Although the idea of getting ready to start homeschooling can be overwhelming, know that you can do it. Your first year of homeschool planning does not have to be overwhelming or frightening.
In Episode 88 of the Raising Mums podcast, I share what subjects you need to start with and show you the Easiest way to begin your Homeschool Planning!
This episode includes a clip from Day 2 of our recent 5-day Bootcamp – Start Your Homeschool Strong!
Although The Start Your Homeschool Strong Bootcamp is currently closed, Launch Your Homeschool students will be given access to the full boot camp.
Launch Your Homeschool is now open now and closes Friday 5th August, 2022 at 9pm (UK).
Launch Your Homeschool is an online course that will hold your hand and walk you through the beginning stages of homeschooling, built upon the framework of the Charlotte Mason philosophy.
I teach you how to choose the right subjects for your homeschool, how to choose the right resources, and plan out your year to create a homeschool experience that aligns with the values and beliefs of your family. Whether you are homeschooling in the UK, or elsewhere in the world, this programme will help you give your children an incredible education at home.
I show you the essential teaching techniques that you’ll need to know to get started. There’s even an entire module on how to manage your time so you can still cook, keep the house tidy and take care of yourself, all whilst homeschooling your children!
Several reasons exist for parents to not send their child to public schools, such as dissatisfaction with the curriculum, teaching methods, and religious concerns, but is homeschooling really better? Khadijah Stott-Andrew addresses this concern and her realisation that teachers don’t have all the answers either.
Khadijah is a mother of three and a self-proclaimed bookaholic! She talks about homeschooling while moving house and also how she has combined the national curriculum with the Charlotte Mason philosophy.
In Episode 87 of the Raising Mums podcast, I talk to Khadijah Stott-Andrew from Our Daily Wonders.
Launch Your Homeschool is an online course that will hold your hand and walk you through the beginning stages of homeschooling, built upon the framework of the Charlotte Mason philosophy.
I teach you how to choose the right subjects for your homeschool, how to choose the right resources, and plan out your year to create a homeschool experience that aligns with the values and beliefs of your family. Whether you are homeschooling in the UK, or elsewhere in the world, this programme will help you give your children an incredible education at home.
I show you the essential teaching techniques that you’ll need to know to get started. There’s even an entire module on how to manage your time so you can still cook, keep the house tidy and take care of yourself, all whilst homeschooling your children!
One of the bonus points of a homeschool life is being able to go on field trips during term time when it’s quiet! But what are you supposed to do on a homeschool history trip?
Do you have to take all your books with you?
Do your children have to complete a project?
Do you have to collect “evidence” to prove your visit?
This blog post offers advice for each age group when attending a homeschool history field trip.
Why are homeschool history trips important?
The first piece of advice is the most important – you don’t HAVE to do anything! If all you and your children do is attend a field trip, explore your surroundings, and have a great day, then class that as a successful field trip!
However, as homeschool mothers, we carry a heavy pressure to squeeze every learning opportunity as much as possible. So, how can you make the most of a homeschool history trip?
First, understand why a homeschool history trip is important. The Charlotte Mason philosophy encourages our children to build relationships with the topics they are studying. What better way to build a relationship with the knights of medieval times than exploring the ruins of their once-glorious castle? How better to understand the struggles of Victorian life than to trail through the London dungeons?
By exploring history through trips as well books, children benefit from seeing their studies come to life. It allows them to experience the information first hand!
What should you do before a homeschool history trip?
How do you prepare for a homeschool history trip? This part can create an overwhelming to-do list, if you’re not careful. So, it’s important to remember that we cannot possibly teach our children every single piece of information available. The aim of our homeschool is to create a lifelong love of learning and an appreciation of the journey. We need to spark our children’s interest.
So, before a homeschool history field trip, that is your only goal – spark their interest. Teach them just enough to create a buzz of excitement about your upcoming trip.
Read impressive battle stories from Arthurian legend before visiting a castle.
Discuss the struggles of Abdullah Quilliam before he established the UK’s first mosque.
Try a day living like Tudors before visiting the Tudor houses and museums.
By creating this sense of wonder in your children, you are prepping them to make way for any new experiences the field trip has to offer.
