Sharing: A Poem

 السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

The New Teacher

 

 A tiny ladybug flew into my class

And out the window went my lesson plan, alas

All attention went to her

As every child went running, a blur

Was all that appeared before my eyes

And my ears heard only delighted cries

As she fluttered and pranced across the glass

And with no effort at all – she took over my class.

My dear ladybug, when do you plan to leave?

Creative Commons Copyright CameliaTWU

Poem copyright 2012 Umm An-Nu'man

[Cross Post]: Recommended Book: Bat Loves The Night

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Exposing children to non-fiction is an important goal of many teachers and parent-teachers. Non-fiction can be a helpful and powerful tool when teaching children about the world and so the selection of non-fiction books should be done with the same care and precision that is used when selecting fiction for children. Providing children with non-fiction during storytime is a task that sometimes requires a bit of research on the part of the teacher/parent-teacher and depending on the age group you are reading to, finding engaging non-fiction is not always easy but alhamdulillaah, it is not impossible.

This book, Bat Loves The Night is a delightful non-fiction book that can be read aloud to toddlers, kindergarteners, and students in grades 1 and 2 insha'Allaah. The author, Nicola Davies, not only manages to skillfully place a large amount of information in the book (as was the case in Surprising Sharks), she also writes in a style that is easy for children to enjoy and comprehend.

Bat Loves The Night is also a book that teachers/parent-teachers may enjoy reading aloud to their students/children for the simple fact that the story is calm but has an air of mystery about it. As you read the story your voice changes, at times being suspenseful and then dropping to become full of intrigue and mystery. The illustrations are beautiful and invite children to appreciate the beauty of bats as they learn factual information about these nocturnal creatures.

Alhamdulillaah, this storytime selection only required one word be omitted from the reading (pixie) because it usually refers to fairies or sprites.


When looking for engaging, eloquent non-fiction for your classroom or homeschool, consider Bat Loves The Night for your collection. You may also wish to have a look at these lesson plans that can be used with Bat Loves the Night:

1. Bats: Preschool Science Lesson (omit the singing part of the lesson plan)
2. Guided Writing Lesson Plan for small group instruction on the topic of bats.
3. Food for Bats: Children make bats and the types of food they eat with modeling clay **Remind children not to make facial features for their bats as this contradicts the Sunnah of the Prophet -sallallaahu alayhi wa salam.**

Insha'Allaah more books from this author will be reviewed here soon.

But on your next trip to the library, check the shelf for Bat Loves The Night and if you find it...check it out insha'Allaah!

Critical Thinking Game for Toddlers and Kindergarteners

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

This game is both an assessment tool for teachers/parent-teachers and a tool that helps children work on the following skills insha'Allaah:

• Listening to and following directions
• Critical Thinking (the process of elimination based on provided clues)
• Sorting objects based on the attribute of colour

 

In this game, there are 27 picture cards (3 cards for each colour) and 9 cards that contain clues (1 card for each of the nine colours covered in the game). The teacher/parent-teacher decides how many cards he/she will present to the child(ren). When first presenting the game to children, it is a good idea to start with 6 cards (i.e. 3 cards for the 2 colours you will start with).

As the child understands the game and shows proficiency, the teacher/teacher-parent can increase the number of cards presented at one time and incorporate using the game board insha'Allaah.

To play, the teacher reads the clues to the child(ren) one at a time, providing time for the child(ren) to process the clue. Using the example pictured above, the teacher will read: "What I want is orange." The teacher pauses to allow children time to take all of the orange cards from among the other cards.  When the child has removed all of the orange cards and has lined them up in front of him, the teacher reads the second clue: "People eat it." Again, the teacher pauses allowing the child to process the clue and act on it. Here, the child may notice that there are two things that people eat (i.e. the orange and the carrot). The child will remove the card showing the cat because this card can no longer be the card the teacher is asking for.

The teacher reads the next and last clue: "And it is a vegetable." The child will look at the two cards he has in front of him and realize that the card the teacher is asking for can only be the carrot because an orange is a fruit. The child will take the card showing the carrot and place it on their colour mat (pictured above) in the spot that says orange.

