Trapped!

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Before Ramadan, we were exploring the One Small Square series, but we took a break to review The Lonely Scarecrow. Let's stay sidetracked for a little while longer. Have you read Trapped! A Whale's Rescue, yet? No, well head to your local library and search the shelves, because this is a really good book! Read this review from Booklist and you'll see what I mean. 

"Based on an event that took place near San Francisco in 2005, this picture book depicts a humpback whale swimming, diving, and feeding freely until she becomes entangled in abandoned, drifting nets. Her struggles draw the ropes tighter until, trapped, she stops and lies still. Boats bring rescuers to the scene. Five divers cut the lines, one by one, until the whale can swim again. "She moves among the cheering rescuers, softly nudging each one, as if saying thanks." The whale breaches and swims away. In Minor's beautifully composed gouache paintings, the whale is a silent but enormously empathetic character. Several appended pages offer more information about the actual event, whale rescues in general, and humpback whales in particular. Adults reading the book aloud may want to introduce words such as spyhop, lobtail, fluke, and krill before beginning, to avoid breaking the cadence of the writing once the story is underway. Like the stately illustrations, the precise prose has a dignity that is worthy of its subject and unusual in a picture book for preschool and primary-grade children. Although the episode of the whale's entrapment and release is short, it will linger in young listeners' minds long after the book is closed."
-Booklist

The prose and tone of this book very effectively take the reader under the water, and readers will very likely hold their breath, feel a burst of concern as the whale struggles, and cheer when the whale is freed. 

And the paintings...well...subhanallaah...they are just as strong and as captivating as the prose. Have a look (But you will really need to check this book out to appreciate its strength and beauty):

Source

Source

Young children will be able to see, easily, how large and stunning whales are. What an excellent opportunity to reinforce (or teach) how Great Allaah is! This is definitely a book to consider purchasing for your classroom//homeschool classroom. 

We will return to our review of the One Small Square series (maybe - if other great books keep coming to my attention, we may not make it back to One Small Square!) in the future in shaa' Allaah. 

**A note of caution: In the back of the book, there are pages that give more information about whales and, unfortunately, in the "Did You Know" section there is a sentence that is unislaamic; it is shirk, so children should not be allowed to read this section alone.

Until the next book in shaa' Allaah

RTL: Zero

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Book Title: Zero
Author: Kathryn Otoshi
Islamically Appropriate?: Yes

Genre: Fiction

Book Format: Hard Cover

Age Group: 4 years and older

Book Review: From Amazon.com: Zero is a big round number. When she looks at herself, she just sees a hole right in her center. Every day she watches the other numbers line up to count: "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 . . . !" "Those numbers have value. That's why they count," she thinks. But how could a number worth nothing become something? Zero feels empty inside. She watches One having fun with the other numbers. One has bold strokes and squared corners. Zero is big and round with no corners at all. "If I were like One, then I can count too," she thinks. So she pushes and pulls, stretches and straightens, forces and flattens herself, but in the end she realizes that she can only be Zero. As budding young readers learn about numbers and counting, they are also introduced to accepting different body types, developing social skills and character, and learning what it means to find value in yourself and in others.

Until the next read insha'Allaah....

RTL: One

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Book Title: One

Author: Kathryn Otoshi
Islamically Appropriate?: Yes

Genre: Fiction

Book Format: Hard Cover

Age Group: 4 years and older

Book Review: One by Kathryn Otoshi has a subtle and important message. In this story, children not only learn about colours and numbers, they also explore the problem of bullying. 

Blue is a shy, calm colour and Red is a hot-head who bullies him. The other colours know that Red bullies Blue and while they do not agree with it, they say and do nothing. Soon Red has not only gotten bigger but he is bullying all of the colours and everyone is afraid of him. Until One comes along. Red tries to bully One also but One doesn't allow it and he stands up to Red's bullying. The other colours see how One stands up to Red and they gain the confidence to do the same. Soon, all of the colours stand up to Red and he is disempowered. Red becomes small and starts to slink away. But the other colours invite Red to come back and to join them and all of the colours end up working together. The story ends with a subtle but important message that One person can make a difference.

