Workboxes Craze

Ok I’ve been researching this whole workbox craze and have decided to give it a try.  I just started today so we will see if it actually sticks for us, as everything is so disorganized for us right now.  Our house isn’t finished so we are currently doing school in my bedroom.  So it’s me, L, K, and Z 1year old now and in 2 months we will have another baby insha Allah so I’m just waiting to see what things will be like then. (Sigh)  

Anyways due to lack of space we are using hanging folders in crates.  I will keep you posted on how it works also Insha Allah.  Below are a list of sites that I have been checking out on the topic.

The first one is where I first heard about it all…

http://ummihomeschoolsme.wordpress.com/

http://docs.google.com/View?docID=dwstdgn_447mphsmf8&revision=_latest

http://heartofwisdom.com/blog/workbox-directory/

http://forum.homeschoolshare.com/viewforum.php?f=19

Neat Writing Idea For Reluctant Writers

Today me and my son (9) tried a new writing game idea I got from here .  It really did work for us.  He whines everytime I try to make him write so we did this idea and he couldn’t write enough.  Ofcourse we are very silly so we did do a silly, story but I will try to do something a little more serious at times too ….Maybe .  Anyways she mentions the book where she gets the idea.  I have already reserved that plus two others by the same person.  I will try to post reviews after I get to read them.  Insha Allah.  Hope Insha Allah this will help some of you as well as it has us.

SparkleBox Key Stage 2 – Fantastic FREE KS2 teaching resources to download and print

SparkleBox Key Stage 2 – Fantastic FREE KS2 teaching resources to download and print.

It Sure Has Been Awhile.

It’s been a long time since I’ve done anything here due to computer issues.  Well not a whole lot has been going on these past few months.  I’m pregnant again so I’ve been under the weather for a few months.  I am now in my second trimester so I’m feeling much better masha Allah.  Baby Zakariyaa  is almost a year masha Allah. We have started up homeschooling again.  Ofcourse we are taking things slow due to Ramadan, pregnancy, and chasing little one.  

Now that I have a computer again Insha Allah  I will try to post more.

Dusting Idea For Kids

I read this idea somewhere once, but if you have an old pair of cotton socks that you are throwing out give them to the kids to put on their hands and tell them to dust the furniture.  Watch them scatter to dust as much as possible.  The only dilema I have is they always argue about who will dust what.  sigh!  If you have any advice on this let me know!

The Things Kids Can Do

I think sometimes as parents we tend to underestimate what our children can do.  I know I have been guilty of thinking mine are to young to do certain tasks, only to be proven wrong.  My 6 and 8 year old actually do a lot of things.  Especially since my pregnancy and child birth.  Some of the things they can do are;

In the Kitchen they can

1. sweep and mop floor
2. wipe down cabinetts, fridge, stove.
3. they can shred cheese, butter bread, make toast pretty much anything (I don’t let them cook or handle knives).

In The Bathroom they can,

1. Clean the floor, toilette and sink, empty garbage, wipe down walls.  I don’t let them do the shower since we use a heavy duty cleaner. (I usually have them clean with bakingsoda or vinegar)

They can also

1.  make their own beds
2.  vacuum
3.  my 8 yr old can do laundry. 

Don’t underestimate what they can do.  They may surprise you.  It also helps to get them started as early as possible.  I learned my  lesson with my oldest.

Alhamdulillah for his blessings

Baby is 5 Months

They grow to fast don’t they?  Having a new baby is tiring, stressful, you can’t get nothing done, the house is a mess, the laundry is piling up as well as the dishes, but in the end when they smile at you, you just want them to stay that way.  I thought I was finished having children six years ago.   Then Zakariyaa came along and now I want 2 more. 

Allah is so Great.  Throughout my pregnancy and giving birth and now raising the new one, Allah has proven to me his mercy.  Eventhough I complained, whinned and moaned through it all.  Allah forgive me.

My children have been a great help.  This baby is so spoiled.  He hasn’ t received no less than 100 kisses a day as well as hugs.  Alhamdulillah!  May I never complain again about Allah’s blessings.

Luqman’s Artwork in Paint Program

My 8 yr olds artwork he spent a good amount of time on them so I had to put them up.

 

 

 

 

 

Arabic Games

Today me and the little ones played a couple of games with a deck of Arabic cards I made to go with our studies of the Medina program.  Since I had no printer ink I pretty much had to draw them myself (atleast they are recognizable) Anyways I wrote in Arabic and transliteration on the leftside and drew the pictures on the right with their names under them (just incase they couldn’t tell what it was LOL!)  Then I cut them in half and passed out the pictures to the kids and asked questions so it went something like this:

T: Ayna najmoon?

S: (finds the picture of star and says) Hadha Najmoon.

Then if it took them awhile to find it I might reinforce by asking after they give me the picture  Ma Hadha?  Then they would answer again Hadha Najmoon.

Then we played a game that I got the idea from this site ; http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/foreignlanguages/contents.htm

Called find the object;

http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/foreignlanguages/findtheobject.htm

We hid the picture cards and followed the directions.  We had so much fun.  Masha Allah

Hands on Measuring

The other day my son pulled out a pot and some measuring cups. He filled the pot with water and began to compare measurements.  I asked him questions like; “how many 1/8 cups does it take to fill a 1/4 cup, and so on.  He would guess then fill.”  Before hand I also explained that the bottom number of the measurements (ex. 1/8) tells how many it would take to fill 1 cup.  Then I would ask things like  how many 1/3 cup will it take to fill 1 cup?I think we will have to try measuring spoons next.  He had a lot of fun and that is what is important.