Mind your Mathemathics

Khan Academy is not a new resource for most homeschoolers and now many a school uses it too. Interestingly some teachers actually assign watching the videos it offers as homework to explain math concepts and later homework worksheets are worked out in class. 

For the younger BAPs watching the videos is fun and attempting the practice exercises online is exciting. Online stickers provide incentive to keep working at those concepts they are struggling with as well as attempt new concepts. IBAP and MBAP are reviewing old concepts and compete with one comparing each other's progress. Insha'Allah we hope they will continue progressing to new concepts of math using this program too.

Earlier I was worried that HBAP (7yrs) would find "place value" a confusing concept, but Alhumdulillah through Khan Academy she found it easy to understand and was eager to repeat the exercises several times even though she attained proficiency level at the exercises in her first attempt. She found the concept of adding two digit numbers simple too, after watching Salman Khan's simple explanation of it.

Alhumdulillah Khan Academy allows me to designate my children as my students and monitor their progress. It's flow charts guide us to which concepts to tackle once the current one is achieved and allow the children to evaluate their progress as well.

We plan to use it to revise Algebra concepts with our two teens (who are busy with Quran memorization and don't have enough time to spend on academic study) and then move on to other avenues of arithmetic as well Insha'Allah . 

Life with Fred

Fred is a five year old math genius who loves his doll and best friend Kingie; his life would seem ordinary - he loves apples, books and fizzy drinks- except that Fred is a professor at Kittens University, Kansas.

With a mind of a child and the thought processes of a mathematician Fred puzzles through life; trying to sip milk from a hand-crafted  straw which creates a soggy paper mess, observing the stars in the sky and looking for patterns in snowflakes.

These books aim at holistic learning; they teach children about Astronomy, Human relations, Physiology, Geography, English and even Arithmetic. Each chapter relates the story of Fred's life and ends with a few questions for the children to answer, so keep a paper and pen handy.

The books are also meant to encourage early readers and are written to be read out loud by the children themselves but we've found that even having a parent read it out can be fun.

Find out more about the books and how to order them at: http://www.stanleyschmidt.com/FredGauss/index2.html

Shadow Puppet Show

Umm Uzair conducted a workshop on shadow puppetry for Hibakidz magazine. She invited some of the Book worm club members to be her assistants. IBAP (10), MBAP (8) and HBAP (5) were amongst them.

The following is a brief account of the occasion:

IBAP;
We went to Hafsa Aunty's house to help Laila Aunty with her work shop. She was conducting a work shop on Shadow puppets.
 32 participants were at the workshop. They were told to sit in 4 lines. Laila Aunty read the story of  the Prophet Yunus (AS), then she asked if we could make pictures of the Prophets? The children said, 'no'. Laila aunty said we are not making the Prophet Yunus (AS) but the puppets are going to tell us about Prophet Yunus (AS). Then we prepared for the shadow puppet show. Laila Aunty told 2 lines to clap for rain and the other 2 lines to make WOO sounds for storms and a boy named Musab to hit a patila (steel cooking pot) for lightning. I played the part of the whale in the show.
  After the puppet show we helped the participants make their puppets. They also did a puppet show. We were given a snack to take home.
It was a good experience. It was hot that day but i still enjoyed the experience.       


MBAP
I volunteered to help at Laila Aunty's shadow puppet show workshop .There were lots of children. I monitored the children as they made their pupppets. After Laila Aunty read the story of Younus (AS) we played our puppet show about it.I was the puppeteer for a sailor and a boat. I had a lot of fun.

MBAP's week-end out!

Alhumdulillah thanks to an invitation from the family of Muhammed, MBAP had a chance to visit Burban. It was his first visit unaccompanied by family and he realized how much he was attached to them -  he was "missing you guys" initially but managed to overcome his homesickness and enjoy the hospitality and warmth of his hosts Alhumdulillah. He enjoyed activities such as table tennis,  a treasure hunt, nightly walks and observed ladybugs.

 Jazakullah Khair Dr. Khalid, Zaitoon Aunty and Muhammed for your hospitality!

BAP update;

A quick BAP update.....ABAP has completed his 15th juz and will now revise the previous juz memorized before continuing further Insha'Allah. May Allah SWT make it easy for him. Aameen.



