Space and then back to Earth insha'Allaah

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

The unit on transportation took a turn and led to an exploration of space alhamdulillaah. From here, it's back to earth to explore the desert and learn about how the Prophet - salllaallahau alayhi wa salam- traveled from place to place. And this will lead into Hajj insha'Allaah. 


Here are snippets from the transportation unit as it lead into space:

 Math work included number puzzles and patterning
(click on the pictures for larger view insha'Allaah)

Language Arts included Montessori 3-part cards and many storytimes about space.
In this packet there are about 9 cards (cards with words, cards without words and words only) for children to work with. Also inside of this packet is a mini-reader for students about space. You can download the book here insha'Allaah (Arabic only).

Download Space 3-part cards (Arabic only) here insha'Allaah

For a tutorial on how to make the pockets (the pocket is about 14cm x 13cm) to store Montessori 3-part cards visit this website insha'Allaah.

Language Arts also included a workbook about space 

(the workbook is about 26cm x 19.5 cm). 

Children complete the sentence: "This is..." by cutting out and gluing the correct word based on the picture on the page. There are 6 pages of this nature. Also included in the workbook is a page for students to draw a line to match the word to the correct picture, count the number of space objects and trace over the number (not pictured), a space words memory game (stored in the zip-lock bag on the inside cover of the workbook), and glued to the inside back cover of the workbook are ayaat from Surah Ash-Shams. Students listen to the teacher/parent recite the ayaat and when they hear one of the words that have been studied in this unit, they highlight the word using a highlighter.

It was enjoyable to watch the transportation unit move from the ground to the sky. The interest in space was very evident and each activity was either asked for or done with joy alhamdulillaah. But as al-Hajj is upon us alhamdulillaah, it is time to head back to Earth and visit the desert insha'Allaah.

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Recommended Book: شُكْراً

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

This book,  شُكْراً (Shukran: Thank you), is simply lovely for children birth to five years. 

The book publishers list the suggested age group as five years and older but the art work is delightful and drawn with such warm colours masha'Allaah and the simple, short sentences are those that children under five can easily relate to and understand insha'Allaah. Young children may find this book delightful and visually appealing....waallaahu a'lam. 

The book lists different situations when we should say thank you but this is easily changed to jazakullaahu khayr. The story ends by mentioning how the child looks out of the window and sees the sun, the river, etc, and he hears the sounds of the birds and other things and for this we say to our Lord subhana wa ta 'ala, alhamdulilaah. 

This book may or may not be part of your local library's collection (It is an Arabic book) but it can be purchased here insha'Allaah. But if you do happen to find it at your local library....check it out insha'Allaah!

Toddler Busy Work

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Sometimes, especially at certain times of the year (i.e. end of school year, summer approaching, Ramadan, etc.), it's helpful to have activities on hand that toddlers can access and complete almost independently. The following activities are some that are used just for that purpose and some can be added to students portable writing centres as well.

Everything the toddler needs to complete the activity is stored in the plastic zip-lock bag. Teachers/parents can make several copies (enough for each student/child) of the worksheet (this worksheet is an extension from the activity in this post) and place them in a basket. In a second basket, you can place the plastic bags with the glue stick and pieces that need to be glued to the worksheet.  Students take one worksheet and one bag and complete the activity independently insha'Allaah.

These books need to be assembled by teacher/parent. The pre-assembled book and a sheet with apple stickers is placed in a plastic bag for students to complete independently as well insha'Allaah. This little book (Arabic only) is for students to work on 1:1 correspondence.

Then on to fine motor skill practice and practical life activities:

This is a very common Montessori activity that helps children work on fine motor skills and the pincer grasp (the ability to grasp a small object between the tips of the thumb and index finger).

I added a practical life extension activity so that there was a bit of variety:

From a basket, students take a shirt and a clothes pin and hang the shirts on the line in the correct numerical order. There are shirts for 0-5 pictured here. Each shirt has a teddy bear (or bears) on it ranging from 0-5.

Into this activity you can place Control of Error so the child(ren) can check their work once they've hung all of the shirts on the line. By writing the numbers on the back of the shirts that correspond to the amount of bears on the front of the shirts, children can walk around the line of bears and make sure the numbers are in the correct order - i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. 

The string that is used for this activity cannot/should not be left up when children are done with the activity. This activity also needs to be supervised by an adult as a choking hazard is present (i.e. the string which is at the toddlers eye level). 