As much as we may wish this topic was one that did not need attention, that is simply not the case. Bullying is an issue that cannot be ignored and this book, One, is helpful when discussing this topic with children. You can use the ayaat from the Qur'aan and the authentic ahadith about good treatment, good manners, and wanting for your brother what you want for yourself, and then end your unit with this book as a read aloud. Insha'Allaah, the concept of respecting others will not only be understood, but more importantly it will be implemented insha'Allaah. May Allaah guide us and our offspring to righteous behaviour that pleases Him and may He make us of those who follow the best example of His Final Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa salam).

Until the next read insha'Allaah....

RTL: Don't Worry Bear

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Book Title: Don't Worry Bear
Author: Greg Foley

Islamically Appropriate?: Yes

Genre: Fiction

Book Format: Picture Book

Age Group: 3 years and older

Book Review: It's time for Bear's friend Caterpillar to spin his cocoon. Bear won't see Caterpillar for a while and Bear is worried. Will Caterpillar be okay in there? When will Bear see him again?

Being a good friend, Bear checks on Caterpillar when it rains, when it's awfully windy and when it cold and snowy. Each time, Caterpillar reassures Bear that he is fine and that there is nothing for Bear to worry about but.....Bear is worried.

Mouse manages to help Bear stop worrying when he tells Bear that Caterpillar is just sleeping. Then Bear finds Caterpillar's empty cocoon on the ground one day and he starts worrying all over again.

Bear's worries come to an end when....

I won't spoil it for you but I will suggest that you visit your local library and check out Don't Worry Bear. But here is a hint: there is a beautiful silky moth at the end who helps bring the story to a comfortable satisfying end. 

Until the next read insha'Allaah....

RTL: Fall Weather, Cooler Temperatures

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Book Title: Fall Weather: Cooler Temperatures
Author: Martha E.H. Rustad

Islamically Appropriate?: Yes

Genre:Non-Fiction

Book Format: Picture Book

Age Group: 5 years and older

Book Review: In this nicely illustrated non-fiction picture book children learn about how humans and animals prepare for the Autumn (Fall) weather. They also learn how the weather changes in the Fall and some of the signs Allaah has given us to know that Autumn is on the way.

The book (and others in this series but not all are Islaamically appropriate) fit easily into the curriculum and they are well organized. The presentation of the text is especially helpful for introducing children how to read non-fiction text. The book has a table of contents, a glossary, an index and a page that lists additional resources on the topic.

Fall Weather: Cooler Temperatures can be used to help children begin to recognize how non-fiction and fiction differ and how we approach and interact with each in a unique way. Another appealing aspect of this book (and others in the series) is that the illustrations are kid-friendly and engaging. This helps keep the children's interest on the text and the information insha'Allaah. At the end of the book there is a small activity that children can complete as well.

As you begin your curriculum planning for next year, you may wish to add Fall Weather: Cooler Temperatures to your list of books to purchase for your home or classroom library insha'Allaah.

Until the next read insha'Allaah....

Storytime: Library Lion

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

With the first read you and your students/children may find that you really like and enjoy this book. As a teacher/parent-teacher, you may find yourself suddenly in your local bookstore purchasing  Library Lion to add to your personal collection of favourite picture books.

In Library Lion, readers meet a lion who casually walks into a public library just as if he belongs there and is simply returning from a morning stroll. Confident that he belongs there, he purposefully walks past the circulation desk without a glance. He peruses the card catalog, and then settles down in the storytime area for a nap. He awakes to the story time lady beginning a story. He is attentive and stays for the next two storytimes later in the day.

And what do the library patrons make of this library lion? They come to love him.

The librarian, a woman who is particular about rules being followed in the library, also has no problem with the lion being there....as long as he does not break any of the rules. And he doesn't...until.......

he has to help a friend who has been hurt.

I won't tell you anymore. I do not wish to spoil it for you. Suffice it to say, the story is: warm, delightful, and touching. And the illustrations: just the right style for this story. A wonderful fit.

The school year is not yet done and insha'Allaah, there is another to come. Consider adding Library Lion to your classroom library.

Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

After seeing this book on the Internet for many months and I have finally decided to read it.

