PREPARING

MY KID FOR
PRESCHOOL
PREPARING
MY KID FOR
PRESCHOOL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
How to find the best school 1

Going to Little Caliphs 6

Play is important 9

Writing skill 12

Learning tips 16

Bonus Topic: Teaching My Child to Fast 22

Conclusion 29
1
HOW TO FIND
THE BEST
SCHOOL

1
Some people think that the hardest part for
parents to start their child for school is
because of the child. Lack of maturity or
discipline is what parents worry most of
their child. What they do not realise is that
these issues actually stem from the parents
themselves.

The only thing that parents need to have to

overcome this is by having trust. Not only is
it important for parents to have trust in the
school to teach their child, but also in their
child as well to be able to handle and care
for themselves.

The best way to overcome such worries is to find the best

preschool for your child. With these tips and proper research,
InshaaAllah doing this will ease a majority of the worry that
parents are facing with starting their child for preschool. Not only
that, doing early preparation for school should help you to have
more confidence in your child to be independent.

1 Identify your
priorities

What are you looking for in a preschool?

Short distance from your home or
workplace? A multicultural one? A islamic studies
school that prioritises teaching arts and
emphasis on
creativity or science and maths?
reading
Make a list of criteria that you great teachers
want in the preschool. This way
you will not forget and leave out a place where
he can make
important aspects when you friends
start your search.

2
2 Do your
research

Try and ask around your circle of family and

friends. Even if the preschools their children
went to is not nearby to your home, they
may have a franchise branch in your area.
Ask the local community as well if they have
any personal recommendations.

Best arden Go online to see if the preschools have any

kinderg
ever! personal websites or social media that you
can check out for reviews. Some have also
included an overview as to what they teach
at these schools as well.

3 Visit and
interview

Make time to do site visits. I suggest in making a list of

what you want in the preschool and questions to ask the
staff/teachers. From standard student fees and meal plans
to method of teaching and teaching experience.

This is the place where you will be

sending your child for the next few
years, best to make sure that the
preschool and its teachers are up to
your standards. In the end, the
choice is based on personal
preference.

3
When you visit the classrooms, check
the teacher-child ratios and note how
many children are in a classroom.
3 to 4
year olds
up to
or 20
children
fewer
in 1 class

For 3- to 4-year-olds, the organization

recommends groups of 20 or fewer,
again with at least two teachers. As 5 as
many
20
year children
many as 20 5-year-olds can be in a olds as in 1 class
class with two or more teachers.

Observe how the teachers interact with the kids: Make sure
they are friendly, caring, and encouraging. You will also
want a challenging curriculum, experienced teachers (who
are paid well and satisfied with their job), and an
environment that is warm, clean, and safe.
Ask about staff turnover. If the teachers
calendar change every six months, move on.
Children need consistency and the
opportunity to form strong relationships
with their caregivers, so you do not want
a preschool where teachers come and
go.

Ultimately, choosing a preschool is a personal decision.

If, after visiting a preschool, you love the idea of your
child going there, it's probably the right place for you.

4 Check
references

Getting reviews from its current or

past parents is also good way in
helping find more information and
opinions of the school. There is no
better endorsement than the word
of mouth.

4
5 Kid-test it

Visit the school with your child. See

how receptive they are to the school
and its environment. Trust the child if
they have a positive or a negative
reaction to the school and its teachers.

Do the teachers seem interested in

getting to know your child? Does he
enjoy the activities?

6 Get on the
waiting list

Finally found the preschool of your dreams?

Does your child like it as well? But no
openings? Do not despair. Put yourself on
the waiting list, and maybe write a letter
why you like the school so much. You never
know if they are willing to open an extra slot
just for you.

5
2
GOING TO
LITTLE CALIPHS®

6
What is it like going to Little Caliphs?

Here are just some of things what Little Caliphs® is all

about, the small moments, memories and the joy that we
share together.

FIrst day
of School

Storytelling
session

Solat

Writing class

7
 LC Scientist

Hari Raya
Aidilfitri
Celebration

Little Hajj
annual
program

Little Caliphs
Builder

8
3
PLAY IS
IMPORTANT

9
 As can be seen in the previous chapter,
we at Little Caliphs® are actively
incorporating ‘play’ into our curriculum
as it is one of the best ways for children
to learn new things.