When children are done, they remove the shirts and clothes pins from the line and put them back in the basket and return the activity to the appropriate shelf/space.

Here is the shirt pattern I used for this and the teddy bears if you'd like to use them insha'Allaah. If you'd like to make shirts with bears up to the number 10 here are bears to complete the set insha'Allaah. An alternative is to use stickers to save time cutting out 55 teddy bears.

I also put together some little workbooks for toddlers and preschoolers to pick up and complete with little supervision or assistance (depending on the age of the child)

Above, these are two of the four (4) workbooks for toddlers to work on. The book in the bottom right hand corner is a little math book for toddlers and the book in the upper left corner is a colouring book for transportation.

In the math book, there are two pages that are to be cut out and the child pastes the pieces into the correct boxes on the appropriate page(s) (i.e. the piece that matches the picture on the page). Another activity requires that the child place the correct amount of stickers in each box (i.e. each box has a certain number of circles and the child must put the correct number of stickers in each box. So if a box has three circles, the child will put three stickers in that box - one over each circle insha'Allaah). Alternately, the child can colour in the circles in each box, making sure all circles for each number are the same colour (i.e. for the box with 5 circles all circles can be coloured blue insha'Allaah).

All of the workbooks are: 

- Transportation (Arabic Only)

- Math (Title in Arabic but no words in the book)

- The Shapes (Arabic Only) colouring book and cut & paste activity

- Hadith Colouring Book (this is just a smaller version of this hadith colouring book)

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Picture Hunt (Vocabulary Building Reader)

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

This is for a sister who wanted a book and activity that would help build vocabulary and observation skills for a young toddler insha'Allaah.

The mini-book asks if the child can find certain objects. The teacher/parent/ or another child who is reading the book to the child, picks an object from the many objects on the page and the child (who is being read to) attempts to find it first on the page in the book and then on his/her mat. When found, the child places a chip on the object. This is an Eye-Spy variation I would guess.

This is a sample page from the book and an example showing how the child would place the chip over the object on their mat.

To help build vocabulary, the names of all objects pictured in the book are found on the last pages of the book. Parents/teachers may choose to teach the names of the objects first, even if the child is not reading yet, prior to doing the activity with the child...waallaahu a'lam. And alhamdulillaah, I remembered that some sisters had asked for Arabic mini-books with the harakaat on the letters, so the letters have harakaat *smile*.

A second variation to the activity (not pictured) is intended for two children to play. Each child is given a mat that has some of the objects from the book on it. Each child's mat is slightly different (i.e. some objects on one mat are not on the other mat and vice-versa). Each child is also given matching pieces for their mat so they can place them over the objects when they find them insha'Allaah. A third person uses the book, picks an object from the page and asks children if they can find that object on their mat. The children check their mats and if they have the object on their mat, they place the matching piece over the picture. The first child to finish his/her mat wins.

Dear sis, if this activity is in line with what you needed, please let me know and I will make more mats so that all of the objects pictured in the book are available to you so that you can add variety to the activity insha'Allaah.

Download "Can You Find...? (book & mat) here insha'Allaah

Download "Can You Find..." (Second activity mats) here insha'Allaah

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Arabic Reader: Nahtaju At-Ta'am

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Some sisters asked for beginning Arabic reader books that included the harakaat/tashkeel (vowel marks). Sisters here is the first of, insha'Allaah, several books: Nahtaju At-Ta'am (We Need Food):

The book, Nahtaju At-Ta'am (We Need Food), is about a trip to the local market and the fun part is that children have a shopping list that they can use to help them with their shopping insha'Allaah!

The list pictured is laminated so it can be used and wiped clean and used again insha'Allaah. Using a dry-erase marker, children can circle the foods that are needed from the market. If they actually go to the market they can check them off when the foods are placed in the cart insha'Allaah.

In the file, there is also a list that does not show the foods but has boxes and lines next to each box so the child can draw the picture of what is needed and practice writing/spelling the name of the foods insha'Allaah.

This is also nice for pretend play as well insha'Allaah.

You can download the grocery lists here insha'Allaah.

Next, children have several pages of foods that they use to cut and paste into the book (these pages allow children to cut and paste the foods they have on their shopping list into the story) insha'Allaah. Many of the names of the foods in this story can be found in the dictionary in this post alhamdulillaah. The story ends with paying for the groceries and going home.

