Islam is the basis of our curriculum and is integrated into academic and social instruction throughout the day. In addition to Qur’anic instruction all students focus on learning and applying a special weekly ayah or surah.
We pray the noon prayer together throughout the year and also Asr when it occurs during the school day.
"The secret of good reading is to regard the child's intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown." -- Maria Montessori"
In math, students use models, manipulative and visual thinking to explore, develop understanding, and solve problems. Science, social studies, language and Islamic studies are integrated within themes. This is compatible with the functional design of the brain and with the Islamic vision of knowledge.
Our reading program is literature-based and theme-related. Writing, like reading, is done across the curriculum and skills are taught in context. We stress the love and importance of the Arabic language. By immersing students in Arabic, we enable them to progress naturally from hearing, understanding and speaking classical Arabic to reading with understanding Qur’an, hadeeth and other sources of our religion.
Our Goals
- To provide our children with an Islamic atmosphere in which they can grow and learn as whole individuals: intellectually, spiritually, socially, and physically.
- To strengthen and prepare students to effectively navigate the challenges of living in the modern American society
- To nurture learning from an Islamic word and view with a global perspective
- To prepare students for active leardership roles in the world in which they live.
- To foster lasting friendships among classmates
- To encourage mastery of the Arabic language so they may access the sources of Islamic knowledge
Arabic & Islamic Curriculum
The Arabic and Islamic curriculum at the Islamic School of Seattle has several objectives with the prevailing goals to be able to understand the language of the Quran and Islam as well as to have a good understanding of Islamic history and what constitutes Islamic character. The objectives are as follows:
· to be able to read and comprehend the Quran
· to be able to communicate well through speaking and listening
· to be able to read and comprehend other subject areas
· to be able to express their thoughts through writing
· to know about the major people and events of Islamic history
· to know the Islamic rulings regarding the main acts of worship
· to know what constitutes Islamic character
To attain the above objectives takes several years of study at a gradual pace, which ISS puts into practice as outlined below. Dual language classrooms are a part of each student’s education, starting from the primary level, since studies have shown that children most easily learn languages in the earliest years. These dual language classes continue throughout each student’s education at ISS.
The Arabic taught and used is not a dialect, but fusha (standard Arabic) with some classical Arabic vocabulary to facilitate the understanding of the Quran. Arabic, Islamic, and Qur’anic studies are integrated into the school throughout the day starting with the morning circle time which has an Islamic theme.
Pre-School/Kindergarten Level (3 – 6 yrs): Students will study in the dual language classroom with a fulltime teacher for each language. At the pre-school level students are first introduced to the Arabic sounds and they are exposed daily to different listening activities in Arabic, as well as being spoken to in Arabic throughout the day. This follows the natural way of language learning, which starts with hearing the language. When students reach the kindergarten level, they start learning the letters, more vocabulary, how to read simple words, and they also work on memorizing short Qur’anic surahs and dua’as. The following methods are used at this level:
· through daily immersion
· through Arabic storytime
· Arabic letter activities
· sound recognition activities
· through listening to and singing Arabic songs and nasheeds
At the pre-school level Arabic language concepts covered include the following:
ü recognizing that the Arabic letters indicate specific sounds
ü learning basic vocabulary words such as colors, numbers, animals, food, body parts, days of the week, etc.
ü learning basic greetings in Arabic
ü attaining a basic comfort level with the Arabic language
At the kindergarten level Arabic language concepts covered include the following:
ü recognizing that Arabic reads from right to left
ü learning the short vowels, long vowels, and dipthongs
ü learning how to connect the letters to read simple words and two to three word sentences
ü practicing basic conversations skills such as being able to answer questions about self and family
ü learning some basic prepositions
Qur’an and Islamic studies at this level include the following:
ü memorizing simple dua’as for eating, using the bathroom, etc.