An example of a game often used class

is pretend. Not only are they having fun
in playing but they are also learning
new vocabulary along the way. Like
how a teacher teaches about animals
and act out the sounds with the
children.

As they learn from their teachers, they

will expand this game-play to dress-up
and pretend like pretending to be a
policeman or explorer. This kind of
activity can give them a chance to act
out their feelings, emotions, and how
they view the world about them.

Not only that, their creativity will

continuously expand as they want to
learn new things and how they work.

10
One of the biggest annual event that
Little Caliphs® largely incorporates
‘dress-up and pretend play’ is actually
Little Hajj. This is when our students
dress up like they should be dressed for
Hajj and do all of the components of
Hajj. It is all about having fun in learning.

Giving a child an opportunity to get

messy is also a learning experience.
Playing in mud, sand, and water or
painting and colouring gives children
a sense of freedom and another way
to strengthen their imagination and
creativity. Preschoolers are not lying
when they tell you wonderful and
exciting tales about things that adults
know are not true. They are being
creative.

All in all, Little Caliphs® is not only

about teaching children about
Islam and the English language,
but we are also about being able to
have fun and be creative.

11
4
WRITING
SKILL

12
At Little Caliphs®, we start teaching
children how to write as early as 4
years old. However, the children do
not straight away do drills of writing
the alphabet.

What we first start them off with is we doing many

Preschool Activities to enhance their soft motor skills.
From there, we correct the way they hold their pencils.

Below are just some of the activities done at school and

can also be done at home by parents.

Rolling play dough into tiny balls using

the palms of the hands facing each other
and using only the finger tips.

Trace around things (hand,

shapes)

Using toothpicks to make designs in

play dough.

13
Give your preschooler pair of tweezers.
Provide two bowls with small items.
Challenge them to get all the items from
one bowl to another using only the
tweezers.

Tearing newspaper into strips and

then crumpling them into balls.

Lacing and sewing activities such

as stringing beads.

Using eye droppers to "pick up" water.

Play with Legos, miniature cars, small

blocks, action figures, and other small
toys.

Working puzzles

Rolling small balls out of tissue paper,

then gluing the balls onto construction
paper to form pictures or designs.

Do Scissor activities

Gross motor activities: Wheelbarrow

walking, crab walking.

14
 Clapping games

Connecting the dots

activities

• Trace around stencils

• Work on a chalkboard

Paint at an easel

Make crafts using scissors

and gluing

Finger painting

Tying bows or shoelaces

The children do not necessarily need to do all of these

activities. It all depends on the teacher to know and decide
which way is the most suitable method to help the children
in developing those soft motor skills. It is only once they have
strengthened their hand grip as well as learn the correct way
to hold the pencil that they will learn how draw the
alphabets.
15
5
LEARNING
TIPS

16
Your Child’s Learning Styles

One main way that parents can help

teachers in being able to effectively my child’s
teach your child is by telling the child's learning style
main learning style.

This way teachers will have an easier

time in teaching and do not have to
spend extra time in having to identify
such things for each child.

Although it may be tempting to stick with what works, keep

in mind that a child’s preferred learning style may change
as they grow and that people who can learn in a variety of
ways absorb more information easily.

17
Therefore, it is advised to parents to expose them to
different kinds of learning styles. Often the child will have
that one preferred learning style, what you want is for them
to be able to learn through the other styles if needed.

Auditory learners prefer listening to

explanations and may like to study by reciting
information aloud. This type of learner may want
to have background music while studying, or
they may be distracted by noises and need a
quiet space to study.

Kinesthetic learners learn by doing and

touching. They may have trouble sitting still
while studying, and they are better able to
understand information by writing it down or
doing hands-on activities.

Visual learners process new information by

reading, looking at graphics, or watching a
demonstration. Children with this learning
style can grasp information presented in a
chart or graph, but they may grow impatient
listening to an explanation.

18
Homework tips for each Learning Style

As each learning style is very much different from one

another, here are some tricks that parents can use at home
for the child to complete their homework.

