ALIMKids Playgroup Melaka

Brainy Young Caliph!

2010-12-15T00:13:00.000-08:00

We are moving to another blog. Introducing BYC or Brainy Young Caliph.

http://byc.com.my

I believe you have seen the BYC logo everywhere on this blog before.
:)

You can get more info on ALIMKids Playgroup activities, Breastfeeding Events and Products, Khalifah Parenting and all you need to know about being WAHM!

Do share the with the others too.

Thanks in advance and meet you there!

I Can Hear

2010-12-12T23:50:00.000-08:00

Module One: Myself

Week Six: My sense of hearing

Khalifah theme: Thank You Allah I Can Hear

Date: 11th December 2010

Alhamdulillah, we have had our week 6 session last week. The theme was My Sense of Hearing where the kids learnt about the sounds.

In this session, they got to explore about sounds and things that make sounds. Teacher wawa brought plenty of things they could found at home and let them experimenting with the utensils and they sounds they made.

Kids were also taught about the difference of loud and soft.

In art and craft time, kids made their own pop out card. When the card is open, it will have a pop-out mouth/beak.

Riyaz love playing with scissor rather than making the card. Maybe someday, we should play with scissors and try to cut shapes in our session, right Riyaz? Of course, when you want to play with scissor, you need your mommy or daddy to help you with that.

And finally they were introduce with rythm stick. Unfortunately, teacher wawa's camera batteries gone flat and the camera died on her. :P

There are a lot of activities that we can do with rhythm sticks. Wooden rhythm sticks inspire children to move to a new beat and train them with their hearing skills.

Well, there are two more sessions left for module one. We are going to commence module 2 in January. Registration for new module is NOW open. Share this news with your friends and relatives so that they will not be missed out.

See you guys again next week. Till then take care, toodles.

Attendance list for week 6

2010-12-09T20:19:00.000-08:00

This is the list for week 6.

Please check the list and let me know if i missed anyone's name.

First session starts as 9.30 a.m. These are the young caliphs that will be in the first session:

1. Sufiah Hanum.
2. Zara Aliyah.
3. Nur Dhia Insyirah.
4. Danial Haziq.
5. Ariffah Aryana.
6. A'qila Izzara

7. Muhammad Faiq bin Mohd Fauzi

8. Muhammad Riyaz Zulkifli

9. Aleeya Husna bt Ahmad Amran

10. Muhammad Darwisy

11. Nabilah Fuaad

Unfortunately Ridhwan, Imran and Irfan won't be able to join us tomorrow. You are gonna be missed dearly.

Call me to book your spot.019 655 1980.

I can touch

2010-12-09T07:48:00.000-08:00

Module One: Myself

Week Five: I Can Touch

Khalifah theme: Thank You Allah I Can Touch

Date: 4th December 2010

Alhamdulillah, we have had our week 5 session last week. The theme was My Sense of Touch where the kids learnt about the touching and feeling.

Kids were also reminded about the two hands that Allah had given us to touch and feel the things around us. So we must always thank Allah for giving us hands.

During circle time, teacher wawa brought some textures cube to be touched and felt. They got to differentiate smooth or rough, big or small.

For arts and craft, the kids made their own catterpillar. Some made long catterpillar, while the other made short ones. Some even made hidden catterpillar. They sure had fun doing it.

The best part of the day was the parachute play. Everybody was excited when teacher wawa asked them to guess what was in the bag, and none got it correct. I bet if they were given an option, they would choose parachute play in every session.

:))

Insya Allah, this Saturday we will explore on Sound. Don't miss the fun!

Teacher wawa can't wait to meet you all again, young caliph.

Week 5: Attendance list

2010-11-30T22:55:00.000-08:00

This is the list for week 5.

Please check the list and let me know if i missed anyone's name.

First session starts as 9.30 a.m. These are the young caliphs that will be in the first session:

1. Sufiah Hanum.
2. Zara Aliyah.
3. Nur Dhia Insyirah.
4. Danial Haziq.
5. Imran Ariff Johan.
6. Ridhwan Johan.
7. Ariffah Aryana.
8. A'qila Izzara

9. Muhammad Faiq bin Mohd Fauzi

Second session will start at 11.00 a.m. These are the young caliph that will be in the 2nd group.

1. Muhammad Irfan Zakuan Ariff
2. Muhammad Riyaz Zulkifli
3. Nur Insyirah Humaira Nasruddin
4. Aleeya Husna bt Ahmad Amran
5. Nur Sarah Abdul Malek.

6. Muhammad Darwisy

7. Taqiia

8. Taqiia's brother :)

There are three spots left for trial. Call me to book your spot.019 655 1980.

:)

I Can Taste

2010-11-28T01:05:00.000-08:00

Module One: Myself

Week Four: I Can Taste

Khalifah theme: Thank You Allah I Can Taste

Date: 27th November 2010

warming up time

Alhamdulillah, we managed to complete week four session. In this session, kids learnt about their tongue and it's function which is to taste. They were also told that Allah created our tongue therefore we all should Thank Allah for such a special creation.

Yummy fruit kebab by the kids

The kids were introduced with taste like sweet and sour. And for craft time, they made their own fruit kebab. They used bamboo skewer and stick it through the fruits. Besides, they also made their own orange juice. Yummy!

Everybody having fun trying to walk, run, gallop, skip and side-skate

For movement session, they learnt about locomotor skills. Locomotor skills are the basic ways to move, the building blocks of coordination. By introducing the kids locomotor skills such as walk, hop, gallop, skate, tip-toe and run, you are helping the kids to stay active. These movements sounds easy, but they are hard for kids. ;)

Even Teacher Wawa was having hard time galloping. :))

Husna, Faiq, Hanum, Hamzah and Sawda played together.

As usual, kids will play together before they leave. Now that we are already in Week 4, they knew almost everybody and they get to learn to socialize and play together harmoniously. Great young caliph!

See you again next week, insya Allah.

My Feelings (Special Theme, Hajj!)

2010-11-21T14:55:00.000-08:00

Module One: Myself

Week Two: My Feelings

Khalifah theme: Thank you Allah for My Body

Special Theme: Hajj

Date: 13th November 2010

Alhamdulillah, we are done with week 3 theme My Feelings. The ALIMkids was introduced with their feelings such as happy, sad, excited, afraid and angry. They are taught to identify their feelings and emotions so that it will be easier for them to manage themselves.

How do you feel today?

Since we are also in the month of dhulhijja, the kids were taught about the months in Islam, which Dhulhijja is the final month in the Hijra calendar.

Hajj, Kaabah and sacrifices

The biggest celebration in Dhulhijja is Hajj. Thus, in circle time, they learnt about things to do during Hajj, Kaabah and sacrifices. For craft session, the made their own Kaabah Bookmark.

Kids with their Kaabah Bookmark

The kids got to play with ribbons to train their motor skills, along the Ribbons In The Air song. We definitely had so much fun though we missed a few friends e.f Riyaz who was sick, Hariz, Iffah, Darwish, Sarah and Insyirah whose parents had other commitments.

Ribbons In The Air

Hope to see you all again this Saturday. Insya Allah.

Week 4: Class is cancelled

2010-11-16T18:04:00.000-08:00

Assalamualaikum ALIMKids Parents and friends,

It's Eidul Adha today. I would like to wish you Eid Mubarak, Taqabalallahu Minna Wa Minkum (May Allah accept your (good works) and ours)

Husna on the left, with Umar showing their kaabah bookmark :)

It is also Husna's birthday according to the Hijri Calendar. Sanah Helwa Ya Husna. (Happy Birthday, Husna)

I decided to cancel the upcoming class after discussing with some parents because some of the parents could not send their kids to the playgroup session this coming Saturday.

I won't be fun when the class isn't full. Thus, 20th November class will be cancelled. However, class resume as usual on the 29th November 2010.

Labbaik Allaah Hoommaa Labbaik

Have a blessing eid and may it brings peace to us all.

Eid Mubarak.

Week 3: Attendance list

2010-11-08T15:32:00.001-08:00

This is the list for week 3.

Please check the list and let me know if i missed anyone's name.

First session starts as 9.30 a.m. These are the young caliphs that will be in the first session:

1. Sufiah Hanum.
2. Zara Aliyah.
3. Nur Dhia Insyirah.
4. Danial Haziq.
5. Imran Ariff Johan.
6. Ridhwan Johan.
7. Ariffah Aryana.
8. A'qila Izzara

9. Muhammad Faiq bin Mohd Fauzi

10. Afiq Izzuddin b. Fazly Salleh

6. Muhammad Darwisy

7. empty

8. empty

9. empty

10. empty

There are four spots left for trial. Call me to book your spot.

