Reading

For a few days the weather has been the same, overcast and rainy in the morning, but out into the garden by about 4pm, subhanAllah. I’ve been trying to establish a routine, but with the boys always so busy occupying themselves I often find myself waiting for them to finish something so that they can get on with maths or whatever. I’m getting them through a maths lesson every weekday and now we are adding English, from the textbook, so that the basics should be covered 5 times a week. Also I’ve slotted in Quran recitation after Zuhr. It seems to work best at that time, mornings are not a good time to get the boys to comply, they wake up with their own ideas for the day, and evenings become too last minute. At the same time I’m getting them to recite some small surahs aloud so that Ia can try to memorise them. They do this and also help me with pronunciation of the letters for Ia. They get paid 5p each per lesson. Ia also demands to get paid of course, for learning! So these are the three basics, Ia also does a little maths/English each day. Next week, insh’Allah I must start bringing back the other subjects. R wants Islamic studies and history.
Meanwhile a box containing the CD roms came home, so they’ve been taking a new interest in those. We also went to the library again and restocked. This time J has enjoyed “Boy Overboard” by Morris Gleitzman. It is about a family of Afghan refugees trying to go to Australia. I glanced through it and found it to contain quite a lot of social and political issues, I suppose they are not getting that bit. I am tempted to do some analysis, but then that might spoil it for them. Maybe it is better just to leave it and let them “get” books more over time as they build up more reading experiences. The library is good, but I hope they buy new stock regularly as at the rate the boys are going now they’ll soon start complaining that there is not much of interest. Bear in mind that a good section of the books are “for girls”, another lot are about magic or supernatural stuff and others are about other unsuitable topics, so it doesn’t take long…… After a library visit they will spend several hours a day reading, finishing one book and going for the next without waiting for the first story to sink in. They really should reread more!
My parents are visiting this weekend, helping me to identify plants in the garden, and explaining how to look after them, I’m going to have to take notes!