Q&A: Textbooks

Question:

Insha'Allah I'm preparing for homeschooling this upcoming school year 2011/2012. I have a soon to be 6th grader and 4th grader (insha'Allah).

I'm taking suggestions for books on core subjects:

- Language Arts (Spelling / Vocabulary, Grammer, Writing)

- Math

- Science

- History

(I'm thinking I can use library books and follow the state curriculum using general books).

If I missing anything from the core subject, please advise. If you think I can also use general books for Science too, please advise.

Answer:

My advise is that you can always use textbooks that are available in your house.

You can also find from other resources: such as free online resources, library, and other used textbooks.

I usually find used textbooks in book bank near my house. There are free used textbooks and other reading books. Alhamdulillah.

My youngest daughter found very old textbooks that published in 1987 for her Math. She likes the book very much. She said it is easy and help her understand more. I am happy that she can do it by herself to finish all her homeworks. If she need more help then I can find from other resources, such as free online resources which are always available for us.

Yes, you can use other general books for Science, such as online resources, science magazines, library books, etc.

Here are some of the textbooks that you can find hardcopy or some online resources.

• Math:
  
  
  
  • Addison Wesley publisher
  
  
  • Hartcourt Math for grade 1 to 8
    
  • Pearson: Math




• Language Arts:
  
  
  
  • Scott Foresman: Reading for grade K to 6
  
  
  • Harcourt: Language Arts
  
  
  • Harcourt: Reading
  
  
  • Harcourt: Spelling 1 to 6
  
  
  • Language Arts: choose your state
  
  
  • Pearson: Language Arts
  
  
  
  
• Science:
  
  
  
  • Holt Science publisher
  
  
  • Harcourt: Science
  
  
  • Pearson: Science
  
  
  • Scott Foresman: Science for grade K to 6


• Social Study
  
  
  
  • Pearson Prentice Hall
  
  
  • Pearson: Social Study


• Electives
  
  
  
  • Harcourt: Health
  
  
  • Harcourt: Art
  
  
  • Religion-Islamic Study
  
  
  • and other subjects that kids learn at home.
  
  

You can search from this link just to find the text books in each state that you need for your children. You maybe also need book about "Everything You Need to Know to Teach" for each grade that you can find in public library. This book is helping you to know what to teach for each grade.

You should be careful to check all the learning materials that are not teaching Islamic way such as about evolution in science and some of history. We, as parent, always supervise and help the kids to understand clearly about those matters.

Insha Allah, as the time passed, our children will learn more and go forward to the next level according to the kid's ability.

Please do not forget that we want our kids love toward learning.

May Allah always help us and make it easy in this homeschooling. Ameen.

Have a Happy Homeschooling ....

Question and Answer: What and How My Homeschooling Works

• Question: Would you like to share how you work with the scope and sequence (and textbook) to make your home-school more efficient?
  
• Answer: To make your home-school more efficient, it means that you need to know:
  - what is your plan that you want to teach?
  - what do your kids want to be in the future?
  - what do your kids love to learn the most?
  - and what is the best method of teaching for your kids?
  We should also remember that we do not want our kids to be fed up with a lot of learning materials that our kids does not need. The most important is that our kids love toward learning in their daily life everyday.
  

• Question: I know you accelerate, so I assume you don't do *ALL*, right?
  
• Answer: We do focus on what the kids need to learn and like the most everyday. They also need to learn other subjects once or twice a week not everyday. This is a way to make them easy and love to learn everyday not getting bored. We also have a break in between school year, having field trips, having a class outside, etc.
  

• Question: You pick and choose, and then move on if your child is understanding, right?
  
• Answer: We let the kids decide which textbook that the kids think easy and understand to learn for them. Sometime, they learn without we are asking them to learn it. The most important is to keep communicating with them what they like to learn and we give support with all the learning materials and the activities they need.
  Yes of course, if they understand then they will continue to the next level.
  

• Question: Which subject do you use as an anchor as to what level your children is? Is it math and language?
  
• Answer: We need to teach all the subjects (Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Study, and Electives). The children need to learn all that subjects which will be presented to Board of Education in the portfolio meeting.
  

• Question: How do you know your children have reached a level where they'll be okay to attend a CC? I assume at a level equivalent to 9th-10th grade?
  
• Answer: To know the kids are ready for college, you should see their academic skill and their maturity.
  We do not want to see our kids immature in the class to handle their own problem in the class, with the home-works load, the classmate with different ages, the materials that being taught for adult, etc.
  For academic skill, I always wait until when they are in the same level of 11 or 12 grade.
  

• Question: And does it guarantee a transfer to a 4 year univ?
  
• Answer: If your kids are taking classes in Community College, then your kids and you should have to plan a head before applying the community college and which 4-years university that your kids will transfer to. The best way is always asking to the admission office to know what the requirements are. By doing so, It will help you and your kids to choose and decide which all the courses are transferable to that university where your kids will attend.
  

I hope my answers will help you.

You also have to remember that each family has different way of homeschooling their children. My home-school may not working for your family and others.
Your home-school may not working for me and others, too.
Because every family is unique.

Have a Happy Homeschooling....

Question and Answer : Starting Homeschool

As you know that making decision to do homeschooling for your children, it is not easy.

This is what I did the first time I started homeschooling for my kids.

• First: saying Bismillah.
  