Why do kids need to know their emotions?

2010-11-08T01:30:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we feel good, and sometimes we feel bad. Both kinds of feelings are normal. Of course, we all enjoy good feelings. But when we don't like the way we are feeling, sometimes we don't know what to do about it.

Afraid?

That's why controlling emotions must be taught. It doesn't comes naturally. Even adults are having hard time managing their emotions. It is even harder for kids, don't you think so?

The reason is most likely that they are experiencing emotions that they cannot identify. They don't know how to process what they are feeling. And believe me, emotions can be sometimes frightening when you can't understand and control it.

As a parent, we are responsible for our children's physical safety and also their emotional health. To take care of their emotional health is by teaching them their emotions and feelings.

There are a few benefits by understanding your kids emotions such as:-

1. help them develop skills they need to navigate tricky emotional and psychosocial terrain as they grow.

2. enable them to identify and correct their emotions so that they mature into rational adults who can control the emotions of anger, jealousy.

3. lessen frustrations and improves communication between parents and kids.

One way to understand and identify feelings and emotions are by watching facial expressions.

There are a few researches that shows the benefits of being able to understand the facial expressions.

Good social skills may depend on the ability to decipher facial expressions, particularly expressions in the eye region (DeClerk and Bogart 2008).

Moreover, experiments suggest that people who are better at identifying fearful facial expressions are also more kind and generous towards others (Marsh et al 2007).

Reading facial expressions is not merely talent. It can be taught and guess what? We can start early.

So how do we teach our kids to identify and understand their emotions?

1. Introduce them about feelings such as angry, sad, happy, afraid, excited and etc. You may use flashcards, pictures from magazines, strorybooks or your own facial expressions to start with.

2. Use songs to help. "If you are happy and you know" song would help.

3. Play a Simon says type game using feelings. Instead of directing kids to clap their hands, direct them to show sadness, anger, happiness, fear and other emotions using their face and actions.

4. Avoid negative statements. There are no good or bad emotions.

5. Accept their feelings. Avoid moralizing, humiliating, denying, pitying and rescuing. People have a right to their own emotions.

6. Love them unconditionally.

After all, it is not enough to have bright, academically excellent kids at home. In this dog eats dog world, self-control and self-interpretation of emotions is crucial.

Equipped your kids with the necessary and strengthen them with solid islamic foundation.

Nip it in the bud is the best advice. Otherwise once the Muslim child develops undesirable habits and unethical values, it becomes extremely difficult to make the child into a good Muslim/Muslimah.

Insha Allah, with Allah's will and help, they'll be able to survive.

2010-11-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

Don't stop teaching your kids at walking. Teach your kids to skip, gallop, jump. hop, side-slide and leap too. These are locomotor skills which are important to help children build their confidence and competence – both in sport and in relation to theirgeneral feelings about their body.

It is definitely a fun, interesting and cheap activity to do with your kids in door or outdoor.

These are some tips to help children learn each locomotor skill:

Walking: Use smooth, straight steps with arms swinging gently in opposition of feet. Practice different kinds of walks: low with bent legs, high on tippy toes, fast like a robot, or slow like moving through honey.

Galloping: One foot is the leader, and the other foot follows behind. Don’t forget to do both sides! If you do this activity for long periods of time, it helps build up your child's heart health.

Jumping: With feet close together, push off with both feet and land on both feet. Can you make the landing quiet? How high can you jump? How many times in a row? This is a good time to try jumping rope.

Hopping: With one foot on the ground, push with toes. How fast can you hop? How slowly? Is one side harder than the other?

Side-sliding: Move sideways with one foot leading (a sideways gallop). Have your kid spread his or her arms wide and get some air in the middle of the slide.

Fitness for Kids - Sliding Exercises

Leaping: Go over an object leading with one foot and landing on the other.

Skipping: March with knees high; each time one knee is in the air, hop on the other foot — step/hop, step/hop, step/hop. Skipping helps increase foot speed and muscle coordination

source: greatschool.org

My Body is My Buddy

2010-11-01T20:22:00.000-07:00

Module One: Myself

Week One: My Body is My Buddy

Khalifah theme: Allah Makes My Body

Date: 30th October 2010

aren't they just sweet?

The kids had fun doing paper doll for the second week playgroup with the theme, My Body is My Buddy.

They learnt about their body, why and how to thank Allah, the Creator who creates their body, and also learn about wudhu' since wudhu' is the easiest and the closest action that relates to our body.

aqilla

faiq

husna

riyaz with his superman

sarah with angelina ballerina. see the legs.


dhia

We'll see again with week 3 on 13th November 2010. Take care kids.

Class in OFF for Deepavali Weekend.

2010-11-01T20:11:00.000-07:00

Just to inform that the playgroup is OFF for this weekend due to long Deepavali Weekend.

By the way, there are FOUR more empty spots for our sessions since there are a few young caliphs who could not make it for this module due to parents commitments.

Trial basis is allowed for RM25 per sessions. Contact me for more information on trial session.

:)

Kids In Home-Based Day Care Lack Physical Activity

2010-10-28T18:36:00.000-07:00


Watching tv all day?

I stumbled upon an article from The Kid's Doctor Blog on the lacking of Physical Activity in a Home-Based Day Care.

A researcher at Oregon State University surveyed about 300 home-based child-care providers who looked after children ages two to five. Though 78 percent offered more than an hour a day of active play, 41 percent said children sat for extended periods during the day, and two-thirds said the TV was on most of the day, the study found.

Another research shows that many tots watch tv for 32 hours a week (or more).

I feel sad to know the findings. There are many techonological devices for kids now. Although their cognition is sharpened once they watch tv or play computer games, it is also important to maintain an active body since one does nothing else but sit.

Engrossed with youtube

Thus through active play, children are able to improve their gross motor and fine motor skills, that will help grow healthy and strong.
These are a few activities that you can do with your kids indoor to encourage active play.

March! Let your tots to parade around the house. Give them pots, pans, plastic containers, and wooden spoons as musical instruments. They will love simple silly marching steps and cheers.
Blowing bubbles: Bubbles in bottles can be bought everywhere. You blow the bubble and let them chase. Who wouldn't love bubbles?
Dancing: Just put on your favourite tunes and dance along. :)

Active play is a cherished part of childhood that offers the children importantdevelopmental benefits and the opportunity to fullyengage with our children. So let's play!

Week 2: Kindly check this attendance list!

2010-10-28T04:44:00.000-07:00

This is the list for week 2.

Please check the list and let me know if i missed anyone's name.

First session starts as 9.30 a.m. These are the young caliphs that will be in the first session:

1. Sufiah Hanum.
2. Zara Aliyah.
3. Nur Dhia Insyirah.
4. Danial Haziq.
5. Imran Ariff Johan.
6. Ridhwan Johan.
7. Ariffah Aryana.
8. A'qila Izzara

9. Muhammad Faiq bin Mohd Fauzi

10. Afiq Izzuddin b. Fazly Salleh

Second session will start at 11.00 a.m. These are the young caliph that will be in the 2nd group.

1. Muhammad Irfan Zakuan Ariff
2. Muhammad Mua'dz
3. Muhammad Riyaz Zulkifli
4. Auni Insyirah Binti Muhammad Lukman Al Hakim.
5. Nur Insyirah Humaira Nasruddin
6. Aleeya Husna bt Ahmad Amran
7. Nur Sarah Abdul Malek.

8. Muhammad Darwisy

9. empty

10. empty

There are two spots left for trial. Call me to book your spot.

Kids, mark these dates ok!

2010-10-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

Assalamualaikum kids,

Do mark these dates and remind your mommy and daddy to come to our saturday playgroup ok.

Week 1: 23rd October 2010
Week 2: 30th October 2010
Week 3: 13th November 2010
Week 4: 20th November 2010
Week 5: 27th November 2010
Week 6: 4th December 2010
Week 7: 11th December 2010
Week 8: 18th December 2010

Module two will starts on 8th January 2010. Insya Allah.

Week 1: I am special

2010-10-25T05:45:00.000-07:00

Module One: Myself

Week One: I am special

Khalifah theme: Allah Makes Me Special

Date: 23rd October 2010

Module one theme is on Myself so kids are exposed to their body, body parts, senses and emotions.

Alhamdulillah, we are done with week one playgroup sessions. Enjoy the pictures taken by one of the parents (credits to www.lemprica.com). To all other mommies who have pictures of the week 1 session, do share with us as sharing is caring.

:)

Singing Mr. Alligator

Active play: Bean bags. Kids are curious, what's inside the bag?

