As a Muslim homeschooling family, I wanted to create a curriculum that aligns with our values, and helps us to live a life together that we love and that I am passionate about..
Using the Charlotte Mason philosophy to guide my decisions, I have designed a homeschool curriculum that nurtures my children’s love for learning, ignites their innate curiosity, and empowers me as their teacher and mother to teach with confidence and joy.
Inspired by Charlotte Mason, I have tried to bring God to the heart of every subject, and connect everything with our creator.
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I needed a curriculum that made me excited to wake up in the morning! I needed a curriculum that would touch the hearts of my children! I needed a curriculum that I couldn’t wait to learn from myself!
But I couldn’t find one out there! So, with the help and inspiration of many other Charlotte Mason resources, I put a curriculum together myself.
And here it friends, for you all to enjoy and, I hope, benefit from! insha’Allah
My eldest son is 8 years-old, and my youngest son is 6 years-old. Please assume that the resources outlined below are used by both boys, unless indicated by a (8) or (6) in brackets. However, as the boys use most of the materials together, please consider this curriculum suitable for children in 1st-3rd grade, year 2-4 in the UK.
And I’ve made a little video to go along with this blogpost too. ENJOY!
WATCH THIS VIDEO!
If you’d like to see the curriculum we used last year, when the boys were 7 and 5, CLICK HERE!
Language Arts / English
Our study of English is based around reading, copying and narrating back high-quality literature and poetry. We have chosen, as recommended by Charlotte Mason, to delay the study of grammar and spelling until our children are at least 9 years-old.
Handwriting
We make out own handwriting sheets on Worksheet Works using excerpts from books we are reading, poetry or ahadith. It’s a wonderful free resource!
Literature
These are books that I plan to read-aloud to the children, in addition to other subjects. We may use Audible to listen to some of them in audiobook form.
Ayat Jamilah: Beautiful Signs by Conover
Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder (8) – Note, there are some unacceptable racial terms used in these books. We use this as an opportunity for conversation and growth insha’Allah.
We use Audible A LOT! If you would like to try it out, they have a FREE TRIAL on at the moment, where you get your First Book Free, you can cancel anytime, and you’ll still have access to that book!
CLICK HERE for your FREE TRIAL!
Reading
We do not follow a specific reading curriculum. The children are not forced to read any particular book, but rather are given a choice and then are required to read aloud to me 2-3 times a week. They also have 20 minutes free-reading in the afternoon, where they can read whatever they want…even car magazines! I hope that this relaxed approach will encourage them to develop a love of reading, rather than it becoming a chore and only a “school subject”.
The Boxcar Children (#1) by Gertrude C. Warner (8)
The Light of His Beauty by Maryam Qadri (8) – The birth of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
A Race to Prayer: Sulaiman’s rewarding Day by Aliya Vaughan (8)
The Hardy Boys – Treasure Tower (#1) by Franklin Dixon (8)
The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois (8)
The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen by Lloyd Alexander (8)
I Wonder – About the Prophet (#3) by Ozkan Oze (8)
Frindle by Andrew Clements (8)
Billy and Blaze Series by C. W. Anderson (6) – We LOVE this series!
Nate the Great series by Marjorie Sharmat (6)
Brambley Hedge Series by Jill Barklem (6)
Poetry
It is our aim to read poetry aloud everyday , even if only for a few minutes.
Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson
Sing Song – A Nursery Rhyme Book by Rossetti – Please note, some of these poems maybe unsuitable for sensitive children.
Now we are Six – A. A. Milne
Montmorency’s Book of Rhymes by T.J. Winter (Islamic Children’s rhymes)
Treasury of Read-Aloud Poems for Young People by G. Hale
Shakespeare
We will be looking at one play each term. I feel more comfortable presenting plays that have less romance in, as so we will be beginning with The Tempest.
Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare for Children by E.Nesbit (easier language)
Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb
Maths
For Maths, we are using the wonderful Life of Fred Math Series. My 8 year-old are currently working on Kidneys and my 6 year-old on Butterflies.
If any concepts requires further reinforcement I will use other online resources. A favourite of mine is Math Mammoth.
Islam
My boys attend Arabic, Quran and Seerah classes outside of the home. However, we also do incorporate many Islamic sciences into out homeschool schedule, as well as trying to refer back to our creator or deeper lessons whenever they arise in our school day.
Quran (Arabic)
Qaidah (6) – ‘Uthamani Script or Indo-Pak Script
Islamic Studies – Year 3 (8) and Year 1 (6)
We also look at Seerah, the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) which I have included in our History curriculum. For seerah, we use Muhammad by Martin Lings
Nature Study
Nature study forms the foundation of our scientific learning. Through the study of nature I hope the children will learn to observe, records and question what they see around them. More formal science lessons will start when they are older insha’Allah.
Our focus this coming year will be Trees, and Star and Planets, although we will learn about other things things that interest them along the way too!
Nature Lore
Country Tales by Enid Blyton
Hedgerow Tales by Enid Blyton
Woodland Tales by Enid Blyton
James Herriot’s Treasury for Children
Star Stories for Little Folks by Gertrude Chandler
Find the Constellations by Rey
Trees and Shrubs by Arabella Buckley
Nature Journaling
Geography
This year, we are focusing on Physical geography,
Elementary Geography by Charlotte Mason
Home Geography for Primary Grades by C.C. Long
In addition to this, the boys often refer back to the atlas when a new place in mentioned in their history or literature books.
History
Our focus for history this coming year wil be the late medieval period, the Tudors and Stewarts. We will also focussing on Seerah, and studying the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
We have a HUGE selection of history books that we use to teach this subject. For more information, to see this extensive book list, please read the blog-post about it or watch this video.
Modern Languages
My children are learning Arabic and French this year.
They attend Arabic classes outside of the home, and so my primary focus during school-hours is to teach them French.
Hachettes Illustrated French Primer
Un Deux Trois: First French Rhymes
La Chenille: qui fait des trous
Artist Study
Every term, the children learn about a new artist and become familiar with there artwork.
If you’re not sure what Artist/ Picture study is, you should read this blog-post or watch this video!
Drawing
We are taking a very relaxed stance on artwork this year, allowing the children more freedom to draw and create in ways that excite them. For this, we will use Pinterest or Youtube for ideas or tutorials.
Interest-Led
Touch Typing
My eldest son has expressed an interest in learning to type. For that we are using TypeKids.com. You can read my review on this programme HERE.
Lego Club
My younger son expressed an interest in joining a local Lego club this year.
If you’d like to know more about Lego clubs, Click HERE.
I’m so excited for this coming year ahead and to use these fabulous resources with my children; resources that I believe truly reflect our values.
And, I’m looking forward to sharing that journey with you too!
If you have any questions, pop them for me in the comments below!
Peace and Love,
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[…] are so many curriculum options available. From Muslim curriculum for young elementary students with a Charlotte Mason flair (a homeschool method that involves a lot […]