Early summer holiday

We off our homeschool routine with worksheet and workbook. We off to explore out side world while the weather stay beautiful and warm. As it's British weather, we don't know how long will it stay nice. So, better enjoy it before we will be stuck inside back again!!! Expecially with ramadhan coming in just around 5/6 weeks time, I'm not bother if in theory kids didn't stay with books and pens. I think this is why we don't had burn out with our homeschool. We do keep track, alhamdulillah but there are time where we chilled out a lots as that's what homeschool are, flexibility and be able to work a lots in short time.

I don't actually had a target of what kids should finish by end of school year, because I don't really put in what school year is. Although in theory we had our school year between September to July as public school, but as we homeschool, I don't put stress what we should finish in that particular time. Kids I believe learn in their own pace. It's some subject they leanr so much in a year and there's some subject they had to just stick in small area to ensure they strenghten the knowledge. It's not about finishing the school term, as our learning will never ending. Looks like we might go back to our books and pens soons while others will start summer holiday, just to ensure our brain will not been left damp there.

We are really enjoying our summer and as now we are on the mission of big spring cleaning to ensure when we stuck in the house with homeschool routine during autum and through out winter, we can concentrate as we did last time, Insya Allah.

Experiment Part 1

On our experiement day sometime last week...

Electical circuit..build by MS

Using magnet to move things by S.

Rabbit outside in the garden. Pic by MS from our library room window.

Lemon clock by PS.

Revise with workbook, experiement and record.

AS with electirc circuit car.

All our learning tools alhamdulillah come from car boot sale and worth the money. The all un open with only price from £0.50 to £1.

Picture

Picture taken by himself!

PS said, " put this in your blog, ummi."

I was browsing my blog and suddenly just now, I see a flash next to me! AS is taking a picture of him self wearing BEN 10 costume I just bought from car boot sale. What surprise me and PS is he setting up the digital camera to take his picture automatically while he's on action and the camera sitting on the study table! We ask him who teach you to do it, and he just pointed to himself! Yeah! I'm going crazy here because I still need help to set up the camera to take automatic picture by itself. How come he just do it on his own? This boy always give a surprise and not just him, but all of them! Always..!

Life on the other side

We not just homeschool. But we also a family who run our live with full of uncertainty. Unlike some others who runt heir life with less interruption in day to day activities, we not one of them. We can homeschool for days and weeks, but can stop in between, or stop altogether for certain period without a notice. That's just our journey.

These day we all busy. I was sick for one whole day. Yes, One whole day in bed! And that's a big deal for me! But, I was very busy also with my own online business that I start couple of weeks ago. And not just me, but kids also gather together to learn how to run our own business. As my business is exporting goods to Malaysia, it's not a small things to arrange and as for the start, we all had been so busy with it.

Kids had done their homework as usual actually since last week. Only I didn't have a time to get on this blog and write on it. May be some will think, that our homeschool go doom! We might had been too much on it and had been down the drain. But, we actually was enjoying our day especially with these weather. Apart from doing our hunting for the goods we exporting, we busy with our garden, plants, walking on the beach, visitors as usual and not just day but nights visitor as well.

We also manage to do science experiment, which I due to put it up on here the picture. And on top of all that, we also been busy finding souvenirs for our relatives back in Malaysia as hubby will go back for ijtimak and he will fly tomorrow afternoon Insya Allah and will be there for three weeks. And as he will not be here, we had been around to Dewsbury, sight seeing, busy with assembly the swig which hopefully will be finish today by hubby and now, I'm stuck since yesterday on packing all the souvenirs. It's just too much! Plus I'm also will do my first shipment for exporting goods to Malaysia in a week time! And yet still I had so many good to hunt before that.