The teacher plays the game in this fashion until the child has completed the board. Each card has 3 clues and after the first clue is given the child will always have two cards remaining that are possible answers. The child will not usually know the card the teacher is asking for until the last clue is read.

There is also an answer key in the file for the child to self-correct insha'Allaah and this game can be played with a whole class as well (you would need to print one copy of the game for each student in your class). **Note: the clue card for the colour yellow had an error that has now been corrected. The second clue should read: "We do not write with it.", not "It is long." **

Jazakumu Allaahu Khayran for respecting the terms of use for all material on A Muslim Child is Born; the activity can be downloaded here insha'Allaah.

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Quraan Centre Word Work: Surah Al-Kawthar Activities & Workbook

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

 Alhamdulillaah, this is the word work for surah Al-Kawthar:

In this packet children go on a word hunt for post-it notes that have words from this surah on them. They also continue identifying letters in isolation, work on their handwriting and sort words from the surah. Also included in this pack are three boards that have three different words from the surah on them. These boards can be laminated and used for fine motor skill work with Play-Doe, or students can use dry-erase markers to colour them in, erase and colour again. Children have their workbook where they identify words from each ayah in the surah and more!

Insha'Allaah, your students/children benefit and enjoy this. Please note that all material on A Muslim Child is Born is copyrighted by Umm An-Nu'man unless otherwise noted. The files are not to be altered in any way, shape, form or fashion without prior written permission from Umm An-Nu'man. For complete information on the terms of use for all material on this blog, please take a moment to read the terms of use. Jazakum Allaahu Khayr. The file is available for download above or here insha'allaah. 

Game ideas for 2 and 3 year olds

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

These game ideas can be used when teaching concept development, pre-reading skills and other cognitive skills to 2/3 year old children. They can be used in the classroom as well as the homeschooling environment. 

 

Shadow Matching

This shadow matching game is a little more advanced than those commonly found on the Internet. The pictures in this game have a bit more dimension and are somewhat more complex in shape. When children have used and mastered the shadow matching game in this post, you may find that this game is a great next step. This game is not free and can be purchased and downloaded from this site insha'Allaah. There are 15 photographic images of objects and 15 silhouettes of the objects in the file.

Beginning Sounds game

This game idea is helpful when studying the letters and the sounds they make. It is also helpful when children begin identifying the beginning sounds they hear in words. The game also helps build students' vocabulary. The teacher/teacher-parent can introduce new and more complex words to children as the children study the alphabet. The teacher/teacher-parent sits with the child and tells him/her what the object is on each card (if the child needs this support) and the child, listening for the beginning sound in the word, places the card under the letter that represents the beginning sound he/she hears. The child is listening for the beginning sound in each word but in the process he/she will also acquire new words and expand his/her vocabulary insha'Allaah. You may wish to start with 1 or 2 letters (with object/word cards for each letter) only when playing this game and as students gain skill and confidence you can use 3-4 letters (and object/word cards). If laminated, this game can be used in your classroom each year and will, insha'Allaah, withstand student handling. 
 
Children self-correct with ease in this game which makes it ideal for learning centres. To confirm if they have placed the cards in the correct row, children simply turn the cards over one at a time and check to make sure the first letter - highlighted in red - is the same letter on the letter card at the top of the mat. Children do not need to know how to read to play this game.

Control of Error

The next game helps children work on concept development. 

What Goes Together Game

Children are presented cards and must decide which cards go together. This association is based on how we use objects and/or how objects are complimentary. The teacher/teacher-parent prepares cards that show objects that he/she is confident his/her students are familiar with and know the usage of (i.e. the object).  

One way this game can be used is: the teacher presents the lesson and may begin with four cards (i.e. two pairs of objects). For example, the teacher may present a card with a toothbrush, a card with a pair of socks, a card with a tube of toothpaste and a card with a pair of shoes. The teacher, simply and briefly, discusses with the child which objects go together and matches the cards accordingly. The teachers takes a minute to discuss why these objects go together and then he/she using the same cards and a new set of cards as well, invites the child to do the activity independently. 

