You may have seen cute writing journals for kids but dismissed them because you were unsure of the benefits of writing prompts for Muslim homeschools. You definitely don’t need to buy a special book or journal but writing prompts can really help transform writing lessons from a struggle to a breeze bithnillah. Here are 5 reasons why writing prompts can be a great addition to your Muslim homeschool curriculum.
Make writing practice a daily habit
Writing, like all skills, improves with practice. When we teach our kids to form letters, we think nothing of half an hour of dedicated daily practice. However when it comes to writing, sometimes we think it is sufficient to just write in the other subjects. That definitely helps and it all counts as practice, however, you can see greater improvement with consistent daily practice. As with most habits, you need to set a cue to begin with, make it as easy as possible to establish and reward generously.
Writing prompts help with the cue and ease. When the writing prompts appear, kids know they need to write for a dedicated period and by providing writing ideas it stops you and your kids delaying writing whilst you scramble to find a writing topic. The reward is down to you, it can be praise, stickers for younger kids or a tea break for older kids. Whatever it is, just make sure it creates a positive association with writing inshaAllah.
Stop time-wasting
Staring at a blank page is responsible for so much time wasted. It’s great for kids to be able to think creatively and come up with their own ideas of what to write. However, it’s so helpful for kids to have a starting point to jump off from. They will still think creatively about the writing prompt and create their own personal response inshaAllah. Writing prompts just help narrow down the options so they are able to choose.
We’ve all been there, when there are just so many options in a shop or online that we just give up and put off making a decision. Most of the time we are able to choose between two or three options. It isn’t that we are incapable of making a decision, it is simply that the volume of choice is overwhelming. As Muslims we try to appreciate the blessing of time. Writing prompts can help avoid time wasted making a decision about what to write and ensure that more time is spent writing and less time staring at a blank page.
Encourage reflection
Writing prompts are used all the time in journaling. They often encourage reflection about aspects of a person’s life. Alhamdulillah, writing prompts especially designed for Muslim kids can help encourage them to reflect on important topics. Gratitude, good character, friendship, the benefits of prayer, good role models are all great topics for kids to write about.
Encourage independence
Once you have established a good writing routine using prompts, it then becomes an independent activity. When creating writing prompts for Muslim homeschoolers, I always include an editing checklist at the end of the page. This helps kids to edit their work independently. This is great for both you and your kids. You can now help another child with their work, prepare for another lesson or simply have a cup of tea! They can feel capable and get into a writing flow without stopping and starting whilst they ask you for help!
Make writing meaningful and increase representation
Lots of writing prompts available are either not appropriate for Muslim kids or simply not reflective of them. You can read all about the importance of representation in your Muslim homeschool here. Many are holiday based and include what is your favourite Christmas tradition or who would you send a valentine to. Writing prompts that are designed for Muslim kids, reflect and reinforce your family’s values. For example, what is your favourite Eid gift? If you had a mountain of gold that you had to give away, who would you give it to and why? What event from the seerah most inspires you? Which of the animals that Allah created is your favourite? This is a great benefit of writing prompts for Muslim homeschools, writing can become a really positive activity inshaAllah.
Getting started with writing prompts
If this post has left you inspired to get started with writing prompts in your Muslim homeschool, you can download a FREE set here. Plus you’ll receive tips and freebies straight into your inbox insha’Allah plus gain access to the free resource library.
If you would like to purchase some affordable ready-made writing prompt sets for Muslim kids you can find:
4 Seasons writing prompts (physical and digital) available on : Amazon UK, Amazon US, and TPT.
Non-fiction writing prompts TPT and ETSY.
Creative writing prompts TPT and ETSY.
Transport themed writing prompts on TPT and ETSY.
Here are some other blog posts you may be interested in:
Writing Tips for Muslim Homeschoolers
Teaching Writing in a Muslim Homeschool
Should you use Islamically Integrated Resources or teach Islamic Studies separately?
