1. Alphabet Review (start each learning session with this or similar review time)

(use an aid such as TJ's Alphabet and Vowel Learning Posters )

• Recite the alphabet while point to each letter
• Ask student to identify the first, last, second, etc letter of the alphabet
• Randomly point to a letter and have student identify it.
• Ask student to find a certain letter on the chart
• Have student match upper case to lower case (matching game or use chart)
  • Uppercase/lower case matching cards
    • Mitten Match-BryBack Manor
• Simple sequencing. What letter comes before/after? inbetween two named letters.
• Advanced. Have student recite the vowels daily after they have been taught.
• Flash alphabet cards to students for letters already learned.
  • Word Builder Cards that can be used as Alphabet Flashcards >>>

2. New Learning

Recognition:

Show student the letter (on a flashcard, written on the board, etc)

Say: This is the letter ______. Have student repeat the name of the letter.

 

Sound:

If teaching sounds of the letter as well or student already knows the name, say: The letter ______ make the sound _________.

Have student repeat the sound and say (letter) says ___________.

Show student pictures of words that start with that letter. Say the word, emphasizing the sound (e.g. mitten ---> mmmmmmmitten) Have student pick out the letter in the words.

3. Practice:

 

• Give student rows of the target letter mixed with other letters. Have student pick out the target letter in each row. If student has already learned some other letters, fill the rows with the new letter and previous letter and have student name all the letters.

 

• You may also give students lists of words and have student pick out the letter in the words.

 

• Call out words that start with various letters, if a word starts with the target letter, student writes the letter.

 

• Play games/activities for student to practice recognizing the letter. See activities below.

 

 

4. Writing

Show student how to correctly form the letter. Have student practice writing the letter while you watch.

 

For steps 2 - 4, TJ will soon have learning packets for each letter, insha Allah with many of the listed activities.

A general daily phonics session might consist of:

1.       Reviewing flashcards

2.       Learning new sound/word list

3.       Reading new word list

4.       Practicing new sound/words (games, worksheets)

5.       Reading sentences with new sounds plus review sounds*

6.       Taking dictation on words with new sound and sentences*

A general daily sight words session might consist of:

1. Review flashcards

2. Learn new sight words

3. Practice new words (games, worksheets, etc)

4. Read sentences with new words

 For Sight Word Resources, see: TJ's Reading Page

 

A general daily reading session might consist of:

1. Repeated reading activity (select passage or sentences  or words and reread until a fluent reading is achieved.) Use Hifz Helper Counter Mats (Study aids) to keep track of the number of readings. However, when child begins to get weary, its best to stop. For younger students, use material that they are working on from phonics.

2. Read for enjoyment (no “formal academic work” associated with it)

3. Assign reading assignment and have students answer comprehension questions or respond to literature in a reading response log:

Sample Reading Response Journal Activities

1. What did you learn today as you read that you did not know before? What surprised you? Explain why it surprised you?

2. As you read today, were any questions that you had answered by what you read? List the questions that you had and the answers that you came up with from the reading. Are you satisfied with what you learned, with these answers? Why or why not?

3. Did you come across a problem in your reading that you had not considered before? What was the problem? Could you solve it? How?

4. Are any of the real life situations or people that you read about in your material for today similar to situations that you have experienced before in life? How were they similar? How were they different?

More nonfiction reading response prompts:

http://home.att.net/~teaching/litcircl/nonfictprompts.pdf

(lots of prompts)

A general daily read aloud session might consist of:

1. Listen to parent/teacher read aloud.

2. Answer comprehension questions or summarize/discuss reading, but keep it light so that it is an enjoyable together time.

 This can be done during the day or even at bedtime.

For free, online reading material resources/links, see:

 

TJ's Library

TJ's Quraan Page

See TJ' s Islamic History page

 

To save time, incorporate writing into as many of the previous sections as possible.

In addition, ideas for writing:

1. copywork:

Copy/trace letters, words, sentences, ayaat/ahadith, paragraphs according to the level of the student from the Quraan, books, the board, labels, and other creative sources.

2. journal/composition:

Give children fun and interesting journal prompts to write about such as questions, compare/contrast, descriptive sentences, and paragraphs. See TJ's new writing prompts page for prompts and links to prompts. (Ideas for younger and older students). Also see TJ's Composition resources. Try to have students write everyday!

3. name/date writing

Child writes name and today’s date each day; season and day of the week. TJ has resources for this: Daily Skills Practice Writing Paper (ZIP file, various themes)

 

 

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