Tuesday

Day 2 of the revised timetable.
The mornings seem to be getting a bit drawn out at the moment. The boys are taking ages over breakfast, but still we got everything done today, alhamdulillah.
In the morning I read the rest of the history book we began yesterday. The girls listened in too. U is willing to look at any book with pictures, and Ia is starting to take more of a general interest in things, maashAllah.
Maths for the boys was more on 3D shape from yesterday, and Ia did maths on finding the number 10 more than another number, and placing numbers in sequence. Ia has also been doing lots of the Education City maths without any input from me, I was surprised to notice today how much of it she has completed, alhamdulillah.
We went out briefly today, to the local shop, over slushy, slippery pavements. Much more hazardous when partly melted! R had earned another treat, as he has memorised Surah Teen. These completed surahs are getting done quickly at the moment, alhamdulllah. I am pleased with this. The method I'm using with them for their Quran is very slow, but "without tears". Basically I get them to go over and over the 30th Juz, reading from the book, using the computer. Again and again and again. So, that when they come to memorise a surah they are already so familiar with the look of the text, and the sound of the recitation, that it is much easier for them to learn.
A year ago R would say that he couldn't memorise anything, that it was too hard, now, maashAllah, he gets on with it confidently. And there is no rush. They can take as long as they like over a surah, the promise of the prize encourages them on. They do read from other parts of the Quran too, also using the computer. Their daily work comprises both these aspects of learning.
Similarly with Ia, I get her to go through the last 10 surahs everyday with the computer. The idea is that she will memorise without realising it!
The boys also did some typing practice today. We have been using an Excel based workbook since the autumn, and have reached about halfway through it. It is designed to cover Keystage 2, so I think that we can take a break from it now and finish the rest of it off next academic year. Typing practice should continue I think. We are using the typing course on Alison, and also today I asked them to type up some other written work they handwrote last week.
Tuesday is currently the day for a longer Islamic Studies lesson. At the moment we are studying "Knowing Allah" by Muhammad al-Jibaly. For now I'm reading the chapters aloud to them. I plan, inshAllah, to do some project work on the topic afterwards.
Ia is currently working on an "Under the Sea" colouring project. She has also asked me to read chapter books aloud to her, as I do with the boys. When looking through the book shelves last week she heard me mentioning how J had laughed and laughed out loud while reading "The Aardvark Who Wasn't Sure", by Jill Tomlinson. It was his first proper chapter book. She wanted me to read it to her, but hasn't yet seen what was so funny! I think they have very different senses of humour, alhamdulillah.