Education vs. Socialization
Who would have thought that giving your child more love and attention than most would be cause for displeasure? Maybe it is better to be sociable than to be educated? Is that all we want for our children in this day in age?
“Subhanna’Allah Taubah, what makes you say that”
Good question.
I have come to the decision to home school. I came to the decision a few weeks ago with feelings of apprehension. A person like myself who has had negative issues with education and learning, attempting to teach someone else. But despite my reservations I have found great pleasure in the ordeal.
My excitement about taking my three year old out of her social environment and holding her shackled to the ever boring presence of her mother and younger sister, came about when I was displeased with the teaching method of her school.
Without being too detailed I’ll mention that Zahra was bored at school. Maybe not bored when it was time to play. But bored when it was time to work, and for preschool there should not be a separation.
Maybe it’s simply my own lack of ability to sit still and listen to lectures, or the ache over the agonizing torture of sitting for hours doing school work that I get, but children must learn through play. That’s my motto and maybe I thought that was everyone’s motto. Heck I think everyone should learn through play, why not??
Apparently her school was not of this same thought process, and had Zahra learning in a way that was not conducive to her creative and adventurous personality. They would tell me things like
” well she is just going to be behind because she doesn’t want to do the work.”
Seemed to me like they were giving up on a child of the age of three who had only been in school for less then three weeks. And it was the first three weeks of her life that she had ever been in a formal school.
So as a result, I pulled her out of school and decided I’d give it a go at home. And I did, and I have, and it’s great. I’ve only had her with me for about two active weeks of home schooling out of about three weeks of her being out of school.
The first week she was home I broke down Tahira’s crib from her room and placed it into Zahra’s. I moved all of Tahira’s things into Zahra’s room and set them up very nicely. Then I took all the toys in the house and from Zahra’s room and her toy boxes and set them up in Tahira’s old room. The girls were so happy to be together sharing a room. And now they have an entire room for play called… you got it, The Play Room.
I went online to toysrus.com and went crazy buying up everything for preschool. Puzzles, books, dvds, games, painting utensils, smocks, an easel. Also I bought comprehensive learning books to do exercises with her to build her comprehensive development, motor skills, and such. The list goes on. Along with that I bought things to decorate the room to look like a preschool class room. Such as a nice big and cute pink table from target. This table is very nice and is big enough for four kids. It is pink and white with an easel square in the middle, and different colored tin bucks on all four corners of the square table ( one in each corner). I got it for crafts pre-reading, pre-writing work etc.. And a foam puzzle alphabet rug, and she has a computer and electronic leap pads and books.
I’ve set up the play room just for the girls and it looks wonderful.
The best part of it all is that Zahra has been learning and learning fast. Before she started school she already knew her numbers up to ten and her colors, shapes, her alphabet and these things. Since she has been home from school she has learned recognition of a number of her alphabet.
Something they were attempting to teach her at her former school by making her sit down and write out the alphabet, and then do it for home work every night.. well it didn’t work because she still didn’t know ‘A’ from ‘E’ and when I took her out of that school they were supposedly already learning ‘F’.
To make a long story short, there are those who do not agree with the decision I have made. My husband loves it and supports me completely Alhamdulillah. But there are others who believe pre-school should be taught … in school. Not because it is better for her education, but better for her socialization.
Yes, I understand that a child of the age of three needs to be around other children of that very age. And as a parent and one who is attempting to replace one thing with another I would naturally supply such things to her. It almost seems that these people believe that I am not an adequate mother. That simple things like children need friends are not something that my small mind and lack of parenting skills would muster up.
We go to the Children’s Museum or the Zoo every Tuesdays. And every Wensdays and Thursdays we go to story time at the Library. And what is really cool is that, get this, there are other parents with kids who they home school too, and we get together on Mondays or will be getting together Insha’Allah. And Zahra goes to gymnastics. and will be going to TaeKwondo Insha’Allah. I think she will have plenty of opportunities to see other kids and she will make friends…
But to me, she should learn, and learning is what I am trying to help her do. These are the foundations of her educational life, I’d like for her to start it off on the right foot.
And Allah knows best.