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Arabic/English Reader: Naqtasim (We Share)

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Here is another beginning Arabic reader without the harakaat/tashkeel but I will be uploading a book tomorrow insha'Allaah that has harakaat for those sisters who requested this...barak Allaahu feekunna. 

This book is a fun way to introduce/teach the concept of sharing. It also helps children practice counting and is an introduction to division. At the end, children read/learn the hadith about wanting for your brother what you want for yourself. Alhamdulillaah, the English version of the book is in this post.

Here is the way that I presented the book Naqtasim (We Share):

I placed the book and 10 crayons (in their box) in a basket. I did not place more than 10 crayons in the box because the story uses 10 and each child (at the end) ends up with an equal amount of crayons and sees how sharing benefits each person.

As I read the book, I used the crayons to help children "see" the story and experience it. For toddlers, sharing is not always an easy thing to understand or practice.

This page (above) for example is talking about how we have a lot of crayons walhamdulillaah and so we can share them.

As I read each page, I placed crayons in front of the child and in front of me (as appropriate).

In the story here, it says, "One for you. And one for me."

"Two for you. And two for me."

At the end, we all end up with five crayons apiece (the page before mentions how much fun we had sharing and invites the child to share again insha'Allaah) and then we read the hadith about wanting for your brother what you want for yourself.

Download the book here insha'Allaah

Download 'We Share' (English) here insha'Allaah

Download 'Vi delar med oss!' (Swedish) - jazakillaahu khayr sis Umm Mohamed for translating

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Arabic Reader: I Can Insha'Allaah

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Alhamdulillaah, here is another beginning Arabic reader called "I Can Insha'Allaah". It is a short book that talks about some things that children are able to do by the Mercy of Allaah like smile, run, jump, etc.

Download "I can" here insha'Allaah

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

I will be uploading more English resources starting next week and then will continue with Arabic readers insha'Allaah.

Arabic Reader: In The Kitchen

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Here is the second book that was pictured in this post. This book is called, "In the Kitchen" and really was used to build vocabulary. The sentences are very short and repetitive so that children can easily memorize the second part of the sentence ("fil matbakh") and then fill in the first word in each sentence, which is a new thing found in the kitchen.

The book, "In the Kitchen" is on the left

The last words in the sentence is the same on each page - "fil matbakh"

Below are sample pages

Download "Fil Matbakh (In the Kitchen) here insha'Allaah

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Arabic Reader: The Train

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

This Arabic Reader is called, "The Train". It has simple short sentences that talk about places trains travel. It was a supplimentary book to Freight train by Donald Crews.

Insha'Allaah, I will put the second book pictured here in

a different post so the post does not get too long.

Below are a few sample pages from the book, "The Train".

Download "The Train" here insha'Allaah

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Arabic Reader: I Get Dressed

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Here is another Beginning Arabic reader dear sis. Let me know if you need a different level of difficulty insha'Allaah.

This book is called, "I Get Dressed"

Sample page: I bought photo album pages from the craft store and cut them into squares. This way, children can choose (and change) the colour of the clothes they want to use to complete the sentences.

Another sample page

Sample Page

Sample page

Download "I Get Dressed" book here insha'Allaah

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Beginning Arabic Readers

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Dear Sis Umm Ahmad, these are two of the Arabic readers we were talking about. Please let me know if this is what you meant. The first one is the classic rhyme, "What Do You See?", with fruit, in Arabic. I've used this book in my class for years. The second book is a small story from the Medina Arabic Reade Book 1 (you can download the book here or here insha'Allaah). I thought this may be easy to read because the books are designed for students who are learning to read Arabic. I did not put the tashkeel (vowel marks) as you asked (the Medina Arabic book has tashkeel). I have another book that I just wrote for personal use and I will upload that later today or tomorrow for you insha'Allaah. Please let me know if this is what you had in mind.

The first book, on the right, is "My House" and is a short story from Medina Arabic Reader, Book 1.

The second book, on the left, is "What Do You See?".

Sample page from "My House"

Sample page from "My House"

Sample page from "My House"

Sample page from "What Do You See?"

Sample page from "What Do You See?"

Here are the files insha'Allaah:

Download "What Do You See?" here insha'Allaah

Download "My House" here insha'Allaah

Enjoy insha'Allaah!