Ridhwan tried to guess what was inside. Some were afraid to touch, because they thought i brought Mr. Alligator to the playgroup. Cute!

Dancing to the beanbag boogies.

What do we say..?

Zara Aliyah and Sufiah Hanum were having fun messing and coloring and expressing themselves with water colors.

Kids showing their Me Flags. Some explained what they did.

Singing!

Choo choo train to collect their stickers.

And salam before leaving, promise to meet again next week, insha Allah.

Next week class is as usual. However, the second session will start at 11 a.m. There are a few spots to be filled. To experience and appreciate the playgroup., please contact me to book your spot.

Hurry up!

Teaching your Preschool to Make Friends

2010-10-21T03:14:00.000-07:00

Preschool is the time when your child learns to explore and discover different things, and one of them is making friends. Preschool children are playful by nature and running and playing around with children at their age is what they enjoy doing the most.

It is best to teach your preschool how to make new friends because not only does it will make him happy having found new friends, but it will also develop his confidence and self-esteem. Keep in mind though that kids will always be kids, and don’t make this a very complicated task for him. Teach him to make this an innate trait that he will carry on as he grows old.

Start teaching your preschool to make friends with his classmates. This is a good training ground for him since he will interact with the other preschools on a daily basis.

Teach your preschool basic social skills such as making an eye contact when talking to someone, praising others, and calling his classmate by their names. Make it habit for him to greet everyone and say a simple “Hi or Good morning”.
Assure to your preschool that some children are just shy and it doesn’t mean that they are being unfriendly when they do not talk to him her.
Teach by example. Show your preschool how to approach, sit down and smile at the other child.
Explain to your preschool the importance of loyalty and that standing up for someone, when it’s right, will earn him a long lasting friendship.
Teach your preschool to be outgoing by involving him in extra curricular activities that encourage teamwork and cooperation such as team sports and theater activities. As much as possible avoid competitions.
Teach your preschool to make friends with everyone regardless of the “click” he’s in. Making friends with diverse group of people will train your child to adjust and get along with everyone else later on in his life.
It is also important to let your preschool know that not all his acquaintances will be his friends, but at the same time emphasize that he can still be friendly with all of them.
Be a great example to your preschool. Greet your guests warmly and be friendly when meeting new people. Your child will definitely learn more just by watching you rather than just listening you blab all day.

Let your preschool enjoy his childhood by encouraging him/her to make friends, lots of friends for that matter. Instill to your child that “No man is an Island” and having good friends will help him enjoy the things he does in life more.

source: http://www.mumcentre.com.my

The Khalifah Child

2010-10-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

Who is Khalifah?

We are all Khalifah of Allah. Allah makes us so special that he honors us with the ability to choose. He gave us free will. In our role as Khalifah of Allah we have the responsibility to use the free will given to us by Allah to continue His plan for Creation. Basically there are three things that we need to do as Khalifah on Earth.

1. Make ourselves good - to be a Muslim who obeys Allah’s injunctions.

2. Make a good society - establish a life for all that is based on Islam, and which gains Allah’s pleasure.

3. Make the physical world around us good - to be a garden paradise which will please Allah greatly.

Parents must help their children understand that it is a great honor and privilege for us to bechosen by Allah to be his representatives on earth.

Children must come to understand that true victory in life means success in defeating our wrong desires and overcoming the evil influence of Satan, who is always tempting us in our daily lives.

We can not afford to lose to Satan in the battle of good against evil; we must continually struggle against our earthly desires and want only what Allah has made right for us.

To do so, parents must fully understand the meaning of Khalifah.

For young children, they are to be told such things as:

* Before Allah made us He made everything else.
* Allah made the sun and the moon and the stars and our planet, Earth.
* Allah made the air we breathe and the water we drink.
* Allah made all of the plants and all of the animals.
* Allah made all of this so that when He made Adam (and all the other people) we would have a nice place to live.
* Allah took a real long time to make all this for us.
* Allah made us different from everything else.
* Allah made us special because He loves us so much.
* Allah made us special because He has a very important job he wants us to do.
* Allah made us His Khalifah, which means we are supposed to do some work for Him.
* Allah knows better than anyone what is good and what is bad.
* Allah wants us to learn from Him what is good and bad.
* Allah wants us to love the good things and not like the bad things.
* Allah wants each one of us to only do good things and never do bad things.
* Allah wants each one of us to help other people to know what is good and bad.
* Allah wants us to make our world beautiful.
* Allah wants parents to help their children learn what is good and bad.
* Allah wants kids to help other kids learn what is good and bad.
* We should be very happy Allah has blessed us with such an important job to do.
* Even if it might sometimes be hard work, it is going to be lots fun to be the Khalifah of Allah.
* If we work hard and do a good job as Allah’s Khalifah the world will keep getting to be a nicer place until it becomes like a paradise.

Visit this original source for better understanding.

Module One Is Commencing! (edited)

2010-10-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

Module one will commence on Saturday, 23rd October 2010. That is this weekend. I can't wait.

:)

The focus on session one will be I Am Special and the Khalifah Theme will be Allah Makes Us Special.

There will be two sessions which are 9.30 a.m session and 10.45 a.m session .

First session starts as 9.30 a.m. These are the young caliphs that will be in the first session:

1. Sufiah Hanum.
2. Zara Aliyah.
3. Nur Dhia Insyirah.

4. Danial Haziq.

5. Imran Ariff Johan.
6. Ridhwan Johan.
7. Ariffah Aryana.

8. A'qila Izzara

9. Muhammad Faiq bin Mohd Fauzi

10. Arief Zakwan Bin Zainudin

Second session will start at 10.45 a.m. These are the young caliph that will be in the 2nd group.

1. Muhammad Irfan Zakuan Ariff
2. Muhammad Mua'dz
3. Muhammad Riyaz Zulkifli
4. Auni Insyirah Binti Muhammad Lukman Al Hakim.
5. Nur Insyirah Humaira Nasruddin
6. Aleeya Husna bt Ahmad Amran
7. Siti Umairah Safwah
8. Muhammad Darwish bin Jihadi
9. Nur Sarah Abdul Malek.
10.Muhammad Danidarwisy Bin Kamaruddin

If you are coming and can't find your lil ones on the list, please let me know.

For parents who has yet to bring your child to our playgroup to experience and appreciate the playgroup. There is only a spot left for 2nd session slot. Contact me at 019 655 1980 before 5.00 pm, Friday, 22nd October 2010 so that i can book the spot for you.

All spots are taken.

Hope to see you and all the young caliphs there!

Insya Allah.

ALIMKids Preview and Open Day

2010-10-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

Alhamdulillah, Thanks to the Almighty for the opportunity to conduct the ALIMKids Playgroup Preview yesterday at Tadika Al-Fateh, Taman Tasik Utama, Air keroh.

I would say that i had so much fun meeting all young caliphs and lovely parents. These are some pictures that i managed to snap during the playgroup session.

There were two sessions held, one was from 9.30 am - 10.30 a.m, and the other session was from 11.00 a.m to 12.00 a.m.

Art Time!

Dr. Ashikin was helping lil Imran tracing his palm on the plate.

We support green world, so no polystrene used.

Boys just wanna have fun and make friends with each others.

What do we say? book on manners and akhlak

Alphabet recognition using phonic and song.

Ahmad Mikail, his brother and Haziq dancing to the Chicken Dance Song

Itsy Bitsy Spider, came up the water spout, yeah!

Head, shoulder, knees and toes. What a great way to get slim for mommies.

Nita, and her boys singing the Say Syahada song.

Husna paying attention.

Allah Makes Us, story time.

Telling the young caliphs that they are special.

Art time again, second session.

And more art.

Art teaches the children to expand their imagination, sharpen their cognitive skills, develop their creative abilities, problem solving, fine motor skills and many more.

These pictures, of course, did not do justice to the real experience of what really happen on the playgroup session.So you are welcome to bring your child to the playgroup.

2 spots left for the 1st session and 3 spots for the 2nd session for module 1. Hurry and grab this chance.

Actual class will commence on 23rd October 2010 at Tadika Al-Fateh, Taman Tasik Utama, Air Keroh.

Please contact me for trial session (019 655 1980).

note: although the pictures aren't watermarked, please link back or give credit to this blog. thanks.

Change of venue

2010-10-07T01:22:00.000-07:00

I am sorry to inform that the venue of ALIMKids Playgroup Melaka has been changed from Kompleks Niaga Bukit Katil to Tadika Al-Fateh (or also known as littlecaliph).