For your older children, encourage them to think about other things they would like to know. If they have their own set of questions they want answering during the trip, they are taking charge of their own learning and being responsible for the satisfaction of having their questions answered.
Maybe they can research the field trip destination beforehand, and they can be the tour guide. Allow them to research what is available, and they can oversee where you go and what you do on the day.
Homeschool History: Level 1 (Under 7s)
If following a Charlotte Mason philosophy, you’ll know the “requirements” for under 7s are minimal. The focus should be on being outside as much as possible, maybe a little arithmetic, and plenty of snuggles with living books!
But this is when a field trip comes in handy. A child under 7 can enjoy a homeschool history trip for exactly what it is – an adventure and a chance for more exploration!
Encourage your child to collect souvenirs, and I don’t mean the expensive ones from the gift shops! Maybe your child finds an interestingly shaped rock or a flower? Maybe they find it thrilling to follow a map of your location in a brochure!
Tip: Remember anything collected can either be sketched or stuck into their Book of Centuries to commemorate their historical trip through time!
To find out more about How to Use a Book of Centuries – CLICK HERE
The idea for this age group is to keep stoking the fire of curiosity and wonder. Children under 7 have a natural inclination to explore and ask questions. Your only job is to not get in the way!
When travelling home, or even the following day, ask your child to orally narrate what they did on their trip. Let them tell you what they understood and the connections they made.
Homeschool History: Level 2 (Ages 7-11)
Once your child hits this age bracket, the intensity of work steps up a little bit.
Please note: this is by no means a hard and fast rule for this age group. Judge your child’s ability based on their progress rather than their age. If your child is still at the freestyle-exploration stage, leave them there! Often, they’ll show YOU signs they are ready to upgrade their learning.
So, what can a child do on their history trip? If their trip includes a destination linked to a current area of study, your child probably already has some questions they need answering. Find out beforehand what they will have access to on your trip and help them come up with a list of questions they’d like answering.
Another hands-on idea for your child is for them to document their trip – whether a video or photo diary, keeping a written journal, or even just collecting memorabilia for a scrapbook!
Tip: Take your Book of Centuries with you! You will probably come across lots of new information and dates on your trip. Let your child check this information against things they have already recorded in their Book of Centuries! [Purchase yours here UKUSA ]
Homeschool History: Level 3 (Ages 12+)
Now is when we must get serious… right? Well, not necessarily! Once your child hits this age range, a lot of his/her studies may start to take a “serious” turn. Whether you’re thinking about secondary school or GCSEs, children will notice the expectations for their work are increasing.
A history trip is not that time. See your history trip as a blessing and a chance for your pre/teen to get back to enjoying learning and seeing what they can soak up without an official plan. Children absorb a lot more information when they don’t think they HAVE to!
However, if you or your child are eager for more, set a history trip as part of a greater research project.
They don’t just have to visit Stonehenge; they are researching the impact of religion and spirituality in pre-historic Britain!
They’re not just visiting Gettysburg National Military Park; they are creating their own timeline and map of the civil war.
They’re not just visiting Titanic Belfast; they are putting together an engineering report of the safety requirements for a cruise ship.
They’re not just visiting Mesa Verde National Park; they are researching the Native American contribution to civilisation.
Helping your child build connections with what they are seeing on their trip with other areas of study is a guaranteed way to embrace the Charlotte Mason mentality during their older years. Education is a study of relationships, and a history trip is a fantastic way for older children to appreciate how their different areas of study are interconnected.
Once you get home
The days after a homeschool trip are a great time to soak in what you have all experienced and learnt. Whether you have an informal discussion or even go as far as to put on a presentation for family members! Find a way to recap or narrate your experiences and spend time with what you have learnt before moving on to the next topic. And that means you too! Join in with the children and show them that learning truly is a lifelong pursuit.
Keep focused
As you can see, there is no right or wrong way to go on a homeschool history trip. But what is important is that you remember your focus as a Charlotte Mason homeschool:
Discuss how topics are related.
Facilitate your child building their own relationship with their topic.
Remind them of the disciplines and habits required when out of the house.
Narrate back what they have learnt in a range of creative ways.
