How to Get Started With Muslim Homeschooling

Muslim homeschooling is an increasingly popular way to educate children while honouring Islamic values and beliefs. It offers an alternative to traditional schooling and provides parents with the opportunity to support their children’s learning in line with their faith. However, it can seem like a huge decision and really overwhelming.  In this blog article, we explore Muslim homeschooling resources and tips to help you get started.

Identify Your Needs and Prioritize Your Goals.

Before getting started, it’s important to identify your needs and prioritize goals. Ask yourself what your priorities are in terms of instilling Islamic values, learning Arabic and Islamic studies, following a curriculum model or taking a less structured approach.  Are you looking to follow an established curriculum and just spend extra time on Islamic Studies?  What was your motivation for joining the Muslim homeschooling community?  Did you just want to remove your children from a harmful environment or were you passionate about making Islamic Studies the core focus of their education? Once you understand what you need from homeschooling, you can begin to look for resources that can provide the best learning environment for your children.

Research and seek advice about Muslim Homeschooling

In our deen we always begin with knowledge before action.  We need to know about prayer before we take action.  Learning about homeschooling and seeking advice from experienced Muslim homeschoolers is the first step in your Muslim homeschooling journey.  There are even courses and memberships offered by sisters to help you make your homeschool a success.  I would really recommend happymuslimhomeschool.com, Um Saleh offers lots of great advice for free on her website plus a brilliant course and membership that is well worth the investment.  Another great resource is aMuslimhomeschool.com Um Khadeeja has a lot of free resources on her blog, plus she offers her own Muslim homeschooling course and a parenting membership available at mumsunstuck.com. 

Craft your vision of Muslim Homeschooling

Sometimes it can be tempting (and quicker) to just take someone else’s plan and edit it to fit your needs.  When you build something from the ground up with your values and vision in mind it is not only an achievement but it is a perfect fit.  It’s the difference between buying a dress from a shop versus one that has been tailor-made just for you.  An example would be houses built with Muslim families in mind.  In Saudi, apartments have two front doors and are designed with a woman’s hijab in mind.  There are separate living rooms for men and women, sinks outside the guest bathroom for making wudhu easily and other features designed with Muslim lifestyle in mind.  It’s so much better than just importing a standard open plan apartment design. 

Muslim homeschooling can be a perfect fit for your family if you take time to really think about what you would like your days to look like.  Do you start at fajr?  Make Qur’an the first subject of the day?  Do you join a co-op to join forces with other Muslim homeschoolers and provide your kids with good company.  When you ask yourself these questions you can really build a homeschool that is perfect for your family.

Choose a Supporting Organization or Co-op.

Joining a homeschooling organization or co-op can provide invaluable support for you and your children.  There is a homeschool network here in Jeddah and even though I don’t make it to events, I benefit just from the whatsapp group. If there aren’t any Muslim homeschooling groups in your area, you can find online Islamic education classes for your kids to link up with other kids.  You could even start your own!  Experience isn’t essential, just link up with a couple of other families and plan some activities together inshaAllah.

Consider Homeschooling Regulatory Laws in Your Location. 

Homeschooling regulations really vary from country to country.  Check what is expected from you each year to make your Muslim homeschooling journey sustainable.

Make a Curriculum Plan for the Year Ahead.

Developing a curriculum plan for your Muslim homeschool can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. First, start by researching available online resources. There are many different curricula options available but you want to be careful that they align with your values.  You can also use textbooks, general books and subscription sites like twinkl.  It was important to me to have resources in my homeschool that had Islamic content outside of Islamic Studies.  Examples include Islamic reading comprehensions and Muslim World Unit Studies.  Once you have your curriculum plan and found the relevant resources you can think about mapping out your year.  Thinking ahead to the school year, create monthly or weekly lesson plans to keep you organized and on track.  They don’t have to be very complicated, you can just assign topics to certain months or weeks and then page numbers of the resources you want to use.

Jump into Muslim Homeschooling

If you asked veteran homeschoolers they will likely tell you how much they have learned over the years.  You can’t know everything before you begin, experience really is the best teacher.  You’ll also work out what kind of homeschooler you are once you just dive in.  You might prefer structure at the beginning when you are getting started but feel happier with less structure once you gain confidence.  You’ll also work out what suits your children inshaAllah but only once you start.  So the best way to start is to purify your intention, say bismillah and begin!

Read these other blog posts about Muslim Homeschooling:

Why do Muslims Homeschool

7 Pieces of Advice I Would Give My Younger Self about Homeschooling

How to teach Islamic content all day long