Before explaining to the child why two cards go together, you may wish to allow the child to draw on his/her prior knowledge and work from there. So before telling him which objects go together and why, ask him/her which cards he/she thinks go together. Allow the child to match the cards. If they are incorrect do not immediately correct the child. Invite him/her to explain their reasoning for placing the two cards together. If it is indeed an error, discuss with the child the reasons the two cards do not go together and then show and discuss which cards actually go together and why.

Making your own set allows you to expand the set as needed. For example, you may start with a set that has 10 cards (5 sets) and end up with a game that has 15-20 cards (or more!).


Insha'Allaah, you find these ideas helpful and beneficial for your class/child(ren). 


Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Quraan Centre Word Work: Surah Al-Kafiroon Activities & Workbook

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Alhamdulillaah, this is the word work for surah Al-Kafiroon.

In the workbook for surah Al-Kafiroon, children are introduced to begin identifying letters as they are represented in the beginning, middle and end of a word.  In the word work packet there is a word hunt, a movable Arabic alphabet activity that has two flashcards with words children are invited to spell using the movable alphabet, Arabic handwriting practice and more alhamdulillaah!

Insha'Allaah, your students/children benefit and enjoy this. Before downloading this file, please take a moment to read the terms of use for this and all resources on A Muslim Child is born (if you haven't alerady). Jazakum Allaahu Khayr. The file is available for download above or here insha'allaah.

Introduction to Tashkeel Game

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

This file folder game is used along side an audio program for children that introduces at-tashkeel but can be used independently as well (i.e. teacher/parent-teacher speaking). 

How it works: Three blank white squares are glued/placed as shown above or in a manner you feel is best (i.e. you put the dhumma between the fatha and kesra). The cards showing فتحة (fatha),كسرة   (kesra) and ضمّة dhumma are glued/placed in their proper positions. The alphabet cards are stored in the envelope below. Depending on which letter is being studied, the teacher/parent-teacher may choose to place only that letter in the envelope.

The teacher/parent-teacher prepares the audio program (i.e. CD recording, computer program, etc.) for the child(ren). When the child hears the letter with a particular tashkeel, he/she places the letter on the correct white box below or above the correct tashkeel. An example: 

The letter being studied is: ن

Audio Recording or Teacher/Parent-Teacher: "Noon kesra nee".

The child moves the noon letter card to the correct square. 

The child goes through the sequence placing the letter in the correct box for each harakaat/tashkeel, repeating as often as needed until it is mastered. This mastery may take a few or several sessions, depending on the child.

Because this is introductory, each letter is represented once only (i.e. there are not three cards for each letter. There is one letter noon and the child physically moves the letter around as needed). To help the child focus on the tashkeel and how it affects the letter, they move the one card and are not distracted with seeing one letter two or three times. This also helps the child focus on correctly identifying which harakaat they need to produce the sound they have just heard. If, for example, there are already two cards showing the letter noon on the fatha and the dumma spaces and the teacher says, "Noon kesra nee", the child sees only one box available and will automatically put it there. This may not give the teacher an accurate picture of the child's level of mastery of this particular task. Having three empty boxes at all times allows the child to take time to think about which box they need to place the letter in to represent the sound they have just heard. 

Insha'Allaah, your students/children benefit and enjoy this. Before downloading this file, please take a moment to read the terms of use for this and all resources on A Muslim Child is born. Jazakum Allaahu Khayr.  The file is available for download here insha'allaah.

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Check it Out: I Spy With My Little Eye

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

I Spy With My Little Eye is a book that is not only interactive but a teaching tool as well. Many children are familiar with the game of I Spy and in this book children enjoy that game in a new way. Peeking through die-cut holes, children are invited to guess which animal they will encounter on the next page. They are given a factual clue about the upcoming animal and when they turn the page they have a chance to confirm their guess ( a nice way to work on predicting skills with young children).

The text of the story is simple and catchy enough that children quickly learn the words. During your classroom or home storytime, you can invite children to choral read with you but do not be surprised if you find the book being read, with or without you, many times.

The last page of the book is quite impressive when you take time to consider what has been conveyed with a single picture. This time, do not be surprised if you find yourself saying "Subhana'Allaah" as you consider Allaah's Ability and Power.

The next time you're at your local library, check the shelf for I Spy With My Little Eye and if you find it....Check it Out insha'Allaah!