What do you do on your homeschool history trips? Leave a comment with your history trip recommendations!
[Don’t forget to order your Book of Centuries here UKUSA .]
Launch Your Homeschool is an online course that will hold your hand and walk you through the beginning stages of homeschooling, built upon the framework of the Charlotte Mason philosophy.
I teach you how to craft a curriculum for your homeschool, how to choose the right resources, and plan out your year to create a homeschool experience that aligns with the values and beliefs of your family. Whether you are homeschooling in the UK, or elsewhere in the world, this programme will help you give your children an incredible education at home.
I show you the essential teaching techniques that you’ll need to know to get started. There’s even an entire module on how to manage your time so you can still cook, keep the house tidy and take care of yourself, all whilst homeschooling your children!
You have a lot to do. In addition to all your other jobs and responsibilities, you’ve also chosen to home educate your children. That’s huge! It’s no wonder that when you can’t keep up with the homeschooling curriculum, you worry they’re falling behind. You worry that they’re not where they’re supposed to be, that you’re failing as a homeschooler, and perhaps you should put them in school.
But before you jump to that decision, listen to this episode of the podcast!
In Episode 68 of the Raising Mums podcast, we talk about feeling behind in your homeschooling curriculum and what you can do to feel more positive about educating your children at home.
The belief that life will be better once you “catch up” robs you of the present; and the joy and connection you could be experiencing with your children now.
Your children are exactly where they are meant to be. You are exactly where you are meant to be.
Be the mother you wish to be, now. Don’t wait for when everything is perfect, because that day will never come.
How to Start Homeschooling
Launch Your Homeschool is an online course that will hold your hand and walk you through the beginning stages of homeschooling, built upon the framework of the Charlotte Mason philosophy.
I teach you how to craft a curriculum for your homeschool, how to choose the right resources and plan out your year to create a homeschool experience that aligns with the values and beliefs of your family. Whether you are homeschooling in the UK, or elsewhere in the world, this programme will help you give your children an incredible education at home.
I show you the essential teaching techniques that you’ll need to know to get started. There’s even an entire module on how to manage your time so you can still cook, keep the house tidy and take care of yourself, all whilst homeschooling your children!
Homeschooling is a beautiful way to educate and raise your children. When you look back on your years at home with your children, you will not regret the time you spent with them. But that doesn’t mean it’s always smooth sailing! There will be times when things get tough. You might question other homeschooling options. You may even consider, “Should I continue to homeschool my children?”
In episode 62 of the Raising Mums podcast, we talk about what to do when things go wrong!
This episode deals with real problems that real women are facing! I’m sharing highlights from Group Coaching Calls inside Launch Your Homeschool. In these calls, other mums, like you, who are trying to educate their children at home, ask me for advice on problems they are facing in their homeschool.
This includes questions about:
Homeschool curriculum
Charlotte Mason Homeschooling
Parenting and discipline advice
And coaching around the emotions of a homeschool mum.
Launch Your Homeschool is an online course that will hold your hand and walk you through the beginning stages of homeschooling, built upon the framework of the Charlotte Mason philosophy.
I teach you how to choose the right subjects for your homeschool, how to choose the right resources and plan out your year to create a homeschool experience that aligns with the values and beliefs of your family.
I show you the essential teaching techniques that you’ll need to know to get started. There’s even an entire module on how to manage your time so you can still cook, keep the house tidy and take care of yourself, all whilst homeschooling your children!
One of the best ways to find good educational resources for your Muslim homeschool, is by getting recommendations from friends. Well we’re friends, right?! In Episode 57 of theRaising Mums podcast, I share my favorite homeschooling resources from the past twelve months.
This Blogpost may contain affiliate links. Please see Disclaimer for more information.
Consider this podcast episode a year in review. This isn’t just another homeschool curriculum choices list. This podcast episode gives mini-reviews of the resources that really worked for our children!
I share with you the books, curriculum, and activities that we are still loving and using months later!
What do we need to teach our children? Which books should we buy? What topics must we cover? Teaching history in a Muslim Homeschool can be tricky. How do we teach the whole history of mankind in a way that makes sense to children of different ages? This blog post will show you how a Book of Centuries will completely transform your Muslim Homeschool curriculum.