And on top on all that as I said, we do get back on our homeschool routine. It's not much as kids just get on with small work and more time with experiment. Hubby did ask once, as he seems all of us very done with homeschool when he back form work. I told him, we been relax with homework at the moment. Kids had learn a lots by the look on what they had done. Too much.. so to say and it's time to back off and relax. But, on the other hand, they on unschooling mission, which lots of learning day by day among themselves. One of amazing experience, alhamdulillah having kids who are very much independent learner and not depends on me for their learning. As this is part of the plan, for us to less on our homework containing workbook and worksheet, and concentrate on surviving skill, out door activities and enjoying more sunshine as it will not long lasting in this country.

On the quick summarize, kids is on their correct level on Maths as we used minds printing which records every work and topic they did, also we had cover lots in English from writing, reading, spelling, comprehension, grammar and vocabulary, poems and rhythm. Top up in that, they had library club they attend which they did lots of work, from art and craft, researching from internet, writing up and making poster, leaflet and also book club which they listening to read aloud from the librarian and discuss about the book and writing up the summarize and book review. Geography and History also been cover up well enough which PS and MS finish country by country in geography and History for third of Asian Continent. We will finish it off before end of July the rest of the country and start on the other continent after eid. Western History been cover by watching horrible history and I'm also had bought the whole set of horrible history along with the card which contain the smell from centuries ago. We also had finish what need to be cover up for islamic studies, but islamic studies for me never finish. I'm now waiting to have sometime to make a test question for them, alhamdulillah.

We will not going to be on regime homeschool until eid now. Which we also not in it since couple of weeks ago. Our homeschool now as planned is on less homeschool and more unschooling. And as we had so many plan ahead for summer holiday as probability to have more visitors ( warn: visitor which might stay with us for the whole weeks or more!), and also as ramadhan coming soon, we then will focus more on spiritual and prepare our time in spending more in ibadaat, Insya Allah.

So, although I might not updating this blog regularly with schedule and routine, it's because we had reach a different part of our homeschool and enjoying the time and weather at the moment. Won't it time to clear up whatever need to? Oh yes for me! And as I had big kids, of course they had to get involve in this.

Lastly, yesterday we went for a lunch at friends house and her daughter ask PS why her picture was on here? We might not know it if she don't told us! We can't wait for summer school holiday as plenty activity is up and running.

Unschooling

To say that we not doing school altogether because we didn't follow our homeschool routine or doing workbook or schedulr is pretty much understatement. My kids learn from unschooling method and always be an independent learner since from teh first start of their first day they born. I'm always provided all sort of learning resource needed and all sort of learning toys and book they need in any topic they love. They always had a freedom of choice since the first day they born. But, of course as a muslim which had a firm believe and need to learn OBEY, I had put a boundaries and limitation on what they can or cannot do. And of course this is including what they learn. And this is also one of the main reason I'm homeschool. So, I can observe what kids learn and what is in their head which for me is very important.

They could go and learn what they want, but of course as they couldn't figure out themselves yet what best or not as their frontal lobe is not properly develop until certain age. And I just given whatever they want, for me it give a wrong signal to kids as soon as their frontal lobe had fully develop. But, of course they had to given a chance. For example, I rarely intterupt with kids library books. They choose the book according to their interest and leanr LOTS from it! And this is how AS had been progress so fast in reading. If I'm about to choose the book for him, I bet he will still be at the same level as he should be for his age. But, because he choose it himself, he choose according to what topic he like and started to like to read the infomation from the book which he interest and this had progress his reading quicker then my way if I had to choose. If I was in the library when I choose the book, I get told off by him!

"It's too easy!", That's what he will said. Poor me couldn't catch up anymore with his reading!

My kids alhamdulillah had learn lots of things while unschooling. PS had master the lawn mowing skill! I'm very please with that. She also started her teaching in ICT for MS and S. She was asking me long time ago to let her teach them ICT. But, as we busy with our regime homeschool routine, I had to put it on hold. Now, ahe will go through study book for ICT key stage 2 and teach them. PS is far away in term of ICT. When she try to do GCSE for ICT, seems like she already know most of it. And yes, she learn it upon her own interest in her own time since she was small. I had to learn a lots from her. I plan to buy a domaina nd web hosting for her to conduct her own kids website. She started to try it out and manage to make her own game and put it in her site. So, that's what PS had learn during our unschooling days. She still had lots to learn 'how to', but for 13 years old girl without any teacher sitting there with her teaching her ICT, I don't expect beyond that. I believe she can always be agood web designer but will she be? She got so many to choose in what she like to be, but whatever she will be, I believe she will, Insya Allah manage to cope. And of course the best that I want from her is she always good in teaching and managing. Two things needed as a mother and housewife.