Initially, I did not find myself inclined to place this book on my "Would like to read insha'Allaah" list because I find the Montessori method of education to be sound in many ways and whatever parts I feel either contradict Islaam or do not apply to my classroom, I leave them. I was under the impression that the book was written with the goal of convincing nay-Sayers or those who were considering Montessori for their child(ren) and wanted to know more about this style of educating children.

After reading about two chapters, the book appears to be one whose primary purpose is to present Montessori in light of the scientific research that has been conducted in the fields of psychology and cognitive science that seek to better understand how human beings learn. The author uses available psychological research literature to evaluate the Montessori method of educating children and she also addresses how she feels Montessori education is a much better alternative than the current school system prevalent today. She points out that, in her opinion, the method of educating children that is widely used today is based on flawed assumptions and systems that are applicable to factories but not to children.

In her book, author Angeline Stoll Lillard looks at eight of Maria Montessori's insights on how people learn and she applies current and past research to these insights to evaluate if they are sound. Not replete with scientific terminology (to make the reading assessable to parents and teachers), the book may be of interest to parents and/or teachers who seek to understand the pedagogy behind the Montessori method. If this interest is not there, parents may not find the book very engaging or even a bit technical...waallaahu a'lam.

pages: 346

This video (6 minutes long) compares/contrasts between Montessori Education and Traditional Education. And there is another video of this same nature that may further explain Lillard's comment that 

the method of educating children that is widely used today is based on flawed assumptions and systems that are applicable to factories but not to children

Second video is roughly 11 minutes long:

New School Year Reading Goal

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته


After concluding my summer teacher reading (which can include professional books, teacher resource books and children's books), I've decided to undertake a project that, in theory, sounds quite easy....I've decided to try to read all of the books in the childrens section of the library that do not obviously contain ideas and beliefs contrary to Islaam. I've decided to do this because I'd like to have a handy resource notebook that lists books by age, genre, author, etc. that are appropriate to read aloud to Muslim children from birth to Grade 1 insha'Allaah. I'm hoping this will save time when planning storytimes and other literacy activities.

On average, it may be that preschool/kindergarten/grade 1 teachers easily read more than 100 pictures books a year...waallaahu a'lam. Whatever the number, I hope to complete this goal before the end of the school year and as I go, I'll post each book I've read here on the blog with a review. 

In the review I'll first mention if the book is Islamically appropriate or not then I will move on to listing the age category of the book, genre, and then give a small review of the book. Each post will be under the label: Reading the Library, making them easy to find insha'Allaah.


Library card in hand....I'm off to read the library insha'Allaah!

Martian in the Playground: Learning About Children with Asperger Syndrome

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

In classrooms across the world, teachers are encountering, with increasing frequency, children with special needs. Depending on the type of special needs the child has, the teacher may have the child in his/her classroom for the majority of the day. Islaamic schools are not exempt from this scenario and it presents a unique challenge to the teachers in these schools.

These children are our children and as Muslims and teachers, it helps tremendously if teachers take time to learn a little about the child's special needs who is a part of their learning environment. Armed with this knowledge, teachers may feel better equipped to help the child function in his/her classroom with less difficulty insha'Allaah.

The most common speacial needs students I have encountered in my classroom are children diagnosed with ADHD. This has become so common that many teachers, alhamdulillaah, have learned which strategies best help their ADHD learner succeed in class.

Recently however, I read two chapter books for middle school aged children and each had a character in the story with Asperger's Syndrome. I became intrigued. Asperger Syndrome has been classified as a form of Autism. Children with Asperger Syndrome are usually not physically different from their peers, with the exception of noticeable clumsiness in their gait or an unusual lack of coordination, these children sit among their peers but they do have special needs that teachers need to be aware of.

I had heard about Asperger Syndrome from a parent who expressed concern about the possibility of their child having this syndrome and after speaking at length with the parent my interest was now more than piqued so from the local library I checked out Martian in the Playground . Thus far, it is a fascinating and unfortunately, sad reading experience.

Fascinating because from what I have read so far, I have been given a peek into the world of children (and adults) who process information in such a unique way that it allows them to become extremely proficient in specific areas subhana'Allaah.

