Friday, May 5, 2006
Useful (Free) Software
Posted in Free Software Resources
Useful (Free) Software Downloads
Browsers
Avant Browers www.avantbrowser.com A handy tabbed browser that uses IE engine. Its a small download only around 1 MB.
Mozilla Firefox: Another popular tabbed browser. Has a neat Find instead of the traditional IE find, it finds as you type.
General Education:
For phonics, typing, math (telling time, math facts money), www.flixprod.com has some of the best freeware programs that I have seen. They are simple, not overly flashy, but usually engaging. Most, if not all, reward children with a game or activity after they have completed 10 or so problems.
Spelling:
http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/khughes/rnrspelling/ Freeware program for practicing your own spelling lists.
Utilities:
Clip Diary: keeps a history of things you copied to the clipboard so that you can paste into documents and emails. You can paste text as well as pictures. http://clipdiary.softvoile.com/?s=ptm
Flashpaste: keeps a list of strings (text) handy that you use often for fast and easy pasting into documents, emails, etc. http://softvoile.com/flashpaste/?s=prog18
Google Desktop http://desktop.google.com
Get Google Desktop and you will never want to use the Windows search again.(At least I didn't!) It can instantly find items on your computer as you type in keywords. It has a sidebar which you can use to view headlines, RSS feeds, and by adding plug ins you can have things like a handy calendar which is always visible, to do list that can be checked off, a scratch pad where you can make notes or paste web sites urls that you want to visit in the future.
Tune Up Utilities 2006 http://www.tune-up.com/
My favorite tune up program thus far. It fixes registry problems and a host of other problems. You can change your computer's visual themes, many useful features, it's pretty packed and still easy to use.
Friday, May 5, 2006
Free Useful Software Downloads
Posted in Free Software Resources
Useful (Free) Software Downloads
Browsers
Avant Browers www.avantbrowser.com A handy tabbed browser that uses IE engine. Its a small download only around 1 MB.
Mozilla Firefox: Another popular tabbed browser. Has a neat Find instead of the traditional IE find--- it finds as you type.
General Education:
For phonics, typing, math (telling time, math facts money), www.flixprod.com has some of the best freeware programs that I have seen. They are simple, not overly flashy, but usually engaging. Most, if not all, reward children with a game or activity after they have completed 10 or so problems.
Spelling:
http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/khughes/rnrspelling/ Freeware program for practicing your own spelling lists.
Utilities:
Clip Diary: keeps a history of things you copied to the clipboard so that you can paste into documents and emails. You can paste text as well as pictures. http://clipdiary.softvoile.com/?s=ptm
Flashpaste: keeps a list of strings (text) handy that you use often for fast and easy pasting into documents, emails, etc. http://softvoile.com/flashpaste/?s=prog18
Google Desktop http://desktop.google.com
Get Google Desktop and you will never want to use the Windows search again, well at least I didn't. It can instantly find items on your computer as you type in keywords. It has a sidebar which you can use to view headlines, RSS feeds, and by adding plug ins you can have things like a handy calendar which is always visible, a "to do" list that can be checked off, a scratch pad where you can make notes or paste web sites urls that you want to visit in the future.
Friday, May 5, 2006
Neolithic Period Assignment
Posted in Student Gallery - History
Assignment:
You are a boy/girl from the Neolithic period when humans lived by hunting and gathering. You have been transported to Jericho in the future at a point after agriculture began to thrive.
· Write a friendly letter to your family back at home telling them about the impact that agriculture has made on society. (use facts from the text)
May 31, 10,000 BC
Dear Grandpa,
Here, in Jericho everything is different. At home, people hunt and gather food. Here, people plant and pick crops for food, and raise livestock. This is called agriculture. Agriculture is better because less people have to collect food. There are many farmers, so other people can do different jobs because they dont have to hunt, gather or grow their own food and there is a surplus of food. Some of the jobs that people have included are pottery makers, priests, government officials.
Because of agriculture, people now have permanent homes, they dont have to wander after animal herds for food. Also, they have more possessions, such as pottery and weaving looms. Agriculture has really improved life.
I should be home soon insha Allah.
Love,
(i luv pandas)
by iluvpandas, age 10 4/30/06
Friday, May 5, 2006
Compare Contrast Assignments
Posted in Student Gallery - Writing
The Differences Between Oceans
And Lakes
Although oceans and lakes are both bodies of water, they are different in several ways. To begin, oceans are big, while lakes are small. Secondly, oceans have salt water, whereas lakes have fresh water. Finally, the animals that live in the oceans are dangerous such as sharks, whales, and huge fish. As for lakes, the animals are much safer such as gulls and small fish. As one can clearly see, there are differences between lakes and oceans.
by iluvpandas, age 10 4/04/06
Spring and Fall
Spring and Fall are both seasons, however they are different in landscape, weather, and sports typically played in each season. To begin with, in Spring, flowers begin to bloom and the leaves grow back on trees. On the other hand, in Fall, flowers die and leaves turn gold, die, and fall to the ground. Moreover, the weather in each season is different. In Spring, the weather is warm and rainy, however in the Fall the weather starts out warm then slowly gets chilly. In addition, it does not rain that much in the Fall. Finally, in Spring, people play sports such as baseball and volleyball, but in the Fall people tend to play football and basketball. If you compare Spring and Fall, you can see several differences.
by iluvpandas, age 10 4/20/06
Thursday, May 4, 2006
E Groups
Posted in E Groups
Some useful E Groups on the net:
Islamic:
ASalafeeHouse: A nice support group offering ideas and support in establishing/maintaining a Salafi household, includes members who homeschool. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/asalafeehouse/
Muslimhsers: Nice Islamic homeschooling support group. The moderator (very diligently, masha Allah) keeps up the group calendar which sends reminders/announcements with links on a daily basis to very useful sites for homeschoolers and also Islamic ones as well. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimhsers/
Non-Islamic:
LivingMath: A nice group for sharing ideas to teach math naturally and through literature instead of from textbooks, worksheets, etc. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LivingMathForum/
BasicallyBeechick: A group devoted to sharing ideas based upon Ruth Beechicks philosophy of teaching your own children at home. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BasicallyBeechick/
Flybaby_Homeschoolers: Very supportive and easy going group for those wanting to implement Flylady home management techniques and who homeschool: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Flybaby_Homeschoolers/
Heart of Reading: new (as of April 2006) support group for those struggling to teach reading to their children. [Christian based]. They have a files section which is growing with reading resources. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HeartofReading/
Tuesday, May 2, 2006
Daily Quran Review-Juz Amma
Posted in Quran
As salaamu Alaykum,
Here's a little daily routine for reviewing Juz Amma that my older children and I have started and it is working very well (at the present..lol) masha Allah.
We read/recite from the mushaf using the following plan:
After Fajr or sometime in the morning
Surahs 78-82
After Thuhr
83-90
After Asr
91-98
After Maghrib
99-106
After Isha
107-114
I used to tell my kids (and myself) that we were going to review juz amma every day, but until I set up this schedule we neglected to do it on a regular basis. I think they (and sometimes myself unfortunately) were getting unmotivated and restless reviewing the juz in one sitting.
Anyway, just passing on something that is working for us right now, masha Allah.