Auditory learners are typically good at absorbing

information from spoken words. Strategies that work well
for auditory learners include:

• Talking to themselves or with others about

what they’re learning
• Reciting important information aloud,
perhaps recording it and playing it back
• Reading a book and listening to the audio
book at the same time
• Using word associations
• Setting information to a tune and singing it
to help remember it
• Limiting distracting noises

19
Kinesthetic learners prefer to be active while studying and
may not be able to focus while sitting still. Strategies for
kinesthetic learners include:

• Reading aloud and tracking words on a

page with a finger
• Writing things down multiple times to
commit them to memory
• Highlighting and underlining
• Playing with a stress ball or toy while
studying
• Moving around or taking frequent breaks
• Doing hands-on activities, such as building
models or playing games

Visual learners benefit from seeing information on a

chalkboard or in an illustration and may grow impatient
listening for long periods of time. Strategies for visual
learners include:

• Using flash cards

• Studying charts, tables, and maps
• Drawing illustrations
• Writing things down and reviewing notes
• Highlighting and underlining
• Colour-coding information

20
 General Internet Guidelines

online rules Set some ground rules. Kids should

always know where they are (and are
not) allowed to go and what they are
(and are not) allowed to do online.

Teach online safety. Remind kids not to give

out personal information, such as their name
or address, if they’re talking online with
someone they don’t know.

Monitor your child’s Internet use.If you can’t

always supervise your child’s web surfing,
consider Internet filters to block out
material that’s not age-appropriate. It’s a
good idea for younger children to use a
family email address so parents can keep
tabs on their correspondence.

Set limits. Don’t let your child “play” online

until he has completed his homework. If your
child spends too much time online or if
several family members share one computer,
limit the time each person can be online.

Teach proper “netiquette.” Whether your

child is in the schoolyard or online, the same
rules of behavior apply. Make sure they
know that writing mean things about
people, spreading gossip, and bullying are
not acceptable online.
21
6
BONUS TOPIC:
TEACHING MY
CHILD TO FAST

22
A long time ago, a mother once asked Teacher Fari,

“When should we start teaching our children

to fast? Can we start as early as 4 years old?”

So Teacher Fari went home to consult with her

books and she found some tips taught by
Prophet Muhammad s.a.w on how to teach
our children to fast.

It is well known that Prophet Muhammad s.a.w

advises parents to start teaching children to solah
the 5 prayers at age 7. In terms of teaching fasting
however, there is no hadith that states at what
specific age parents should teach start teaching.
But most Muslims scholars all agree that parents
should start teaching as soon as possible.

This is so that by the time the children

reaches puberty, they should be able to do
this ibadah with no issues and understand
the importance behind the act.

23
Prophet Muhammad’s sahabah started
teaching their children to fast as early as
5 to 6 years old. There is a story that
during Ramadan, whenever the
sahabah’s children started to complain
that they were getting hungry as they
fasted, they were given toys.

This is so as to help them be distracted

from the hunger and thirst that they
were feeling.

Eventually, the children became used to

those feelings and understood what it
meant to fast. Afterwards, the children
no longer asked for food or water when
fasting. But there are some children
who cannot stand the feelings of
hunger and thirst.

It is okay.

Not only are we able to teach them patience with fasting,

we are also teaching them to know their boundaries and
limits. By knowing those limits, you can help them set
deadlines that gradually increase on the next days and so
on.

For example, they are only able to fast until

4.00 pm. So for the next day, say they can
1 DAY
fast until 5.00 pm. Then gradually make it
until Maghrib. Just have them try again
of Fast
and give them plenty of encouragement
and praise even if they only complete 1 day
of fasting.

24
There are some parents that are concerned that by
starting at such a young age it can slow the child’s
growth. Fasting however is not about torturing the child
by not giving them nutrients, it is just that during
Ramadan we are only moving eating times to Subh and
Maghrib time.

We can still give them enough nutrition

before Subh and after Maghrib by
giving them balanced meals and
enough water to drink.

Here are some tips by Teacher Fari in teaching and

training the children to fast based on her personal
experience with her children and students.

