Homeschool Halaqas: Taking Baby Steps Towards Homeschooling

Below are all the links I referred to in my guest appearance to the Homeschool Halaqas‘ debut webinar, Sunday, September 18, 2011, which is entitled “Baby Steps”. I’m the fourth speaker with 10-15 minutes to answer dozens of questions, and familiar with the other speakers’ children’s ages and focus, I opt to quickly rush through critical facts and delving into my humbled advice (steps or tips) and college prep. Therefore, it was critical that I share these links for others to research the areas that I anticipate whizzing through, as I only have 10-15 minutes to speak.

If you’re coming from the webinar, Salam & inshaAllah, I didn’t speak TOO fast! LOL

Some Background

• My humble professional bio, but my online businesses have grown because my girls are kidpreneurs.
• Kid Bloggers Club – My  3 girls’ online business, and their brief biographies, mashaAllah.
• Our 4-month public school case study. If you have to, here are 79 Creatives Ways I Supported My Kids’ School My Way…and, YOU Can Too!

Critical Homeschool Baby Steps To Consider

Note: These steps are not meant to be done in order, depending where you are in your discovery process. However, WHEN you are ready to Start homeschooling legally in the U.S. Step #1 is critical. InshaAllah, just like home educating your kids, you have to be able to know the depth of every topic as well as your end-point. Our topic today is “Best Steps Towards Homeschooling in Islam” and our end-point is college prep.

• Step 1: Know Your Legal Rights & Obligations – Instructions by following HSLDA. I recommend minimum reporting.

• Step 2: Understand your role in Creating the Most Ideal Islamic Educational System for your children.

• Step 2 (a): Download my free ebook “Balancing Life as a Muslim Mom” (on the sidebar or below this post), which details Qur’an and Sunnah that our roles and obligations as Wife, Mother & Money-Manager, and in each role Homeschooling is the desired lifestyle, inshaAllah.

• Step 2 (b): Here’s a series began back in 2008, alhumdulilah. Enjoy this content that is still relevant today.

1. Failures of Modern Schooling – Islamic Perspective
2. Education of Muslim Children – Challenges and Opportunities (Problems with Islamic Schools)
3. We don’t need School Reform we need an Overhaul
4. What are Personalized Learning Centers?
5. Washington Post – Muslim homeschooling population growing
6. Homeschooling with Multiple Intelligences
7. Defining Intellectual Vitality and Intellectual Curiosity – coming full circle to college admissions.

• Step 3 (a): Survey your family’s lifestyle & skill-set, then pick an appropriate curriculum. [Extended family, and learned scholars, tutors etc. are critical]
  
• Step 3 (b): Proud to be a Homeschool MOM not a Homeschool Teacher.

• Step 4: Never Compare, Only “Survey” and Adapt from Trusted, Respectable Resources, especially since homeschooling for Muslims in the West is relatively a new phenomenon. Note that this is why this channel was developed in the first place.
  

• Step 5: Don’t be limited to “school” designations. It is possible to go from Elementary School to College. Not only IS possible, it should be encouraged. (More on this topic will be detailed as this homeschool challenge develops and I post all the research, stats, case studies, and experiences to support this.)

1. Academically: Know that it’s NOT about “rushing childhood” to “skip grades” as school-parents & administrators would argue. I’ve always shared that “I AM GIVING my kids a childhood by allowing them to explore their interests in a much deeper and profound way…and this is only possible through homeschooling.” The conversation has ALWAYS ended there. My girls aren’t limited to school-year-curriculum, they’re limited only by the limited hours in a day to consume higher-order-materials typically only found in actual books, references, Internet, etc. and only utilizing a textbook (if we happen to have any around) as a resource.
2. Islamically: Parents have specific duties in raising our kids from Birth-6 years old, 7 – 10 years, then Maturity as puberty (ie., pre-teen, tween, teen, twenties, etc. Remember girls are getting their menses as young as 8 yo and the average is 11 years in the US in 2011!)

• Step 6: Know That our Deen Demands Excellence, and therefore encourages Intellectual Vitality – As homeschoolers, we have an edge in Ivy League college applications, find out how it’s critical to children’s obligation to gain ‘alm (knowledge).

• Muslim Homeschool Blog List & Guest Bloggers – Apply here if you want to be considered to the Muslim Homeschool Bloggers list, and contact us if you’re interested in guest blogging, inshaAllah.

The best advice I ever got from a homeschool mom with 12 kids and her youngest was other than my 4yo at that time. She said “Take it year by year.” My girls added their “Top Baby Step Tips” which are: ”Don’t stay a home to “home”-school.”, “Just do it!”, and “Have Fun with your kids.”. If you’ve ever heard or read my such for the past 11 years, my husband and my biggest daily complaint to our girls are “You Play TOO much!” Based on their unique experiences to date, I’d leave by saying “The World Needs to Play A LOT More!”.

So what are you Baby Step Tips or Lessons Learned to you share with other Muslims interested in homeschooling? Please share below.

Category: Birth - 6