 Let’s begin, you’ve decided to homeschool although everything has not been answered nor figured out. It takes a little time to get it all together, so don’t get discouraged or despair things will fall into place. Homeschooling is not something that is done just because. Alhamdulillah, remember the why, the benefit, take your time, access the situation and plan accordingly. We tend to put unnecessary pressure on ourselves, asking “how much time I should spend teaching my children?”
This one question causes so much confusion but is not as significant as you may begin to realize. Who really can answer that question with a definitive answer? I am here to tell you, there is no one answer that is correct. Children are different and learn at their own individual paces. As a parent you will have to evaluate your child and recognize their strengths and weaknesses. I had to figure it out, that no matter what anyone says you know your child, some may say you don’t teach enough and others may say you are overloading your child.
Finding the schedule that suits your family may be easier than you think. When I began to homeschool I thought I had to compete with the public schools. I came up with a seven hour school day, which was the start of failure. Who did I think I was? Super women, the joke was one me. After about two days I had to re-evaluate my schedule and write down my goals. Answering the questions, what will I teach and how will I do it, what were the bricks to building my foundation (scheduling)? Islaam was the deciding factor in regards to setting the schedule. Islaamic studies, Arabic, and Qur’an memorization were the first to be added to our daily routine, everything else followed in tow. When it came to their secular studies I had to return that to my state laws on homeschooling.
Islaam was the deciding factor in regards to setting the schedule. Islaamic studies, Arabic, and Qur’an memorization were the first to be added to our daily routine, everything else followed in tow. When it came to their secular studies I had to return that to my state laws on homeschooling. 
Most states have guidelines that homeschoolers must follow. They have a standard core curriculum that they want the children to learn which is the usual; math, reading, writing, English, American history, science and, perhaps, civics or health. Check with your state and review there laws for homeschooling families, you can go to http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp find your state and read your state guidelines.
Some parents have found that they are able to accomplish what the public schools teach in a third of the time. What may take one child one hour to learn make take another child two hours and so on. Time has to be a factor in homeschooling, but should not be the deciding factor. Most homeschool families have a set daily schedule, so staying on schedule is imperative. Some days may be longer than others and some may take no time at all. As long as your goals are accomplished that is what is important, not the time.
Subhan Allah while I was in the process of writing this article I had to take my daughter to the doctor, while in the waiting room a woman began talking to me. Somewhere in our conversation she asked me about my children and I informed her that I homeschooled them. To my surprise she was very supportive and understanding. She informed me that she was a school counselor in one of the public schools in my county. She said that homeschooling was the best thing a parent could do for their child and that homeschoolers have the upper hand on children in public schools. I asked her what she meant about the upper hand. She said that in reality children in public school spend between three to four hours a day getting instructional teaching, but that teaching was done by one teacher to as many as 35 children; and that children who are homeschooled score well on their SAT’S and on average higher than their Public School counterparts. By the end of our conversation I felt relieved and it was a motivation to me. We always question ourselves, are we spending enough time teaching our children? What takes a class of 35 children to be taught over a span of four hours is much more productive for a child who gets individual attention. Four hours is a lot of time for a homeschooler. Most parents spend on average two to three hours a day teaching their children secular subjects. Teaching your child their religion takes a little more time. I have spent two hours just teaching Qur’an, so know your child and your expectations and move forward. Things will not happen overnight, consistency is a must. Remain strong and don’t worry about what people say. You find your niche and keep moving.
|
Umm Abdis Salaam Al Grenaadiyyah |
| About the author: |
| Umm Abdis Salaam Al Grenaadiyyah is co-owner of Salafy Ink. " Our focus is to produce and/or translate, da’wah/educational materials which are all taken from the works of well known, and trustworthy Salafy Scholars of both past and present." | |
No Comments.