As we always hope in to car boot sale, alhamdulillah, my kids manage to own lots of things according to their interest. They be able to get all sort of learn resource and books according to what they want to learn. And all these will be learn on their own with informal discussion after discussion between all of us in the family. Kids will told me, hubby and their other siblings new things they learn from book and learning kits and and from there usually we discuss things informally and gain a knowledge from each other.

But of course, to let it be like that all the time is not going to be my choice. Either kids will work with other people or be their own boos, they had to learn discipline, not always can be what they want to be and always had to take other and listen to others as a consideration. It's easy to get kids into situation of doing things on their own interest and for me, if one intended to work and be their own boss, with only interest will not bring them anywhere. Because without hardworking attitude and work under pressure, having working as our own boss means our company will be easy to go down then the other way round. To learn how to cope is important, and to learn to not just work on interest but the priority and what important for me is a tools that I want my kids to learn.

MS and AS now working on their own video making a movie with their bionicle. PS had her own google video account but we keep it private at the moment. This is also learn upon their own interest and without any of my help. MS and As learn a from google video tutoring in making movie with toys and as our own camcorder is old, they used mobile phone at the moment to make video and upload into the site. So, I hope I be able to get one camcorder soon and probably try to get a cheap second hand as well for AS and MS to used it on their own time when they want. I'm always surprise with what AS can do with my mobile phone which had a lots of video taken and picture also when he build new things. And all this upon their own interest and without my help. Kids do learn better on what their interest on their own way and time. But, they also know there are time and subject that they had to learn although they might not like it. Because life not always as what we want. Life especially in deen is about how to press our nafs and desire. If we didn't learn this since small, it can become harder when they big.

Yesterday I went to see a sister in Dewsbury. She life in a place where lots of muslim and lots of practising parents. Parents whose working hard to give their kids better in deen since small, but things not always go to the plan. And of course it sad to see how parent struggle when the kids started to grow into teenager world. She had three grown up kid age 21, 20 and 15. She had hard time. She kind of person who really look after kids in term of deen. She still got another three age 13, 10 and 8. And looking at the reality of bringing up kids, of course totally different then what we read from other people opinion and ideas while their kids still not going through the stage yet. I remember my grandmother always said, if she hear someone who didn't have big kids talking about other people kids and how they should be teach although they kids still small. Because kids when they small, things are so easy to go smooth. But, when the time come... My grandmother used to say, " Don't talk before you come to the reality yourself yet. It's easy to talk, but as we have kids, what we say might go back to us and Allah will test us as we give our own ideas and opinion without thinking further and other sort of reason. As for that, I never talk about how to bring up kids when kids still small let alone giving my own opinion and advise although I been through a lots and see and observe other experience. It's totally different when it comes to the term 'our own kids'. This is when it hit home, when the time come...

For me, I do like my regime and follow my interest first and foremost. Because when kids start to grow up, of course they will start to have their own opinion, interest and ideas. We had to let our regime go and our interest balance with theirs. But, if we already give 50% away, when their reach the time they need their own interest and like their own ideas more, we need to give it away doesn't matter we like it or not. For me, because I hold and control everything 100%, when the time come , I realise my authority 10%, I still had 90%. And we still in control and also kids also appreciate what been given. But, if we already give away 50% since they small, when the time come for us to HAVE to give some away because of the need of the interest, it will be 60% away from our control and what I see this is how teenage now not just in UK, non muslim country, but also in other country with majority muslim.