Also both ABAP and QBAP were on the same team in last month's RMI cricket match and their team won, Alhumdulillah, needless t o say the boys were excited and proud of their team achievement.

IBAP's Northern trip highlights

This March IBAP (10yrs) was invited to join the family of his friend Muhammed for a trip up north of Pakistan. Muhammed's father, Dr. Khalid is an eye surgeon and was making the trip to Islamabad  participate in an eye camp (at a village) where he would be preforming cataract operations. The family also planned to visit Muzaffarabad and the Kewrah Salt Mines.

IBAP had a lovely time stay at the Cadet College hostel and playing basket ball with Muhammed. He also got to see some snow, visit a boarding school at lunch time, take a trip to the Kewrah Mines and stay at the Pearl Continental in Muzaffarabad, but the most exciting thing was when Dr. Khalid had the two children stand by him as he preformed one of the eye surgeries at the camp, Subhan'Allah.

Jazakullah Khair to Dr. Kahlid, Umm Muhammed and Muhammed for hosting IBAP and providing him with this wonderful opportunity of learning and fun, Masha'Allah.

the two friends

Umm Muhammed put a small questionnaire for IBAP to answer about the trip, and here it is:

Q1.Write the names of at least 5 new places that you recited or passed by during your travel?
An1. We passed Rawalpindi,Islamabad And Islamabad's Highway.

Q2,What did you have for breakfast everyday?
An2. I had egg for breakfast everyday

Q3.Name at least 5 dishes that you had for dinner/lunch? Which was your favourite?
An3. I had biryani,rice and chicken tikka. I liked the chicken tikka the best.












Q4. how many Prayers did you miss during your travel?
An4. I did not miss any prayers.

Q5.What games did you play?Which one did you enjoy most?
An5. I played table tennis and basketball. I liked table tennis the most.

Q6.What things did you see at the Cadet college?
An6. I saw how the children ate their food,There was a well and we saw so many class rooms.We saw a river too.

Q7.What things did you see at the eye camp?
An7. We saw many patients waiting to get their eyes checked.I watched Dr.Khalid change a person's eye  lens.     


Q8.What did you see at PC Muzaffarbad. 
An8.I saw clocks which showed every country's time. I saw the game rooms too. 


Q9.What did you see at the Khewra salt mines

souvenir made of mined salt, bought from outside the Khewra mines 

An9.There were no signs so it was hard to find the place. There was a black out at the mine so we  couldn't go in. They should have a generator so the people could go in.   

Q10.What did you enjoy most in your trip?
An10.I had fun watching the eye operation and playing table tennis.  


Q11.What did you learn during your trip.
An11.I learnt how to do a eye operation.

slumber party!

Cadet College basketball court

chillin in the lawn

basket ball frenzy

at the hostel

football ground

a boarding schools's cafeteria

HBAP's Snowy Sights

SNOW

Early in the month of February HBAP (6yrs) had the opportunity to visit the snowy hill station of Burbhan. Abbi had a conference to attend and HBAP accompanied him. She was excited to be able to travel in an aeroplane with only Abbi by her side  and the prospect of  seeing SNOW! None of her siblings have had a chance to do so yet. There was also the promise of a bonfire dinner to attend, so all bundled up in Latvian warm clothes (borrowed from a friend) off she went. Abbi was impressed by how HBAP moved around independently, taking care of her needs while Abbi conducted a workshop, Masha'Allah. The following are her impressions of her winter holiday:

SNOW OUTSIDE THE HOTEL

"There was snow outside the hotel on the ground and on the cars, and on the trees.In our balcony there was snow, Abbi's friend came and said that you can't go into the balcony because there is so much snow.He picked up some snow and kept it in my hand.It felt cold. I saw a bonfire and I sat in front of the fire, I was feeling cold, the fire made me warm, but my back was still cold. I was wearing gloves. I saw rabbit, Abbi saw a fox. I went in a park and walked on snow. I saw a swimming pool in the park, it had water in it (it wasn't frozen.) I watched Abbi give his talk (Abbi was conducting a workshop).I had lots of soft mints. "