The NEW address is as follows:

Tadika Al-Fateh,

No. 22, Jalan TU 37,

Taman Tasik Utama,

75450 Ayer Keroh,

Melaka.

Please call me (019-6551980) or Sis Nabihah (019-3801920) if you could not find the location.

I am truly, deeply, sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Calling all parents!

2010-10-05T12:24:00.001-07:00

ALIMKids Playgroup Melaka:

Dear parents, i have sent the email about the trial session today.
Please check your email and should you cannot make it on the given time, do
contact me (019 655 1980) so that we can do something about it.

By the way, there are 2 spots left for the FREE preview. Book your place now.

And i am calling for Puan Amira and Puan Suria, i cannot get your number from my old phone. Really hope that you can contact me to claim your spot.

Trial Session is ON this weekend

2010-10-04T02:00:00.000-07:00

There is a saying that says, "Time flies when you are having fun". I hope everyone has a great Raya celebration. For me, it has been such a hectic month.

Anyway, Syawal is nearing it's end and Zulkaedah is coming, and will be followed by Zulhijjah: The month of Hajj, Eidul Adha, and Sacrifice.

I really can't wait! That's another celebration.

By the way, the ALIMKids Playgroup trial session is ON this week. There will be two sessions which are 9.30 a.m session and 11.00 a.m session. I will send an email to everybody who had pre-registered their kids in regards of the sessions. This is to ensure that the each sessions is not too crowded.

Unfortunately, I cannot retrieve the numbers from my phone because it died on me. Therefore, i might not be able to contact some mothers regarding the ALIMKids Trial Session. I will start sending the confirmation email tomorrow. If you do not receive the email, pls call or send me an sms to confirm your attendance.
To other parents, there are a few spots left for the FREE trial session. Contact us to claim your place.

Click here to know where is the location of our playgroup or to pre-register your kids.

See you there, insha Allah.

note: credit to ALIMKids Playgroup HQ (USJ) for all pictures.

ALIMKids Playgroup Will Be In Melaka SOON!

2010-09-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

Salam,
Good news for orang MELAKA! Insya Allah, ALIMKids Playgroup will be at Ayer Keroh, Melaka soon.

Please contact sis Noor Azurah at 019-655.1980 if you are interested to join or email her at noor.azurah@gmail.com."

yes, i am azurah.

So dear friends, i am going to start the ALIMKids Playgroup in Melaka after raya, insya Allah. Most probably will be in MITC area (or nearby) since weekend mudah sikit pergi Ayer Keroh, lepas bawa anak join playgroup boleh shopping-shopping di Mydin, then pergi lunch and then pergi mandi-manda kat melaka wetworld and etc. (Updated: Playgroup session will be held in Qiraati Nurul Hidayah, Kompleks Niaga Bukit Katil)

:)

What is ALIMKids Playgroup?

A "play and learn" playgroup program for children ages 2 to 4 years old, with carefully designed set of lesson plans to develop healthy, physically fit, intelligent and competent Muslim chlidren.

What is a playgroup?

Gives children an opportunity to have fun, make new friends and develop new skills through informal play.
Provides parents and carers with an opportunity to meet other parents and carers, make friends, and share ideas and experiences.
Allows parents and carers to spend quality time with their children, encouraging, helping or simply playing with their children.

Why Alimkids Playgroup?

Provide an integrated complete playground curriculum for children ages 2 to 4 years old. - 1 hour only on every weekends.
Carefully designed set of lesson plans to develop healthy, physically fit, intellectual and competent Muslim children.
the program comprises of both whole language (thematic approach) and phonics (early literacy) using resources relating to Islam
Instilling in the children Oneness of God in early concept of Tauhid.
Cleanliness in Fiqh
Stories from the Quran in Sirah.
Simple Daily Du'a.

Initially, i've been looking for kids playgroup since Umar was smaller, but most programmes are in KL. And after a while i think, why don't i start operating it in Melaka so that my other friends will benefit from such programme too.

And what's more interesting? It is not any ordinary playgroup, it is an islamic content playgroup, conducted in english.

So here we are.

Well, keep watching this space, i'll keep you updated.

And don't hesitate to contact me if you are interested.

Why parents should be along with the kids during playgroup session?

2010-09-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

Pictures taken from http://littlemelor.com,

a mother who sends her daughter to AlimKids Playgroup @ MLO, Seri Kembangan

Most of us are working thus leaving us with lesser time to really know our children. Even if a mother is a stay at home mom, how much time do you really spend INDIVIDUALLY with your child?

Maybe if we have only one child, we would still be able to devote our quality time during weekend with him/her. But what if a parent has more than a child?

Often times i find it's hard to understand my children individually. Thus, we tend to treat them equally. But the fact is that, each of them should be approached differently.

Pictures taken from http://littlemelor.com,

a mother who sends her daughter to AlimKids Playgroup @ MLO, Seri Kembangan

We are not only allowing parents (preferably mom) to join the session. In fact, we really encourage parents to get involved in all aspects of the class. A child's parent is their first and most important teacher. If a child sees that the parent does not seem to be enjoying the session, then most likely the child will not enjoy it either.

Parents will get to see the other side of your child and get to bond with them, individually, where you do not have the chance to do so at home when other siblings are around. You too will be able to observe and learn about your child's development and developmental needs. Beside that, you'll learn first hand how other children are similar or different than your own child -- in temperament and development.

Insya Allah, playgroups are as much fun for the parents as they are for the children. Parents learn the importance of interacting with their child and many times the children get to experiment with things they may not have at home.

That's why, i believe that parents should be with their kids during the playgroup session. So, will i be seeing you there?

Why is ALIMKids playgroup session short?

2010-09-21T06:11:00.000-07:00

I have been asked the same question over and over again on the same matter,

"1-hour per session only? Why is the session so short?"

Well, these are why ALIMKids playgroup is a 1-hour session.

1.Toddlers have extremely short attention spans and often get restless, cranky and display disruptive behaviors if they have to spend too much time in the same place.

2. Toddlers normally have no concept of time. Toddlers' typically short attention spans can be explained by the countless fascinating distractions they encounter in a single hour. There is too much to do and not enough time to do it, but your toddler does not know that. Unlike us, he/she has no concept of time. The few minutes that he/she spends on any one activity are always just enough.

2. Playing is tiring, and it's better to stop while everyone is still fresh than to wait until energy, and patience, are in shorter supply.

3. There is little to be gained by sticking it out. It’s more important that the toddler have a good time while they are there. This is better than trying to make the experience last. When he/she is ready, he’ll/she'll be able to stay longer.

You might be surprise to find out that you struggle to keep your child to stay focus and sit still during the entire "short 1-hour session".

However, don't worry— toddlers' attention spans will get longer as they grow up.

Raising Our Future Generations: A Solid Foundation

2010-09-20T23:32:00.000-07:00

I found an article on how to raise the future generations age by age. And this one is on raising kids ages Two to Five years old.

A good article to be read written by Sheikh Younus Kathrada.

Click http://www.almadinahacademy.com to get more articles on the same issue.

By the time your child is two years of age, he/she is likely speaking or beginning to speak a great deal. In addition, they will begin understanding things much more than prior to this time. Obviously, the older they get, the better their understanding and the more their questions will be. It is important that parents communicate with their children; make sure to listen, talk to them and address their questions.

I cannot emphasize enough how one needs to lead/teach by example. So besides practicing what you preach, be sure to teach the child du’aas in the manner we previously discussed. However, you now need to step things up a notch. Start teaching them our ‘aqeedah (belief system) in a slightly more “formal” way. For example, when you see beautiful trees, ask your child, “Who made these?” The same with the sky, the mountains etc… When it snows or rains, ask the child who caused it to snow and rain and so forth. When eating, ask who provided us with the food and make them understand why we say bismillaah and alhamdulillaah when we begin eating and finish eating respectively. If you teach your child these matters from an early age, you are providing them with a solid foundation.

When you find that your child is learning to read, make it a priority to teach them the Arabic alphabet along with the alphabet of the language they use in their daily lives. Don’t think it is overburdening your child. Children are capable of quite a bit that we are not aware of. Just as you buy alphabet blocks and other educational materials for your child to learn English (for example), spend on materials through which they can learn to read Arabic. The primary goal behind this is of course to enable them to read Quraan. Imagine, by doing so you will receive similar rewards to what they earn every time they recite Quraan. In the event you are not able to teach your child Arabic (here I mean to read Arabic), then do your best to find them a teacher/tutor; it is one of the best investments you will ever make. In addition to teaching your child to read Quraan, do what you can to assist them in memorizing portions of it as well. Early on you can have them memorize simple soorahs; teach them al-Faatihah, al-Ikhlaas and the last few soorahs of the Quraan and slowly add to that. To help them, let them listen to these soorahs being recited on recordings; and perhaps if they hear them in childrens’ voices they will be encouraged to learn more. As a matter of fact, you may find video clips on the internet of young children reciting Quraan; expose your child to these so they can be further encouraged.

