many times have we heard stories of parents who go to their teachers saying that they are sure their child is struggling with something, only to have the teacher (who is looking after 28 other kids) that she hasn't noticed a problem therefore there must not be one? Distance education (obviously because they have no choice) rely on the parent's input to gauge how the child is progressing.

-It's FUN!

InshaAllah another time, the disadvantages of using the School of Distance Education..

Advice from homeschooling mums with babies

Asalaamu alaikum,

I'm not sure if many read this particular blog of mine but...

I was wondering if any mums out there have any advice on how to take care of a newborn, look after a toddler and homeschool a preschooler at the same time? I know it can be done with a lot of patience and heaps of hard work but is there anything specific that helped you along the way?

Quick Update

Asalaamu alaikum,

Well I've been so busy with homeschooling that I haven't had a chance to update. Let me tell you what's been happening. Here in Queensland, preschool is not compulsory but many parents do enrol their children in a preschool type of program. Typically (and I'm not sure if this is a government stipulation or a mere guideline) preschool classes are for 2 1/2 days a week.

I had "ummed and ahhed" about this homeschooling business and after praying Istikharah didn't really get a bolt-of-lightning sign (which not many of us ever do) and when the preschool closest to us called to say they had a spot available, my heart skipped a beat. I told them that I would be homeschooling my son and thank you but no thank you.

The next day I got a call from my old primary school's preschool (the primary school that I had attended as a child!) who told me there was a space for my son. Again I calmly declined the offer and well, here we are.

Since I had no idea about teaching my child or formulating my own curriculum and really, I don't have a problem with the state's curriculum (yet!) I have enrolled my son in the Queensland School of Distance Education

We've been having a lot of fun together. I had no idea just how rewarding this would be. I can see from the small amount of time we've been doing this formally how much he has matured and developed. His fine motor control has improved markedly and just watching him enjoying the activities that have been set up is the best feeling.

InshaAllah I will update more often. Next post will be about a typical day in our homeschooling lives.

A few time (and sanity) saving tips

Asalaamu alaikum,

When homeschooling with small children time management is very important but along with that parents need to relax a little. It doesn't matter if the laundry doesn't get done today - there is always tomorrow. If you haven't cooked, the family can make do with eggs or baked beans on toast (yes, really they can.)

Housework -

- Let the children help around the house - the housework gets done and the children are occupied. They will also have FUN.

- Do the housework before you go to bed - you don't wake up to a messy home and this immediately puts you in a better mood.

- Put clothes in the washing machine ready for the morning. All you need to do is switch on the machine first thing in the morning. Alternatively, do a load of washing and hang them out at night (weather permitting of course)

- Teach your children to put things back in their place. Have a set place for all their activities. Take advantage of boxes - label everything. After play or after an activity help them clean up.

- My house can't have enough bins. As you're walking around the house pick up any large pieces of rubbish (leaves, paper, food!) and take it to the nearest bin.

- Play outside. The children LOVE it and there is never a problem with messing up the floor or the carpet.

- While the children are in the bath or shower, clean the bathroom. Give them a small sponge and let them wipe the shower. You're keeping an eye on them and the bathroom gets cleaned.


Cooking

- Cook at night or at least prepare the food for the next day. Chop vegetables, marinate meat or cook the rice for the next day. Invest in a rice cooker.

- Cook extra and freeze. I hated thawed out meals until I started cooking them. Really great if you have plans to be out most of the day.

- Buy a slow-cooker. I myself don't have one but I've heard great things about it. Put everything in the pot, switch it on & forget about it.


The most important sanity saving tip would have to be finding time for yourself. I'm not saying one needs to be away from the family or to run away from the children but I feel it's important to spoil ourselves once in a while. A supportive partner is really a God-send alhamdulillah. He can take the children for a drive so you can have some quiet time. Use the time for whatever you want. Read Qur'an or have a bath. It's amazing how refreshed you can feel once you've indulged yourself just that little bit.

Change of direction

I don't know any other Muslims in my city who are homeschooling, so while I will continue to write about my particular experiences inshaAllah this blog will also be a guide for any future Muslim homeschoolers in Brisbane. I will try to get my links section up soon (I'm not such a big HTML fan).

Learning Styles

Asalaamu alaikum,

I've never really taken much notice of the "hows" of learning. For a homeschooling parent, it's actually quite important to know how our children learn best. We know it intuitively and also by monitoring, observing and interacting with them every day. Knowing your child's learning style shows you the best way they learn (the best way to teach them) and also immediately picks up on their weaker side so you can concentrate on those areas.

Depending on where you obtain your information, there could be as few as 3 to as many as 7 learning styles. This doesn't really confuse the issue as most children have elements of all learning styles but most of the time one particular mode seems to be more prominent.


A few links I've found quite helpful:

Four learning styles

Know your child's learning needs

What's your child's learning style?

I'll try to organise myself and add some links into my links section soon inshaAllah.