What should be in a Muslim Homeschool Curriculum for History?
When following a Charlotte Mason philosophy, history allows children to build connections between historical events. Our kids must understand how events relate to each other and be able to discuss the lessons which can be learnt.
To do this, it is essential children learn the order of historical events. Understanding when things happened is just as important as what happened. In a history lesson, your children are probably reading a variety of books covering history from different periods and cultures. But how can we gather this information in a logical way for our kids?
Charlotte Mason recommended children get to know a few particular time periods very well, rather than skimming over a brief outline of everything. Children interested in a certain time period will often find themselves absorbed in a single period of history for longer. However, they need to gather information in a coherent way, while understanding how events relate to each other.
This is where the Book of Centuries comes in.
What is a Book of Centuries?
A Book of Centuries sounds incredibly important, doesn’t it?
And it is.
It is an organised way for your children to process the historical facts learnt during their readings, read alouds, and history lessons. A Book of Centuries is an essential part of any Muslim homeschool curriculum.
The Book of Centuries is set up like a diary and contains blank pages waiting for your child to fill them in. To guide them, dates are written across the top of each page. These dates usually span from around 4000BC (the time of first recorded history) and the present day.
A Book of Centuries becomes a household treasure. You can have one shared between your children or they can have one each for their own personal collection. Over their years of homeschooling, children will continue to add to their Book of Centuries, their book growing and evolving alongside their historical knowledge.
Their Book of Centuries will become a cherished possession which they return to years later and recall the incredible stories. Having a place to record their historical findings encourages children to engage with what they are learning. They practice how to critically decide which pieces of information are important enough to include. Their creativity is sparked as they choose how to display the information in their books. They can choose to either write, draw, or even glue pictures and diagrams!
How to use a Book of Centuries in a Muslim Homeschool Curriculum
Now for the interesting part.
You know how to approach history, you know how important a Book Centuries is for your child’s Muslim homeschool curriculum, but how do you use a Book of Centuries alongside your history readings?
Charlotte Mason, recommends your children spend at least one lesson per week working on their Book of Centuries and timeline. This means they spend about 20 minutes gathering what they have learnt throughout the week and adding to their book.
To add an entry into their Book of Centuries, children locate the page with the correct year. Then, they add content to those pages to represent what they are learning. This could be done in different ways:
Writing the date of birth and death of famous people throughout history
Small sketches of important relics, events, or locations, such as pyramids or castles
Pictures printed from the internet of famous people or events
Parts of leaflets cut out from history field trips
Is a Book of Centuries just for History?
The Book of Centuries is a versatile resource that can be used in more than just History lessons.
For example, if your child reads about Salahuddin, they will come across dates of important battles and crusades. These dates would be added to their Book of Centuries, along will a small description of what happened. Your child might sketch the armour and weapons used at the time. Some children might include a map of Jerusalem and the grounds of Masjid al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock.
This little project may spark an interest in the crusades and the ongoing fight for authority in the Holy Lands. Your child will see how long this fight has been going on. Your child will understand how many time periods have influenced a fight that is still raging today.
As we’re taught by Charlotte Mason herself:
“…it is necessary to know something of what has gone before in order to think justly of what is occurring today.” (A Philosophy of Education, Charlotte Mason)
In these ways, children are building their own unique record of history in a way that not only makes sense to them but also demonstrates how events and time periods relate to each other. Children develop an intelligent sense of time and the evolution of mankind.
Where to buy your own Book of Centuries
Now, I’ve been where you are before. I completely adored the idea of using a Book of Centuries in my homeschool. I grabbed a blank notebook and started adding dates to the top of each page, each double spread representing 100 years.
However, this is time-consuming, and it was incredibly confusing trying to manage the time span of 6000 years! Plus, as a Muslim homeschool, it was important to me to make acknowledge the Islamic calendar and its place in the history of our world.
Because I know how tricky designing your own Book of Centuries can be, I have developed a book for you with the dates and setup already done.