Children love stories. Before they learn to read, they love being read to and told stories. Alhamdulillaah, for us English speakers, there are now many kids’ books available in good and simple English that we can read to our kids and eventually have our kids read for themselves. Be keen to make these books available to your children either by purchasing them or borrowing them from your local Islaamic Library (at the Masjid, Islaamic Center or Muslim School). And here let me suggest that if these materials are not available at our mosques, centers and schools, then you as a concerned parent should make an effort to have these made available. Either you can purchase them and donate them to the institution or find people who will get together and do so. Don’t expect those running these institutions to think of everything. As well, television and DVDs are a part of everyday life and are close to impossible to avoid. Living with that reality, look for materials prepared by Muslims for Muslims through which your child can learn matters of their deen (religion). Let me also point out here that just because books and other materials are given “Islaamic” names, they aren’t necessarily appropriate nor good. Therefore, as you would do with any other book or DVD, screen it to make certain that it is acceptable for your child. In the case of Islaamic literature, look for materials which do not promote innovations and which rely on authentic sources for the subjects presented. Encourage your child to read and learn as much as they can about Islaam while instilling in them the importance of practicing what they learn.

Super heroes are a big thing for kids. They look for heroes and role models. As stated previously you, the Mom and Dad, are your child’s first role model and hero. But as they grow, they look for others as well. Before they get hooked on Superman and others, teach them about the Prophets, the Sahaabah and other great Muslim personalities. Tell them true stories of bravery and heroism from the lives of these genuine heroes so they aspire to be like them. Wouldn’t you rather that your child want to be like Khalid ibn al Waleed or Salahud-Din al Ayyoubi or Sumayyah or Khadijah bint Khuwaylid than Batman or a Power Ranger or Batwoman or Hanna Montana? Many of us neglect this aspect and it’s high time we pay attention to it.

Once again, I must emphasize the importance of finding (good) Muslim friends for our children. Besides what we mentioned from the hikmah (wisdom) behind this in our last article, it is also a practical means of teaching our children al Walaa wal Baraa (loyalty and disavowal) and al Hubb wal Bughdh fillaah (love and hate for the sake of Allaah). From early on our children need to be made aware of who is good and who is evil, but they also need to know why. Therefore, when seeking out friends, make mention of the fact that so and so is good because they are Muslim and they love Allaah and Allaah loves them. Point out how they also read Quraan and pray Salaah whereas so and so (a non-Muslim) does not do those things. This may seem “extreme” to some, but it is far from that. It is one of the most effective ways of protecting our children from bad influences, raising them to feel they are special and that they have ‘izzah (honour). They need to be taught not to associate too closely with non Muslims, but at the same time, if they are just running around with them at the park or playing ball with them, we should not prevent this unless there is a good reason for it. From this you understand then that if you are going to allow your child to play with a non Muslim child, then make certain it is under your supervision. The intelligent know very well why I say this.

Although salaah, fasting, hijaab and such matters are not compulsory on children yet, it doesn’t mean we should not teach them these matters and encourage them. From an early age you will notice your child imitating you while you pray. Show them how pleased you are with that; this may be in the form of a huge hug, a gift, or a simple thumbs up. Acknowledge what they are doing and praise them for it. The same goes for your little daughter who wants to cover up (put on hijaab) to imitate her mother; encourage it and praise that type of behavior. And regarding little girls, by the time they reach five, you should start making certain that you dress them modestly. I’m not saying to put them in hijaab from this age, however, be selective of the clothing you dress them in. With regards to fasting, your child will want to fast with you in Ramadhaan. Don’t prevent them! I hear many parents saying they fear for their child's health and that’s why they discourage them from fasting. I recommend that if a child wants to do it, let them. Of course you are not going to be strict and insist that they abstain from food and drink all day; rather, when they feel hungry or thirsty and ask for something, give it to them. Likely the child will eat and say they want to fast again. Accept that and allow it as it makes the child feel good. Soon you’ll notice that your child even manages to fast an entire day. At that point you’ll make a big deal out of it and reward your child for the amazing achievement.

These early years are extremely important and as a parent you need to make certain that your child has a solid foundation to build upon. In our next article we’ll continue looking at the child until he/she reaches ten years of age Inshaa Allaah.

Bermain adalah fitrah anak-anak

2010-09-19T00:52:00.000-07:00

Hari ini saya ada membaca satu hasil kajian yang sangat menarik berhubung dengan Perlaksanaan Aktiviti Belajar Melalui Bermain Di Tadika-Tadika Kawasan Melaka Tengah. Kajian ini dilaksanakan oleh Puan Saayah Bt. Abu daripada Jabatan Ilmu Pendidikan, Maktab Perguruan Islam.

Saya kira kajian beliau sangat relevan dan bagus sekali kerana aktiviti bermain adalah sangat penting kepada kanak-kanak, walau bagaimanapun seringkali dipandang sepi atau diabaikan oleh ibu bapa dan penjaga.

Berikut adalah pernyataan masalah bagi kajian tersebut.

Bagi kanak-kanak ‘main’ merupakan aktiviti di dalam kehidupan seharian mereka. Melalui aktiviti bermain kanak-kanak belajar berkenaan diri dan alam persekitarannya.

Malangnya ibu bapa dan orang-orang dewasa yang mempunyai sedikit atau tiada pengetahuan dan kefahaman tentang konsep ini menganggap ‘main’ tidak mendatangkan faedah dan hanya membuang masa dan tenaga sahaja. Guru-guru harus peka dan memahami pelbagai nilai main yang boleh menyumbang ke arah perkembangan kanak-kanak secara total dan menyeluruh dari aspek mental, fizikal, sosial dan emosi terutama bagi mereka yang berumur di antara 4 – 6 tahun.

Menurut Vygotsky, (1966), main merupakan satu cara kanak-kanak belajar apa yang tidak boleh diajar oleh orang lain. Mereka juga suka mencari dan mendapatkan maklumat dari diri mereka dan alam sekeliling. Mereka belajar dari tindakan mereka sendiri. Kanak-kanak juga suka mengikut contoh orang dewasa.

Satu daripada strategi yang sesuai dalam pembelajaran kanak-kanak ialah belajar melalui bermain .

Klik sini untuk membaca keseluruhan hasil kajian projek beliau.

Menyedari hakikat ini, ALIMKids Playgroup menyediakan satu platform bagi kanak-kanak untuk bermain secara berstruktur.

Dan yang paling menarik sekali, ibu (atau bapa) digalakkan untuk bersama dengan anak-anak semasa sesi playgroup ini bagi membantu dan mengenali personaliti anak tersebut secara individu.

Sertailah kami di ALIMKids Playgroup Melaka. Sesi pengenalan akan diadakan pada bulan Oktober.

Eid Mubarak

2010-09-16T05:40:00.000-07:00

Salam all,

i hope it is not too late to wish you all eid mubarak.

i have been busy with the kids and visitors to our house. People said that, the more the merrier. I think the same way too.

By the way, have you seen our banner at the junction to Taman Tasik Utama? Our pre-registration for October intake is still open. Trial session will be held on the 9th of October 2010 in Qiraati Nurul Hidayah, Kompleks Niaga Bukit Katil.

Do come and and bring your 2-4 year-old to experience our playgroup session.

I will update more on the trial session once everything is confirmed and finalised.

Tabakallahu Minna Wa Minkum (May Allah accept it from us and you)!

Sing-A-Song Session

2010-09-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

This is a video of the sing-a-song session held in ALIMKids Playgroup USJ Taipan handled by Teacher Rahmah.

My kids are loving it and they still sing the songs in the car, at home, basically everywhere.

I bet your kids will love the sing-a-song sessions too.

Please fill this pre-registration form, and we will come back to you

2010-09-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

Know your 4-year-old kid

2010-08-31T07:49:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting article from NNCC (National Network And Child Care, USA) on Ages and Stages.

Now, let's us know our 4-year-old children better so that we will be able to understand them and provide them with the necessary.

"Energetic" and "imaginative" best describe the 4-year-old.

Often impatient and silly, they discover humor and spend a great deal of time being silly and telling you "jokes."

A 4-year-old's language may range from silly words such as "batty-watty" to profanity. Loud, boisterous laughter may accompany such language.

Imagination suddenly becomes greater than life for the 4-year-old, who often confuses reality and "make-believe." Wild stories and exaggerations are common.