We can't keep our kids with us. We had to give it away sometimes soon, we had to let them explore and even if we don't let them, they will get their own way. But, for me, I want them get their own way and follow their own interest at the right time and the right place. And that for me is hard. Although I'm happy with what it is now, as what I did and how kids are, still this is what happen from what I'll observe. Kids can change lots in their transition world from child to teenager and from teenager to adult. And this is crucial time and I had seen lots even from big name in Malaysia who had very knowledgeable in bringing up kids with all sort of theory but when it comes to their own kids, plenty had fail. As for me, I can talk about small kids now, but I'm always express a concern about teenage world because I just started to have kid who walking in that stage. I can fully talk and give my opinion when I been through it altogether but, at the moment, how to have kids age 13 behave this and that which how I teach when they small, I can. But beyond that and to expect that do this and that and they should be able to be their own successful boss when they big and work on their success in their own interest or carier, I don't know about that yet! I still try to figure out as experience always tell a different story then reality of life.

We don't know if we able to work on what we want, how we like or be our own boss. For me it's still long way to go to say anything about that as my kids still not go through it yet. And world is not just what we want. Sometimes we need something, but doesn't mean we will get it. For example now, plenty company, or people with self employs had lost their company or close their bussiness down, and had to work as cleaner or operator or even working on the till and had to work with others. While they used to work on their own time, place and interest. But things can change. And for me this is what I'm looking to put and learn and teach to my kids. Me and hubby alhamdulillah always be very flexible, can work on our own, with others, in a team or any other way. And, alhamdulillah we did survive lots of occasion and this is what I want my kids to be. And for me the key word is always discipline and putting pressure in one desire and not always give what my kids want. Because life is not like what we imagine! It can turn the other way round in just a second. I want my kids to prepare the hard bit and if they get what they want, then fine. But, if not, they still survive, Insya Allah.

We back again

We back again on our homeschool routine. Although it's not as usual just yet! Why? I bet weather had taken our time at the moment and we can't resist.

We had nearly a good two weeks off. Nearly. As i busy with my other project, I'm really abundance kids and their homeschool. But, this is when unschooling method come into help. And of course without any schedule to follow and proper plan, it's less shouting and screaming and seems like everybody really enjoy it.

This is when in my mind thinking and going back ages ago when kids used to go to school. I never teach them at home except reading quran. That's only when I had time after tired from work. I bought lots of learning resource and kids always on their own, independent, solve any problem themselves and enjoying their imagination, creativity and they just be so much in learning on their own most of the time!

As now, since we start homeschool, I can see the lack of all this although we actually had less problem during our homeschool and we all really enjoy it. But still, for me, there's something missing and I can see and feel it in those two weeks off from our formal homeschool. It did make me think a lots!

Of course not about sending them back to school, but the way we were doing school. I know I need to make sure bigger one concentrate more on their study which means less fun learning for them. But, that's what small kids also did. And as I had four where two is in need of serious learning, and because of weather, we had stuck a lots in the house doing worksheet and workbook. Although that is the plan, which we now will start doing more our door activity and experiment and creative learning, seems like kids wanted me to sit there and command them where this is not the case usually when they used to go to school. Although they still independent, creative and imaginative, I think that they start to lack all this point that I love or might be it just me as they grow up!

PS told me that, it's because she grow up, she just like to do work during homeschool time although she was asking me the other day to print lots of maths worksheet for her to do at night! Also she had create and make lots of art work on her own in attempt to take Art and Design for GCSE next year. May be the way kids had work is actually different and change by the time they start to change from childhood to teenage world and may be I'm just a bit backward thinking about how she used to be!

S produce lots of art work on her own bedroom, with beads, paint, pencil colour and sticking and gluing. I lost count of all that and never take any picture of it as it's a normal environment in our house. So, did AS and PS who can actually draw and create such a specialist drawing which can impress anyone, Masya Allah. I'm actually put into plan to get them to take a picture on what ever creativity they did and put up in their own blog by themselves. But, as I said, their creativity for them is just like a normal work although always get a very good impression by others who see it. PS been told by a friend in college whose took GCSE in Art and Design before that her work is same as year 10 work. I'm also getting impress day by day of her work which she had improve a lots on her own account!