• Second: knowing the homeschooling law in your state.
  
• Third: going to your local school district if you needed,
  
• Fourth: finding the material for teaching our kids at home (online, library, or used text books)
  
• Fifth: Making plan and schedule.
  
• Sixth: patience and doa every day and night.
  

Insha Allah, it will help you to make decision.


Here are some questions and answers:


Q: I have a few questions regarding the homeschooling process. Do I have to tell the school authorities that my children will not be attending school, or submit some kind of form for the same?

A: If your children are already in public school, I suggest you to write letter to Board of Education (BOE) that saying you are withdrawing your children from the school or you can call the BOE and tell them that you are going to home-school your children.

It's good if you are doing this when it starts the new semester of school year.

The BOE will ask you to fill the form of Notice of Intent (NOI) to do home-school for your children. In that form you will have to write:

- What subjects are you going to teach? It must be including these 5 subjects: Math, Language Arts, Social Study, Science, and Electives (Islamic Study, Citizenship, Arts, etc)

- How many days of school year for you children? at least 180 days in a year.

- Who is the teacher? of course parent ( if you will be the teacher for your children)

- signature

After you submit this NOI, they will send you an approval letter that you can start home-school your kids.

At the end of school year (around June-August), they will send you a letter about when you are going to have the portfolio meeting with BOE.





Q: Do homeschooling groups meet for some kind of group activities?

A: We used to have groups meet for science activities in Elly Whitney Museum, but now our children are grown up. They are busy with other things.

You can start making a new group to do activities together with other home-school family, if you want to. The Muslim family who are doing home-school and live in Connecticut area are: Waterbury(1 family) , Bridgeport (1 family) , Stamford (1 family) , West Haven (1 family), Windsor (1 family), New London(1 family), and Hamden (2 families). I hope i don't miss anyone.
Because of the situation that we live far away from each other, it's not easy to do activities together.
Insha Allah, there will be family event for homeschooling day in the future.




Q: My children have been in the public school system, and enjoy working with other children. I was hoping you could suggest some ways I could provide this interaction for them?

A: My children were the same thing. They went to public school, too.
Some of activities that I did to have socialize with other children: such as

• bring them to masjid for Sunday school
  
• teach other kids about Islam and the same time you teach your own kids while they are having friends.
  
• go to field trip
  
• join classes for homeschooling kids such as: science class, Physical Education, etc.
  
• join the contests such as, Geo Bee, American Math Contest, Islamic Study contest, science activities, etc.
  

If you want to know more, you can join other homeschooling group that close to your area to know more activities for homeschooling family.
Here the link: Local Homeschool Support Groups Map





Q: And finally, how do I assemble a year end portfolio? What are the components?

A: The portfolio, you can find more information about it in my blog: Home school portfolio


Have a Happy Homeschooling....

Question and Answer : Home school with Toddlers and Home school to College

Q: How do you keep your toddlers occupied while teaching older children?

A: I think we should have a lot of patience on this situation. First, I hand out some home works to the older that they can finish it by themselves as practices for them, such as

• math drills
  
• math practice
  
• Language arts free worksheets
  
• Read the articles or a chapter of textbook and ask them to make summarize what they have been read.
  

Then if the toddlers can not sit for more than 5 to 10 minutes. Sometime they want to do the same things as what the older do. If in that case, you can try start giving him some easy lessons to do for the toddlers, such as Alphabet Printable Activities and other worksheets or other toddlers activities art and craft.


When the toddlers are sleeping or quiet playing with their toys or someone can help you to accompany the toddlers, then you can teach the older more deep.
My husband is my special help on this situation.
I hope you can find someone can help you, too.



Q: HOW did you teach your kids high school so quickly, with what books?

A: We only have used books that we got it free from book bank. You can use any book as long as the kids understand and learn.




Q: WHAT can I do to prepare my children to apply for community college this coming fall?

A: You need to prepare them that they are ready for college academically and their maturity that they are ready for college life.



Q: Did they take SAT s? What entrance exams should they study for?

A: It depends to how the university or college admission requirements. You have to ask to the admission office of that university or college. Some of the community college doesn't need SAT test score, they only want your kids to have their placement tests. Most of the university ask SAT or ACT score.



Q: What areas do I need them to master? As they only master what they like--and I've been fine with this until now...especially because all their strengths are in Math & Science.


A: I think the kids need to master in Math, Language Arts (Reading and Writing), and some others subjects, such as Science, Social Study, 1-2 Foreign Language if they want to take that in that major.



Q: What about their Spelling & Writing skills? Your advise, tips?

A: Spelling & Writing skill for high school is good for kids to prepare ready for college. The tip is a lot of practices.



Q: What about Qur'an? How many hours a day? Just listen and memorize? Or write, translate, and comprehend?

A: Qur'an is part of our life. At least 15-30 minutes, we have to read, memorize, and learn about it. Most of time the kids love to do read, memorize, and learn the meaning of Al Qur'an and. Once a week, we read hadiths together.



Q: Do you teach your language as a subject too? Because we do Arabic grammar, writing, typing, etc. as a separate subject.

A: Yes, I teach my language to my kids. I don't put it as foreign language, but I put it in one of a cultural learning in Social Study subject. My kids learn Arabic, Spanish, and Japanese as their foreign languages.



Insha Allah, I will put some more answers for other questions, soon.

Happy Homeschooling to all of you.