Four-year-olds feel good about the things they can do, show self-confidence, and are willing to try new adventures. They race up and down stairs or around corners, dash on tricycles or scooters, and pull wagons at full tilt.

You still need to watch them closely as they cannot estimate their own abilities accurately and are capable of trying some outlandish and dangerous tricks.

And these are some ideas for caregivers:

IDEAS FOR CAREGIVERS

Read aloud each day and encourage children to look at books on their own. Provide alternative reading material with a collection of outdated coupons, junk mail, newspaper ads, and old cereal boxes.
Say nursery rhymes and fingerplays together. Encourage 4-year-olds to tell stories to younger children.
Encourage interest in writing and words. Provide children with paper and notebooks for writing. Print letters and numerals on art work, and label toy shelves with pictures and words that describe objects.
Provide a variety of art experiences. Make play dough. Create collages from magazine pictures, fabric, wallpaper, and newsprint. Encourage children to experiment with new media like wire and cork, soda straws, string, or yarn. Teach children to mix different colors with paint.
Teach important number and space concepts. Sort and count everything in sight, like silverware, socks, rocks, leaves, etc. Talk about things being in, on, under, behind, beside, before and after, larger than, too far, etc.
Teach children the correct use of the telephone.
Four-year-olds have a strong need to feel important and worthwhile. Praise accomplishments, and provide opportunities to experience freedom and independence.
Teach the use of landmarks to find their way around your neighborhood.
Encourage physical development. Play follow the leader. Pretend to walk like various animals. Set up an obstacle course indoors with challenges such as crawling, climbing, leaping, balancing, and running across stepping stones. Encourage walking with a beanbag on the head.
Promote respect for life and living things by letting them help you build a bird feeder and hang it up. Record the kinds of birds observed, and teach them to identify birds by significant characteristics like the red male and green female cardinals, the black caps and white cheeks of the chickadee.
Encourage 4-year-olds to help you plan and plant a garden. They will love to water plants daily and will enjoy measuring plant growth.
Encourage multicultural awareness through representative dolls, puppets, pictures, and books. Encourage cultural aspects of all the families, and learn recipes, songs, and information about cultural celebrations.
Expand dramatic play by providing a variety of props for themes like grocery store, pizza parlour, birthday party, and firefighter.

Read the source more to know the details of the intellectual, physical, social and emotional development.

Parachute Play

2010-08-29T15:36:00.003-07:00

You want an inexpensive toy for your kids? You want to enhance their creativity and imagination and yet you have no idea on what to do?

Well, opt for parachute play. In one of the ALIMKids Playgroup component, we let the kids play the parachute play.

Active Play

Vigorous activities for the children where they can run, jump, roll, romp and balance. They also get to play with props such as balls, bean bags, parachute play and ribbon streamers.

Parachute Play in Action:

Benefits of Parachute Play:

* Encourages cooperation - Strengthens upper torso
* Non-competitive - Differing abilities are non-issue
* Refines perceptual skills - Reinforces turn-taking/ sharing
* Develops a sense of rhythm - Requires following directions
* Promotes social interaction - Enhances language development

Other than that, parachutes are a great addition to any game session as it can be used to teach teamwork, cooperation, strength, agility, body movements, coordination, and endurance. It encourages positive cooperative group experiences. Any group six to forty can play.

In parachute games the focus is on playing and not winning. Enjoying the moment and the time spent together in joyous activity. There are competitive games but the players are having such a wonderful time, they simply want to get on to the next round. In parachute play everybody wins.

Playing is fun, should be fun and stress free for everybody.

source:

1.http://www.squidoo.com
2. http://www.naturalphysiques.com
3. http://www.childcarelounge.com

Khalifah Method: Tips 1

2010-08-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

Apakah itu Khalifah Method?

Menurut articlesbase.com dan juga blog Puan Sharena (http://acespiretribe.wordpress.com), pengajaran menggunakan Khalifah Method adalah berdasarkan kepada tiga formula ini,

1. Mengajar anak-anak kefahaman dan kecintaan terhadap peranan serta tanggungjawab mereka sebagai Khalifah Allah.

"Dalam Surah Al Baqarah, ayat 30 ‘Dan ketika Tuhanmu berfirman kepada para malaikat;
“Aku hendak menjadikan khalifah di muka bumi”

Istilah khalifah ini bermaksud ‘wakil yang dipertanggungjawabkan mentadbir bagi pihak Raja/ Ketua’."

2. Memberikan kasih sayang, puji-pujian dan ganjaran bagi setiap perbuatan baik yang mereka lakukan dan karektor baik yang dipamerkan.

3. Meletakkan batasan yang munasabah serta melaksanakan batasan-batasan itu dengan konsisten melalui cara tegas tetapi berhikmah (Kind dicipline)

Maka, di ALIMKids Playgroup, kami percaya yang anak-anak kecil ini boleh mula dididik menggunakan acuan ini.

Khalifah method is used in all lessons.

Disini, anak-anak

diperkenalkan dengan Allah Yang Esa dan Nabi Muhammad s.a.w sebagai pesuruhNya.
dibiasakan dengan kalimah permulaan "Bismillah", kalimah syukur "Alhamdulillah" dan banyak lagi.
penerapan nilai-nilai murni seperti kasih-sayang sesama keluarga dan rakan, serta mensyukuri segala nikmat tuhan seperti anggota badan (modul 1), nikmat deria (modul 2) dll.

Walau bagaimanapun, khalifah method ini tidak akan berpanjangan kesannya jika ia hanya digunakan dan diamalkan di ALIMKids Playgroup (atau taska, tadika, sekolah-sekolah yang menggunapakai kaedah ini).

Satu tips daripada Puan Sharena Abdullah (Trainer Khalifah Institute) yang saya dapat secara langsung daripadanya,

"Ingin saya berkongsi tip saya untuk penyerapan Khalifah Method yang berkesan: mula gunakan untuk diri sendiri dahulu!

Asas Khalifah Method ini berpandukan firman Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala yang meningatkan bahawa setiap kita adalah seorang khalifah. Apabila kita, sebagai ibubapa, mula percaya kita adalah khalifah dan start to think, talk and behave as khalifah, then it becomes easier for your children to understand who a khalifah is and what it means to be a khalifah. Please remember that children don't understand and begin to mistrust parents who practice double standards.

This is one example that happened to me.
Mummy, 'Adam, Daniel. Have you done your prayers?'
Adam answered, 'Have you done yours, mummy?'
Mungkin jawapan Adam ini sukar diterima oleh kebanyakan ibubapa tetapi ia sangat rasional dan berpatutan jika anak itu di besarkan memahami konsep 'Ammar Ma'aruf, Nahi Mungkar'. Allah knows Best"

Semoga kita sama-sama mendapat faedah daripada tips beliau.

And may Allah bless us all.

:)

Early Childhood Growth Chart

2010-08-15T07:28:00.000-07:00

What Many Children Do In Language

Toddlers	18 to 24 months	Toddlers put two or more words together to make short sentences like "want juice" or "car go." Toddlers learn new words quickly. They can copy adult sounds, words, and motions. Toddlers ask and answer simple questions. They can use crayons and markers for scribbling.	If your 20-month-old cannot follow simple request, such as, "Come to Daddy." If your 24-month-old does not use two words together.
Toddlers	24 to 36 months	Older toddlers listen to stories being read. They like to play pretend games. They love asking "why" questions. They use "no" and "not" a lot. Toddlers enjoy looking at picture books, turning pages, and naming objects they see. Their scribbling is becoming more like writing.	If your 2-year-old does not ask questions or respond to simple questions with "yes" or "no."
Preschoolers	3 to 4 years	Young preschoolers make comments and requests, and tell others what to do. They can talk about things that happened and make up stories. They listen attentively to stories and retell stories themselves. They enjoy books that tell about real things as well as make-believe. They may revert to toddler behavior when feeling upset or shy. They make shapes such as circles and squares and pretend to write the way they have seen adults write.	If your 3-to-4-year-old does not use language freely, experiment with verbal sounds, and begin to use language to solve problems and learn concepts.
	4 to 5 years	Preschoolers know the names and sex of family members and other personal information. They play with words and make up silly words and stories. They are beginning to draw figures that represent people, animals, and objects. They understand that pictures, numbers, words, and letters are symbols of real things and ideas. They "write" as a way to tell stories and offer information. They enjoy "reading" on their own. They may recognize a few words such as their name or words on signs.	If your child is embarrassed and disturbed by his or speech, or if you or your child's caregiver have concerns about your child's language skills.

