Teachers use a variety of ways to communicate with you regarding how your child is doing.

Some use google docs to update you, that you can log into daily and see them updated in real time.

Some teachers use a communication notebook, and write comments in daily.

Some teachers produce periodic assignment lists and send them out to you routinely.

Whichever method your child’s teacher uses, please be consistent yourself. Keep a note of the link to your child’s teacher. If it is through a notebook, be sure your child brings it home. If he/ she does not, please let the teacher know immediately. If it is a link to a good doc, please access it frequently.

All teachers produce three report cards a year, for you to be in touch with how your child is doing. The first one will focus on study habits. This is important in establishing if your child has good study habits, such as organization and adhering to deadlines. The others focus on how well your child has gained the skills needed and learned the curriculum.

Finally, every week, your child’s teacher will send you an email that summarizes what was learned that week, as well as homework for academic studies and Quran. Be sure to read it thoroughly, engage with the teacher, and be aware of what is being covered, how, and when.

In Quran, you can help by doing the following:

Work with your child DAILY.

Do not ask your child to go and review somewhere in isolation and expect them to come back ready. Our mind wanders. Sit with them in a distraction-free zone if possible. Use the following steps to help them review new memorization, or older review surahs:

Get your child to read the first aya a few times (between two or five, depending on how well they can read it)
Get them to close the mushaf and read it to you without looking
Repeat the process with the second aya
Then ask them to read both together with looking
Ask them to close the mushaf once again and read them together without looking
Continue in this manner until you have completed the assigned work
It is better if you go page by page, as this is often how students memorize the surah in class, and it is how they retain the information long-term

In addition to the above instructions, please keep in mind the following:

Do not only help your child with daily memorization by testing them on the page of the day. Test them daily on the WHOLE SURAH. If they do not review it constantly, they will forget it and struggle to retain it.
For surahs longer than ten pages, you may eliminate testing of the first page and add a page each day so that your child is reviewing ten pages daily of the new surah, currently being memorized.
Always keep up to date with the review schedule set by the teacher. It is essential and helps cover and review all materials continuously.

Most important of all:

Be patient. Your child will develop the art of memorization and will struggle at times. This is normal and a test from Allah swt. Staying good natured and positive will help them greatly.

For academic work, you can help by doing the following:

Check the weekly email that your child’s teacher will send you that alerts you as to what was covered during the week and what has been assigned for homework during the week. Remember, your child will get Quran homework DAILY, but academic homework is only assigned on Friday for the weekend.
Provide a quiet space that your child can complete work in
Check over your child’s work after they have completed it. Ensure they have met the guidelines provided by your child’s teacher
If you require any clarification, contact your child’s teacher by email
If necessary, ask your child to repeat any work that does not match the guidelines. Teachers expect neat work that adheres to their expectations.
While we work very hard to help your child grow into an independent, self-sufficient professional student, remember, ten to fourteen-year-olds are not always responsible, reliable and do not always try their hardest at all times. Your child will need continuous support and reminders.

– Our program is heavily subsidized and we rely on donations to keep the project sustainable. You can donate here.
– Give us feedback. If we are doing well, let us know. If we are not doing well, let us know.

All students do not have the exact aptitude for Quran memorization, coupled with academic excellence. If your child has been given this gift, Al-Furqan School is a great place to nurture your child’s talents.