1 Before Ramadan, during

the month of Sya’ban
Start in this month by preparing the children’s
minds that soon it will be the month of
Ramadan, which is when every Muslim
around the world will be fasting together.
Encourage them to ask what fasting is, why
Muslims fast and the advantages that come
with fasting. Parents can also use storybooks
or even use personal stories on their own
experience on learning how to fast. Teach
them how wonderful and special the month
of Ramadan is and why it is the one month
that every Muslim looks forward to the most
each year.

For this month, it is all about preparing the children’s mindset

for fasting and for them to be able to look forward to be fasting
together with the whole family and friends.

25
 2 During the month of
Ramadan : Sahur

Before going to bed, remind the children that

you will wake them up before Subh for sahur.
“To this day, I remember being carried by my
father to the table so that we can have sahur
together.” Tc. Fari says. “I kept falling asleep at
the time, my children were the same as well.
Some even fell asleep as they were eating.”

But it is okay. Parents cannot give up and just

continue teaching your children on the proper
way to fast. I recommend making sure they go
to sleep early so that they can wake up early
for sahur.

3 During the month of

Ramadan : During Fasting

While the child you are teaching to fast is

fasting, try and make sure their younger
siblings do not eat or drink in front of them.
If they start complaining of feeling thirsty or
hungry, distract them by playing together
with them. If it is already nearing to Iftar, go
out with them to find food that they want to
eat to break fast with later.

Always remind them how proud Allah SWT, the Prophet

Muhammad s.a.w and you are of them for fasting until Maghrib.

26
4 During the month of
Ramadan : Iftar

Before it is time for Iftar, remind your

children that soon they will be able to
break their fast with their favourite
foods. Gently remind them to only take
enough food and try not to waste any
of it. Be sure to eat together with them.
This way the children can see that you
fasted together with them and that
they were not alone in the struggle.

30 days of
Nowadays there are plenty of games or Ramadan
learning tools on the market that parents
can use to encourage children to fast like
a fasting rewards chart. For each day they
are successful in fasting, give them a
reward like a sticker star. Maybe if you
can, promise them that if they collect a
certain amount of stars, they can get new
shoes for Raya Aidilfitri.

By being able to actually see their

accomplishments, it can become a
source of motivation for them to fast
more. This is only as a means of
teaching them fasting however, and to
be used only until they are used to
fasting.

27
All in all, the main benefits of teaching children to fast
as early as 5 years old are:

Being able to feel a sense of accomplishment and

achievement with their parents for completing
such a challenging task. The children will become
less stubborn and overall, become more patient.

Identifying themselves as a servant of Allah SWT

that will always follow His teachings as well as
Prophet Muhammad saw’s teachings. That despite
their hunger and desire to eat, they were able to
hold themselves back, all for the sake of attaining
Allah’s and Prophet Muhammad’s love for doing
the good deed.

Children are able to learn what it means to not be

able to have food like poor people do. This will
teach them to have a sense of empathy and even
for them to be kind to those less fortunate.

Finally, the children will also learn to be disciplined

as they were able to follow the appointed time to
sahur and iftar. They will be able to learn to control
themselves, not only their nafs but also learn to
follow rules as set for fasting like not being able to
eat before Maghrib.

28
Conclusion
In conclusion, preschool is not only a huge milestone for
the child but it is also one for parents. Leaving your child
at place that is not home for more than 2 hours, it is hard
for some parents. It is only natural to feel that way. Just
believe that you have done enough research in finding
the best school as well as preparing your child for their
first school.

Make du’a to Allah SWT that you have done

your best for your child and that you trust
Him the Protector to take care of your child
when you are not there.

Du’a for Children’s Protection

ُّ َّ �‫ا‬ َّ
َّ ِ�‫ات ا‬ َ ُ
َ ِ ‫�يذك َما ب�ل‬ ُ َ
�
ِ َ ‫ِن‬‫م‬ ‫ة‬
ِ ‫ام‬ ِ ‫م‬ ِ ِ ‫أ‬
َّ‫� َع� �مة‬ ُّ َ َّ ََ َ َ
ٍ ٍ ِ ‫ان وهام ٍة ومِن‬ ٍ ‫شيط‬
I seek protection for you in Perfect Words of Allah from
every devil and every beast, and from every envious
blameworthy eye.

29