Remember, every child is different and the development may vary. :)

source: http://www.kidsource.com/Kidsource/content4/growth.chart/page1.html

Toddlers: learning by playing

2010-08-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

I found an article on why it is important to toddlers to get active. It is because they will learn a lot while playing and being active. Read the article if you want to know more about it.

:)

Encourage Activity

It might look like just child's play, but toddlers are hard at work learning important physical skills as they gain muscle control, balance, and coordination. Each new skill lets them progress to the next one, building on a foundation that leads to more complicated physical tasks, such as jumping rope, kicking a ball on the run, or turning a cartwheel.

Toddlers always want to do more, which can motivate them to keep trying until they acquire a new skill, no matter what it takes.

Take advantage of your toddler's natural desire to keep moving. Even at this early age, kids establish patterns of activity that carry through the rest of childhood. So an active toddler is likely to remain active later.

Developing Skills

Playing and learning are completely natural for toddlers, so mastering the skills below should be fun and games for them. Parents should give toddlers many opportunities to practice their developing skills while providing supervision so they stay safe while they learn.

In addition to these physical accomplishments, toddlers are developing in other ways. Provide opportunities for yours to explore, ask questions, use his or her imagination, and practice fine motor skills, such as stacking blocks or coloring.

Older Toddler Skills (24-36 months)

balances 1 to 2 seconds on one foot
climbs well
bends over easily without falling
runs well
kicks ball forward
both feet on step, up and down stairs
starts to pedal tricycle
throws ball over head

How Much Activity Is Enough?

For children 12-36 months old, current National Association for Sports and Physical Education (NASPE) guidelines recommend this much daily activity:

at least 30 minutes of structured physical activity (adult-led)
at least 60 minutes unstructured physical activity (free play)

As a general rule, toddlers shouldn't be inactive for more than 1 hour at a time, except for sleeping. That's a lot of work for parents and caregivers, but a lot of much-needed activity for toddlers.
Encourage your toddler to be active, and remember how much he or she is learning along the way.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: May 2008

Early Letter Recognition

2010-08-05T23:22:00.000-07:00

In ALIMKids Playgroup,one of the components is early alphabet/letter recognition. Although a 2-4 year-old kid might be too young to learn and memorize the letters, but teaching a child about letters before he attends school will give him an advantage as he already understand the concepts that are being taught. It will also enable them to read earlier and may have more interest in books.

Learning to read starts in the beginning with learning to recognize each individual letter. This is a process that can take anywhere from a couple of months to years to master, depending on the age of the child, the time spent on teaching the letters and the individual child's aptitude toward visual learning.

Significance

Until letters can be recognized by sight, a child cannot add several letters together to build words or add words together to build sentences. This can take a great deal of work in order for a child to remember each individual letter. This process often begins at home with letter cards or by pointing out individual letters in books. Preschools and kindergarten classrooms employ several tools to teach visual letter recognition, including flash cards, puzzles and letter art.

Function

After a child can recognize the letters and has no trouble with visual cues for each letter, the next step is for the child to recognize the letters by their sound. This means that saying the sound will make the child think of the letter and seeing the letter will make the child remember the sound. To do this requires both saying the sound of each letter out loud and requiring the child to say the letter sounds. The child may not be able to make each of the sounds, but attempting the action is an important learning tool for many children.

Identification

There are a number of computer programs that display letters for children to learn and can even enunciate each letter correctly. Some websites also have resources for teaching letter recognition. Literacycenter.net has pages of large, colorful letters that are displayed as a voice speaks the name of each letter. This allows children to learn at their own pace and allows them to hear the name of the letter clearly.

You may want to read an article on Early Letter Recognition By Lizz Shepherd, eHow Contributing Writer to know more about this idea.

Playgroups—An Alternative to Preschool or Child Care

2010-08-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

by Bettye M. Caldwell, Ph.D.
Professor of Pediatrics in Child Development and Education

Many parents do not want their young children to be in group programs—either preschool or child care—that keep the children away from home for long hours, perhaps 20 to 40 hours a week. They worry that so much time away from the mother and father will dilute the impact of parental teaching and draw the children away from parental values. (Actually, there is very little evidence that any such thing happens, as almost all the research on child care shows that its influence on the development of children is minimal compared to the influence of the parents.) At the same time, they read and hear that the early years are critical for brain growth and for the development of pre-literacy skills, and fear they cannot provide the full array of learning opportunities found in a high-quality educare program. This raises their anxiety level about whether they can give their children the ingredients needed for development and still keep them at home most of the time.

Fortunately it doesn't have to be either/or, preschool or home. There is a middle ground which can happily meet parental needs for keeping their children at home most of the time and, at the same time, fulfill the children's needs to spend time with their peers and learn to function effectively in a group setting. This middle ground is usually referred to as the Playgroup Movement, and the groups established within it are called simply Playgroups.

What are Playgroups?

There is no one formula for a playgroup, and you may want either to find or found one to meet your needs. In general, they can be defined as follows: Playgroups are relatively informal groups of young children (close to one another in age) and their mothers (or fathers) who meet on a regular basis to allow the children to socialize with one another, to have a good time, and to learn through play.

They may meet once a week, two-five times a week, or maybe only once or twice a month. Parents may be required to remain with the children, or they may take advantage of the playgroup period to do activities of their own choosing. Sometimes, parent discussion groups take place while the children are active in the playgroup. The groups may meet in the homes of participants on a rotating basis, or they may meet in a public place such as a church or a YWCA building. The participating parents may take turns as group leaders, or they may hire a professional to play and lead the activities. If the latter, you will have to arrange for an appropriate fee for the person you hire, and someone will have to handle checks for payment and possibly tax and Social Security withholding. If parents take turns supervising and conducting the group, the only expense may be for juice and cookies and toy purchase and replacement.

What Do You Need for a Playgroup?

You need at least four things:

1. A group of like-minded mothers or fathers with children of similar ages to your own. 2. A place to meet that has a good-size playroom, plus outdoor space for active play.3. A pretty good idea of the developmental needs and skills of children of the ages that will be in your group.4. An assortment of toys and learning materials that will interest and stimulate the children.

source: http://www.fisher-price.com/

Di ALIMKids playgroup, setiap sesi dikendalikan oleh guru yang terlatih untuk mengendalikan playgroup. Tempoh masa selama 1 jam setiap sesi nampak singkat tetapi itulah tempoh yang sesuai untuk anak-anak berusia 2-4 tahun bermain dan belajar. Lebih lama dari itu, mereka akan hilang fokus dan konsentrasi.

Marilah sertai kami di ALIMKids Melaka. Sesi Percubaan akan diadakan pada bulan Oktober. Email kami untuk pra-pendaftaran.

Benefits of Messy Play

2010-07-30T07:01:00.000-07:00

credit: http://ceritacherita.blogspot.com

by Patricia Hughes

For adults, messy play can be a lot of work and feel stressful. However, there are many benefits to messy play. Early childhood education experts say that play is the work of the child. This is true for all kids, but especially for babies and toddlers. Don’t be afraid of the mess. Roll up your sleeves and enjoy some messy play time with your little one.

Messy play stimulates the senses. The tactile experience gained during messy play helps little ones experience a variety of textures. During messy play, babies and toddlers are developing eye hand coordination and fine motor skills. What looks like a mess on the surface is truly a learning experience for your child.

Fun and Messy Activities

A sand and water table is a great messy activity. In warm weather, this activity is perfect outside. When the weather is chilly, kids can still enjoy water play indoors. A small water table can be put on top of towels and filled with a small amount of water. The table can be filled with just water for younger infants and toddlers, if you are concerned about sand in the eyes.

The bathtub is another place for your little one to enjoy playing with water without the mess. Provide some small plastic cups for your child to fill and dump. Babies and toddlers love pouring the water out and then filling the cup again. Fill the cup and hand it to the baby. Soon she will be filling and dumping the water on her own.

Finger paint is a great messy activity for older babies and toddlers. This can be done in the high chair to make clean up easier. Cover the tray with paper and put a small amount of finger paint in the middle. Let the baby have fun smooshing and spreading the paint around. Some parents do this activity when the baby is in a diaper just before bath time.

You can make painting more fun by providing tools for your little one to use to spread the paint. Craft sticks, large pieces of sponge and big chunky paint brushes are easy for babies to manipulate. They get to experience a variety of different textures when they are using tools in painting.

If you are concerned about your baby eating the paint and don’t want to use commercial finger paints, you can make edible paint at home with a few simple ingredients. You won’t have to worry about your little one sampling the paint when it is made from food items. Saving the artwork is a bit trickier, but you can take pictures with your digital camera to preserve the moment.