Islamic dates alongside Gregorian dates at the top of each page
Lists of key Islamic dates
Further reading suggestions
A page of profile cut-outs for you to get started
A page for your chid to record their own family history
This Book of Centuries will help your child engage with their Muslim Homeschool curriculum and enjoy History lessons in an exciting way. No matter the age of your children, having a book they can add to themselves, without the work being done for them, will provide a satisfying sense of achievement, inshaAllah.
Committing what is beautiful and true to memory, whether it is Quran, art or poetry; is a valuable part of the Charlotte Mason philosophy. Covering memorisation in your homeschool can be daunting at first; not knowing what to choose to memorise, when to slot it into your homeschooling day and essentially, how to memorise!
In Episode 54 of the Raising Mums podcast, I share how we address memorisation in our homeschool.
MEMORISATION IN OUR HOMESCHOOL | MORNING BASKET FOLDERS
Children have this most the most incredible ability when they’re young to memorise things and part of our homeschooling and a part of the Charlotte Mason philosophy is that we make the most of that while they’re young to have them memorise things that are important what we would consider valuable like Quran and duas.
Memorisation can be split between individual and group learning and you can use Morning time folders so everyone can see the material.
Summer is the perfect chance to have more time outdoors. It’s also the perfect time to enjoy a good book!
You can help your children stay consistent with their reading habits and fall in love with reading with Our Summer Reading Challenge! It’ll get even the most reluctant readers excited to read and join in the fun!
Let’s talk about educating children under five at home. In this podcastand Youtube video I discuss a simple framework that you can use to create preschool activities for your youngest children.
In this LIVE episode of Raising Mums, I give guidance on how & what to teach your young children at home! We talk about what homeschooling looks like for children under two, and for kids ages three to five, doing preschool or kindergarten at home.
I teach you two easy-to-follow frameworks. The first, helps you to support your baby’s development. The second framework, for children ages 3-5, allows you to create preschool activities and learning at home, simply and easily.
If you want to learn more about how to educate your youngest children, and don’t know where to begin, then you’re in the right place!
To start homeschooling, you need homeschool curriculum. But how do you choose?
In this part of the world we are blessed with an abundance of homeschooling resources. There is a wealth of free information online and with the click of a button you can have homeschool curriculum shipped to your door the next day. But with so much available, many mothers feel overwhelmed.
When you’re learning how to start homeschooling, it is difficult to decide which one to go for. How do you choose between them all? They all look so good! Right?
In episode 26 of the Raising Mums podcast, I talk LIVE on Facebook and Instagram about what you need to think about when you start homeschool curriculum shopping. I also teach you the three things you need to think about before you buy anything!
If you want to know which homeschool curriculum to chose for your children,
Launch your Homeschoolis an online course designed to help Muslim families who want to start homeschooling. It will guide you as you navigate and design your own path home-education. Built upon a foundation of Islamic values, and the framework of the Charlotte Mason Philosophy, I’ll be there supporting you step-by-step!
I strongly believe that there is no one-size-fits-all curriculum for homeschooling. So in this program, I give you the tools you need to find your own way, based upon your values, your unique children, and your family dynamics.
A large part of learning how to start homeschooling is the planning. That’s why I’ve dedicated several modules in the course to Homeschool planning and time management; so that you can begin your homeschooling journey positively and with confidence.
I also go into detail about common mistakes homeschoolers make in their first year so you can avoid them!
The aim is for everyone who enrols in the Launch Your Homeschool course to go from feeling overwhelmed, unsure and confused; to confident, excited and well prepared for coming homeschool year.
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How is it taught?
I know first hand how little time mothers have to study when their children are young. For this reason I have kept the lessons short, around 20 minutes, but packed with value, so that you can watch them during nap-time or while you have your morning coffee. Everything is pre-recorded, and you have lifetime access, so you can go back and rewatch any of the lessons whenever you want.
In addition to video lessons, you’ll get access to a buzzing private student community on Facebook, all the homeschool planning material you’ll need to plan out your year AND 4 LIVE Q&A sessions with me!
Enrolment closes TODAY! Sunday 19th July 2020, at 11.59pm GMT.
I’ll be taking a few weeks off from these LIVE Facebook and Instagram broadcasts, but I’ll be back again after Eid for some moreRaising Mumsgoodness! insha’Allah.
Peace and Love,
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