The read thus far has been sad due to the simple fact that these children, because they are unique, stand out among their peers and thus they often become the targets of bullying. La hawla wa la quwatta illah billaah.

As Muslims, one of our goals should be teaching our children how to respect these children. As a teacher, I feel especially obligated to be aware of potential bullying happening in my classroom (or my school). This type of behaviour (i.e. bullying) is completely unislaamic and totally unacceptable. It is reprehensible and goes against the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu alayahi wa salam).

As I have been researching Asperger Syndrome, I have come across Muslimahs who blog about their special needs children and I am thankful to Allaah that He has allowed me to begin learning about this unique way of learning, behaving, seeing and functioning in the world. I hope to come back when I have finished the book insha'Allaah, and share more about Asperger's Syndrome and if you have a child diagnosed with this syndrome, or you are knowledgeable about it, I would enjoy learning from you and your child. And if you homeschool a child with Asperger Syndrome, I would especially enjoy learning about how you address the social skills needs of children with this syndrome.

The Black Book of Colours: What an enterprising book!

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

This book, The Black Book of Colors is a book that left me astonished.

The author, Menena Cottin and illustrator, Rosana Faria have produced a stunning book. The reason: the pages of the book are entirely black, the illustrations are (embossed) raised so the reader feels the illustrations instead of seeing them. Well, the reader does see them but not with their eyes, instead with their sense of touch. There is white text by which the sighted can tell the story, but atop each page is another astonishing delight: Braille. This is a book intended for children who are blind but it is also intended to give sighted children an experience into a world they may never have considered: the world of the blind. A bridge between two worlds...

This is a book that sparks awareness, builds compassion, and has empathy producing illustrations and text. A book I certainly will look forward to having a personal copy of insha'Allaah. I love the concept and I love the consideration for children whose world is, in a way, composed of one colour: black.

My mind raced as I considered what this could do for Muslim children who are blind. Imagine, your child/student can experience a book not only by one path of learning (i.e. hearing) but by touch as well. This is a book I would use in my classroom ( I am not a special education teacher so my classrooms do not have children whose special needs extend beyond ADHD or ADD). Some students are tactile learners, and this book speaks to the way that they learn best: by touching. Tactile learners are usually very adept at remembering things that their fingers have had a chance to manipulate or touch. I wonder how this story would impact a child who was not visually impaired but whose learning style was primarily tactile.

At present, I cannot visualize how I could read this book aloud to a class because the tactile experience of the book would be lost. I couldn't have an entire class trying to touch each page *smile*. But still, perhaps if I read to a struggling reader, one-on-one, and invited him/her to close his/her eyes and 'feel' the story as I read it aloud?

I think I will try reading the book that way myself insha'Allaah. No words, no sound, no sight...just touch...just touch... 

Allaah says in the Quran,

 "قُلْ هُوَ الَّذِي أَنشَأَكُمْ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ ۖ قَلِيلًا مَّا "

 { سورة الملك: آية 23}

Say it is He Who has created you, and endowed you with hearing (ears) and seeing (eyes), and hearts. Little thanks you give. {al-Mulk: ayah 23}

He, subhana wa ta'ala, also says,

 "وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَذَهَبَ بِسَمْعِهِمْ وَأَبْصَارِهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ"

{سورة البقرة}

And if Allaah willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight. Certainly, Allaah has power over all things. {al-Baqarah: ayah 20}

Subhana'Allaah...

Muslims children's picture books written in this same format? I hope that one day, this will be a reality insha'Allaah. Seerah, Stories of the Prophets, of the Sahaba, of the Great Scholars of Islaam...in Braille, with raised illustrations (no people of course)...imagine....imagine...

Reading with Babies, Toddlers and Twos

Assalamu alaikum,

This is a book I'm happily enjoying right now alhamdulillah.

This book is small, square and one I am so glad that I bought alhamdulillah. Full of useful tips to help parents, teachers, grandparents, and caregivers, choose books for babies, toddlers and twos; know what to expect at each developmental stage when reading aloud to a child (i.e. will the book be sucked on, thrown, or torn, etc.) and of course, the wonderful benefits of reading to your child are abundant and well placed throughout the book. The book also features small snippets of other parents' adventures when reading to their child (it helps to know that you're not the only parent who has had a child crawl (or walk) away right in the middle of a read aloud! *smile*).

