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EDUCATION OF THE MUSLIM CHILD    

Assalamu Alaykum,Dear Parents:

This page includes discusses perspectives in education of the child; although we may refer to Islamic and secular education, the reality is that Islamic education includes everything, even what we may now call as "secular"; do you relate of the earlier generations who produced Alims at the masjid, who also were pioneers in their different academic fields (explorers such as Ibn-e- Batutta, etc.)?.

• Each parent should value his/her child as it is a precious gift from Allah T'Ala. At the same time Allah T'Ala also places the primary responsibility of education on parents, whether Education is done directly (schooling - Islamic and secular) or indirectly (children modelling Parents' Behaviour). As the child grows, the education is passed onto the teachers' shoulders - while the parents feel they have nothing to contribute. The ideal is involving the child, the parent and the teacher in providing Education for the child, in both the Islamic and Secular categories.

• The Muslim Ummah is in an Education Crisis, whether the parents live in the East or the West. The primary problem arises from the fact that Islamic Education and Manners are given too little attention while the children are young; when becoming teenagers, many children are clueless about Islam and cannot be even expected to fulfill the basic Islamic requirements (such as praying Salah, practicing the basic pillars of Islam and knowing the Fundamentals of Aqeeda). Although there may be exceptions by the grace of Allah T'Ala, there are numerous examples of children who fit in this previous sad description of lack of knowledge.

• Home-schooling is one recommended solution to ensure that the children learn well -in the fields of Islamic as well as Secular Studies. It requires much commitment from the part of the parent(s), especially the mother - but it usually brings excellent results in terms of long-term Education, that is Learning for the sake of Learning, for the sake of Allah, and not for the sake of getting some prize or making a "pile of money" following the "Academic Career".

• The parents should take in consideration the inclinations of the child, his/her likes or dislikes. It should be kept in mind that fairness is of extreme necessity when dealing with children. Whenever the parents give a gift to their son, they should give one also to their daughter, etc.

• In general, the parent should also observe which ways the child learns best and whether the child is responding well to his/her teachers. It should be kept in mind that not all children learn the same way; therefore there is no one single formula to best educate a child.

• Home-schooling is highly recommended as a tool for parents to ensure Islamic education to their children, especially in the West. Generally speaking, whenever a parent feels that their child does not benefit from the local education system or is struggling academically and/or behaviourally home-schooling could constitute a temporary or permanent solution to the problem, based on the evolution of the child.

There are many ways to classify the ways children learn. One simple way is to classify the children as visual, auditory, kinaesthetic (learn by doing). While a child will combine all of these styles, one of them may be more preferred by each.

VISUAL LEARNERS - make use of TV/videos learning documentaries, movies, pictures when explaining concepts to them

AUDITORY LEARNERS - use sounds, songs, rhymes, cassette recordings, ask them to listen to sounds in nature and explain what they understand, etc.

KINAESTHETIC LEARNERS - learn by doing things; they like making projects, science experiments, bristle boards, index cards, etc.

• THE USE OF COLOURS - some kids like the simple, organized style; other are very creative and need to learn by using a lot of colourful materials, by drawing or using lots of charts and graphs

• THE USE OF WORKSHEETS - worksheets are very useful as a learning tool; worksheets can be made by parents or bought as booklets from any bookstore (such as Chapters), according to the subject of study. For the Islamic Studies, The Islamic Teaching Manual is Included in the Downloads Category.

• BRAINSTORMING - a group of kids get together and explore the main ideas of a topic or the implications of a concept/event (such as - the effects of Global Warming, Discovery of the Internet and Global Village, The Importance of Salah etc.)

• MIND MAPS - sometimes charts and graphs prove to be very useful in teaching certain concepts; example: how could you teach Geography without Maps? Mind Maps is a concept of using charts and graphs (such as the main idea in the center, other ideas branching off the center; arrows following sets of ideas from the beginning to the conclusion of a concept/ illustrated experiment or time-chart) to teach concepts or illustrate ideas. Very useful in brainstorming.

• INDEX CARDS - can be used in teaching new ideas and concepts; very useful in reviews for individuals as well as groups.

• GAMES AND COMPETITIONS - this stimulate the kids to really learn; the competition brings the zest for learning, but some organization in terms of learning materials and team-formation is necessary for a minimal structure. Computer games (home and on-line) are also included her. However, the parent has to ensure the quality of the games in question and the safety of the child.

• GROUP VERSUS INDIVIDUAL - some kids like to study independently, while others learn best in groups. However, for group learning, they should be at least minimally monitored to ensure that the children actually do study or study effectively. However, most kids will switch between the two kinds of learning.

• QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD - after teaching some material, there should be a Question and Answer Period to ensure that kids learn well and develop a critical mind; while some memorization may be necessary, the focus should be on understanding first

• REVIEW PERIOD - especially the young children will learn fast, but they also tend to forget fast; therefore, constant review of concepts is necessary to ensure the transition from the short-term to long-term memory.

• STORY TELLING - KIDS LOVE SHORT STORIES, NOT LECTURES! Story-telling session should be scheduled by parents or a group of parents periodically to ensure the learning-parenting connection between parents and children. Some parents prefer the traditional bed-time story. For the youth, just "having a chat" with your child about the daily events could do wonders in establishing the connection between parent and child.

TESTS - or THE NECESSARY EVIL (just joking!)

• INFORMAL LEARNING - Kids Need to Have Some Fun Also!!! Taking them to a family party, one of their favourite games or hobbies, a day spent in the park or visiting their best friends (etc.) is also learning; it provides the opportunity for social learning and bonding between the parents and children, or children and their friends (make sure their friends are good though!) Kids love to see their parents involved in any kind of activities.

• PATIENCE - usually kids learn fast; however, they may forget as fast or they may have their moments when certain concepts may prove more difficult to grasp than others. The parent/ teacher should be patient and try different teaching strategies - to see how the child may learn best. When tired, the parent should take a break to avoid the Fitnah of Anger, which usually brings nothing but the work of Shaitan - that is bitterness and low/minimal or no learning results on the part of the child. If the parent finds that they really cannot teach a certain concept/ subject to their child, they should seek help from their educated friends or tutors. Most of the time the problem could be solved when patience is exercised.

• OTHER TEACHING METHODS - there are lots of teaching methods available - most people use a combination of the above; however, fresh ideas develop as the person becomes more experienced in teaching and continuously perceives new angles of teaching the same or new information.

• HOMESCHOOLING - is a combination of all of the above categories, based on whatever is most suitable to the parents and children. Useful home-schooling links are provided in the Links Category.

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