I had too many and so many things to do these day and try so much to up dated my three blog, plus my other project. And yet, there's other project coming which is more to hubby's but will be me to look after as his helper. And as the weather nice, staying home with worksheet and workbook make me feel so much guilty! So, whenever I feel like drive off to the beach, park or where ever around us, I told kids to leave their work and let's go. And that's what we did for the last two days when we start our homeschool routine. I don't actually feel guilty of leaving kids study. They had done a lots and we had manage to learn plenty of new things until we lost count!

Holiday

Yesterday we all not feeling well. Especially me and AS and PS. S manage to do some of her mindsprinting worksheet. Three set all together, alhamdulillah. We just have a rest and lay down as I feel so bad my self.

In the evening, kids play outside as the weather is very nice, alhamdulillah. After magrib, while waiting for insya prayer, we manage to do halaqah quran for ten surah and play salat games. Slat games is good for us, as this is the time for me to see the progress of kids in term of what they learn in fikh. I'm going to do exam for kids for islamic studies by end of June or early July. This will included theory exam and practical exam. Although kids are good in looking after prayer and etc, they still on training and still lots of reminder and still lot the skill need to brush up. I like to stress out islamic studies more in term of practicality and not just learn, know it and close the book.

As for that I stress more on topic such as Fikh, muamalat and muasharat. Knowledge that need to know by kids in dealing with their day to day life. Also, tauhid and iman. Alhamdulillah, hubby do lots of talking every time after he read ta'lim in our daily ta'lim halaqah. He will talk with kids about important of bringing the amal in to practice and not just listen to the hadith and quran like we did in our ta'alim such a habit and routine only. Although we listen to it again and again, but the important bit is how to bring it into practice. It's not worth memorising all the hadith and quran, if we can't bring it into practise. And it's not worth understand what quran and hadith days in it's own language arabic, if we can't bring it into practice. It's important to learn of how to bring what quran and hadith says into practice and it's doesn't mean that we had to go through the quran it self to learn about it. As quran is a guidance, but in quran it self got so many hidden things that not everybody can understand especially for ordinary people like me and hubby unless we spend our whole life and spend time altogether in it.

I'm also don't stress to kids that every time they need to know something, they open quran and hadith. For me, quran and hadith is not for everybody to understand although one can speak arabic fluently. I did ask my brother before about the important to learn arabic language. He said to me, it's not difficult to learn, but once you know the arabic language means you know the meaning of the quran and hadith. If you know, but you don't practise it, then you will have to answer it. And someone that know arabic language had more difficult task in the day of judgement then a muslim who don't'. Because these people know and if they don't bring it into practise and it's more harder for them. He told me, it's important to stress my kids islamic studies on fikh and tauhid. This two is very important and even if someone know arabic language and the whole meaning of the quran and hadith but didn't stress on this, this is when things go wrong. and we see many sad case.

For me, as if I see hubby himself. He's not a hafiz, not an alim. He go through secular education. he become Engineer at the end. But, as far as he concern, he keep his prayer since he was seven. He don't bother about what other said, even if he friend with people who don't pray, when pray time come, he left them to do his prayer. He never get influence by immoral environment which don't follow shariah. He is strict more then and some other that learn and go through islamic studies or environment. I can say, that I salute him in term of looking after his prayer, muamalat and muasyarat. And that's what he put important in bringing up our kids. he don't mind if they don't become alim or hifd or didn't memorise quran and hadith, but putting stress on looking after themselves on prayer time, taking wuduk properly, know what to do in time of hardship to do prayer, and on top of all others, go back to Allah every time in good or bad. Pray two rakaat if we in trouble and back to Allah s.w.t. and not to other even parents. And this is tough lesson to teach, I reckon.