The book has one feature that I really like: it helps parents recognize patterns in the types of books their child likes. For instance, they suggest that you ask yourself, "Do the books that my child likes all have bold or subtle illustrations?", "Do the characters talk?", and several other probing questions that help you see beyond the immediately noticeable similarities and help you see what your baby might be seeing in each book that makes it his/her favourite book to be read aloud.

I think this would make a nice gift for a sister who is expecting (that way she has time to read it insha'Allah, before baby comes...lol). This was another Amazon.com bargain that I found and I hope that you will be able to find it in your local library insha'Allah.

Raising Children in Light of the Quran and Sunnah

Assalamu aliakum,

In my book basket this week is a book small in size but heavy in its content.

From the publisher: Although short in size, this book offers a wealth of beneficial advice and guidelines on raising children in Islaam starting from the age of infancy to the years of adolescence. Therefore you will find covered in this treatise issues relating to a child before he is born, at the time of his delivery and during his youth and pre-teen years.

The author presents the material in an easy to follow format employing evidences from the Qur’aan and Sunnah as well as personal suggestions and comments.

In these present times when Muslims are increasing in the West in vast numbers, a book like this is necessary in order to deal with the many issues and questions that arise amongst families trying to raise their children in a correct and proper Islamic manner.

About the Author:

‘Abdus-Salaam bin ‘Abdillaah As-Sulaymaan is one of the students of knowledge in Saudi Arabia who has done a great amount of work in transcribing many of Shaikh Saalih Al-Fawzaan’s lectures and lessons for their publication in book format. He has also authored some works on his own, this present book being a prime example, which Shaikh Saalih Al-Fawzaan has reviewed and approved of, may Allaah preserve them both.

You can buy this beneficial book here insha'Allah.

What I'm Reading Right Now: Montessori Read and Write

Assalamu alaikum,

I have been reading this book, Montessori Read and Write: A Parents' Guide to Literacy for Children, and have been enjoying it.

There are some things that I do not use from the Montessori Method when I teach reading. I primarily use the Guided Reading method and when needed, I provide support for a student using some aspects of Montessori education.

Among the aspects from this book that I like are:

• Identifies the times your child's windows of opportunity are open. Windows of opportunity are called sensitive periods in Montessori education. Simply put, these are the times when your child's brain is most ready and able to refine certain characteristics such as language learning, motor skill development, etc. It is believed that when these "windows" close, it is more challenging for a child to master them or that aside from experiencing difficulty, some children may never completely master a particular characteristic if he/she is not exposed to these characteristics during these "windows" and waallahu alim.
• Timelines are provided that show you when these sensitive periods occur.
• Activities are provided that you as a parent can do at home to help your child successfully develop and master each characteristic insha'Allah.
• Defines the steps that should be taken when teaching a child to read and write. Also describes how the steps should be taught.

As a guide for parents, this book is easy to understand, concise and full of helpful advice to help your child get off to a good start learning to read and write.

What I'm Reading Right Now

Assalamu alaikum,

I placed a request for this book over six months ago.

Alhamdulillah, it arrived over the weekend and I dove right in. I am a teacher who follows (not strictly) the Montessori method of educating children, however, I am not closed to the insights and practices of other schools of thought. I'm curious to see what Classical Education has to offer, how it is structured and the idea behind it. It appears to be geared toward homeschooling parents and since I am a strong supporter of homeschooling, I hope to continue learning about education at home insha'Allah.

With 782 pages (not including the index), I think I'll be between the pages of this book for some time but I hope I won't be disappointed. So far..hmm...I've skipped over the shirk and mythology references. I get so disheartened sometimes that Muslims have not authored key works addressing the topic of educating children - it's so important subhana'Allah. Or have they? Maybe these books by Muslim authors are out there and I just haven't come across them yet. Is that the case?

When I've read more insha'Allah, I'll come back and tell you more about the book. But perhaps you've read this book? If so, I'd like to know what you thought of it and if you use the Classical Education model in your homeschool.