ü memorizing short surahs, such as Al-Fatihah and Al-Shams to Al-Nass
ü learning that Allah is the Creator and that He has revealed the Qur’an
ü learning about the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), that he was sent as the final messenger
ü learning about the angels and the Hereafter
ü learning stories about the Prophets (peace be upon them all)
ü learning stories from Islamic history
ü learning the Islamic months
ü learning about wudu’, prayer, fasting, and hajj
ü learning Islamic manners, such as for using the bathroom, eating, how we should treat each other, etc.
Elementary Level (6 – 9 yrs): Students’ class time is spent in the dual language classroom. Speaking is emphasized with all communication in the classroom being in both Arabic and English. Reading is focused on with students learning to read and comprehend children’s books as well as Quranic vocabulary. The following methods are used:
· through textbooks (Iqra series and Uhibb Al-Arabiyya series)
· through daily immersion and conversation practice
· through many different, engaging Arabic activities which integrate other subject areas into the Arabic curriculum; such as science, math, and history
· through Arabic storytime
· through a regular reading time both silent and out loud
· through Arabic language computer software
· through Arabic videos and tapes
The key concept is for the students to live the language in the classroom; talking to each other, the teacher, and in general communicating regularly in Arabic.
Arabic language concepts covered include the following:
ü the sun and moon letters
ü the demonstrative pronouns, both masculine and feminine
ü the subject pronouns, both masculine and feminine
ü the possessive pronouns, both masculine and feminine
ü the present tense verb
ü the present tense verb with conjugation at the older ages
ü noun-verb agreement
ü the key question words … what, where, who, when, why
ü the colors at a more expanded level
ü adjectives
ü prepositions
ü seasons and weather types
ü months, days, time
ü numbers 11-100
ü the five senses
ü shapes
ü reading of paragraphs and stories for both reading fluency and also comprehension
ü vocabulary relating to home life, school, family, greetings, playground, shopping, and other relevant vocabulary
Qur’an and Islamic studies at this level include the following:
ü By the end of the elementary level the entire 30th Juz of Qur’an is covered with the lower ages concentrating on the second half (Al-Balad to Al-Nass) and the older students concentrating on the first half (Al-Naba’ to Al-Fajr).
ü The focus is on correct reading and memorization.
ü A study of the life of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) consisting of his birth, childhood and young adulthood, receiving revelation, years at Mecca overview, the migration, and years at Medina overview.
ü Learning how to make wudu’ and how to pray correctly.
ü Islamic manners related to eating, drinking, speaking, treating people well, good deeds, etc. which are taught through studying and learning various hadiths.
ü Learning about Islamic history through reading, watching, and hearing stories.
Upper-Elementary Level (9 – 12 yrs): Students’ studies in Arabic and Qu’ran continue through more structured lessons. Communication is in Arabic with English only as absolutely required, so that the students working to improve their speaking skills and fluency. More emphasis is placed on reading with a good comprehension and being able to express themselves through writing. The methods from the elementary level continue as well as more advanced activities such as:
· through textbooks (Iqra series and Uhibb Al-Arabiyya series)
· through daily immersion and conversation practice
· through many different, engaging Arabic activities which integrate other subject areas into the Arabic curriculum; such as science, math, and history
· through a regular reading time both silent and out loud
· through Arabic language computer software
· through Arabic videos and tapes
· journal writing
· reading and listening to stories and having classroom discussions on them
Arabic language concepts covered include the following:
ü the Arabic root system
ü how to use the Arabic dictionary
ü sentence structure
ü the gerund
ü verbal sentences and nominal sentences
ü the past tense verb with conjugation
ü the idhafa
ü the dual and feminine plural forms
ü adjective-noun agreement
ü the imperative
Qur’an and Islamic studies at this level include the following:
ü In the upper-elementary level the students study the 29th Juz (Al-Mulk to Al-Mursalat) of the Qur’an. For students who have already learned this Juz, they will be assigned different surahs at their level.
ü A more in-depth study of the life of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).
ü Learning the Islamic rules for fasting.
ü Learning about the rightly-guided caliphs.
ü Learning about Islamic character through hadith studies, such as the importance of patience, discipline, generosity, etc.
ü Learning about Islamic history through reading, watching, and hearing stories.