Paint can be made with instant vanilla pudding and food color. Make the pudding according to the directions on the package and add a bit of food coloring. Another easy edible paint recipe uses instant Jell-O and water. Let it cool for a few minutes and then give it to your baby. These recipes can be used on finger paint paper or directly on the tray.

Play dough is another fun activity that has benefits for small motor skills and eye hand coordination. You can make edible play dough at home, just as with finger paints. You can find a ton of recipes online by searching for “edible play dough recipes”. One very simple recipe uses two parts oatmeal to one part each of water and flour. Mix the ingredients together to form the dough. Let your baby have fun squeezing and squishing the play dough in his high chair.

Parents are often hesitant to engage in messy play with their little ones. The mess and time needed to clean up are a big part of the reason. By making time for messy play before bath time, you can allow your child time to enjoy the mess without making additional work for mommy. Keeping messy activities in the high chair is another way to help reduce clean up time.

Biography

Patricia Hughes is a freelance writer and mother of four. Patricia has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Florida Atlantic University. She has written extensively on pregnancy, childbirth, parenting and breastfeeding. In addition, she has written about home décor and travel.

source: http://baby.more4kids.info

Playgroup benefits moms too?

2010-07-30T05:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, it does.

According to Carren W. Joye, the author of A Stay-at-Home Mom's Complete Guide to Playgroups,
playgroup does not only has benefits to kids but to the accompanying moms (and even working moms).

You surely think that after working in a 8-5 working schedule, it is just too occupying to fit in another activity to your weekend. However, some working moms agree that the payoff is worth it.

Take a look at some of the benefits for working parents and their children.

A Therapeutic Time Out

All moms need a break now and then, but many don't have the extra money to spend on babysitters or on going out. Playgroups offer the opportunity for work-at-home parents in particular to get that weekly break from home and work, and yet spend time with their children at the same time. "Whether working outside the home or not, you don't get a 'break.' There isn't any 'off time' as a parent," she says. "So having a support system is somewhat therapeutic."

Support from Your Peers

At a working moms' playgroup, you socialize with your peers. The other members face the same struggles that you do with juggling work, home and family. "Especially today, since working moms are the majority, it's comforting to have support from others dealing with career and family," says Danielle, "just as stay-at-home moms benefit from others who share their daily routines."

Friendship

However, even if you don't have a playgroup nearby designed specifically for working parents, any playgroup would give moms a chance to make new friends and network. Indeed, friendship is perhaps the greatest reward of joining a playgroup. Many adults find lifelong friends in their playgroups.

Seek Advice and Share Experiences

Playgroups offer parents a chance to seek parenting advice and share experiences. In today's society many new mothers not only have postponed having children, but also have moved great distances from their families and friends. They no longer have that built-in support system that all new moms need. Playgroups and parents' groups fill that gap.

See Parenting Methods in Action

At a playgroup, you can see firsthand what discipline methods work and what does not. Many times there is a big difference between what the books say will work, and what actually does work!

Discover Your Community

Many parents' groups and playgroups offer field trips and other special events. Their members get a chance to see the local sites and learn more about the area in which they live. Some groups even become involved in the community through various service projects.

Low Stress Mom-Child Activity

A playgroup is not a babysitting service; parents stay with their children. That means no worries with separation anxiety! The children can play and have fun without having to worry about mom leaving. It's a very reassuring and confidence-building way to introduce children to socialization and to give them a little bit of independence at the same time. Not to mention, if the playgroup offers structured activities, it's 100 percent quality time with your child!

Isn't it a win-win situation for all?

;)

What and why: Active Play

2010-07-29T07:25:00.000-07:00

What is active play?

Active play is physical activity with regular bursts of a moderate to vigorous pace, such as crawling, jumping, or running. Active play should raise children’s heart rate and make them ‘huff and puff’. Active play can occur:

Indoors or outdoors
Alone or with friends and family
In structured settings, such as swimming lessons or sport
In unstructured settings, such as backyards or parks.

A time for active play, everyday!

It is crucial for all children to be active for at least 60 minutes everyday. This time can be built up throughout the day, and includes finding time for outdoor play. Outdoor active play gives children more freedom to:

Use large and small muscle groups
Learn how their body moves
Explore nature and make noise
Move in a range of ways, directions, and paces
Practice skills, such as skipping, hopping, or climbing.

As children grow, the time and range of chances to be active should increase. This may include slowly increasing walking and/or running distances, and building more play skills such as catching, dancing, or swimming.
The unseen riches of active play

An important part of growth is giving children the chance to be active whenever possible. Active play therefore does not always have to be organised and have set time limits, equipment, or instructions. Allowing children to ‘make up’ their own play lets them try new things, learn from their mistakes, and above all enjoy being active all whilst moving at their own pace. Active play does not just fill children’s time. It is through play that children of all ages form lifelong skills, such as:

Decision making and problem solving skills
Resilience
Self-belief and self-confidence
Independence
Creativity and imagination
Skills in dealing with change and the mindset to ‘keep going’.

Just as important is children’s ability to express feelings, laugh, have fun, and mix with other people. This helps to develop:

Communication and social skills
A sense of belonging
An understanding of social rules
Friendships
A sense of ‘give and take’
Patience
Team work skills
An understanding of children, such as those with disabilities or from different cultures.

Important tips for building positive active play spaces:

Make active play part of your child’s daily routine
Your child needs at least 60 minutes of active play each day
Play outdoors as often as possible
Unstructured play lets your child move at their pace
Allow your child to ‘have a go’, explore and try new things
Active play is vital for your child’s overall social and personal growth
Provide praise and helpful hints
As a parent or carer, be active in your own life.

What and why: Thematic Approach?

2010-07-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

This is a way of teaching and learning, whereby many areas of the curriculum are connected together and integrated within a theme.

It allows learning to be more natural and less fragmented than the way where a school day is time divided into different subject areas and practice exercises frequently relate to nothing other than what the teacher thinks up, as he or she writes them on the chalk board.

It allows literacy to grow progressively, with vocabulary linked and with spelling and sentence writing being frequently, yet smoothly, reinforced.

It guides connected ideas to follow on easily.

It is, after all, how we, as adults, learn new things. Don't we start at a point of interest and branch out from it like ripples from a stone thrown in the water?

source: http://show-me-wow.com/themedapproach.aspx

ALIMKids in The News

2010-07-29T06:09:00.000-07:00

Did you missed it?

Check out this link to know what Kosmo has wrote about us.

Components of the ALIMKids playgroup

2010-07-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

Salam parents,

There are 4 components that are used as the foundation in ALIMKids Playgroup. The four components are thematic, active play, early alphabet recognition and language arts.

Thematic

Lesson plan revolve playful theme, each theme covers eight weeks with activities changing weekly.

Active Play

Vigorous activities for the children where they can run, jump, roll, romp and balance. They also get to play with props such as balls, bean bags, parachute play and ribbon streamers.

Early alphabet recognition

Two most reliable indicators of future reading success are Phonemic Awareness and Alphabet Recognition. Using fun and interesting resources, the children will enjoy learning about the alphabet.

Language arts

Through play with arts and design, children will learn to think through ideas, develop spatial, visual awareness as well as manipulative skills.

Let's join us and experience all these.

ALIMKids Playgroup Melaka will be starting in October!

The benefits of joining a playgroup for your kids

2010-07-28T06:03:00.000-07:00

Hi parents,

i am blessed that i have 3 kids and their age gap are just nice that they are able to company and play with each other. However, there are times that i think they need to mix around with other kids as well.

I found that this interesting article listing the benefits of playgroup to our kids and i want to share it with you.

Enjoy reading!

When your kids are 3 years old—or less—you enrol them to a playgroup. Yet, some other parents do not think it is necessary.

But, do you know that there are lots of benefits your kids can get if they join a playgroup?

They get the chance to meet and gather with other people out of their daily environment.

When they reach the age of three, they have more interest in socializing. They enjoy playing, communicate and interact with other people. What used to be a solo game now changes into collective games.

They learn to get along with other kids.

In playgroups, they can learn how to adjust themselves, to wait in line, to understand their friend’s feeling. It is a medium to prepare them for bigger communities.

They learn about differences with their friends

Joining a playgroup, they will learn that not everyone is the same, not everyone has the same idea. That way, they can learn that sometimes it is ok to be different and that they occasionally need to defend their idea or even appreciate others’.

They are proud to be part of a group.

As days go by, your kids will develop a sense of belonging of the playgroup. They feel proud of being part of it. It can be a motivation of working together as a team. That way, your kids will learn to put the group’s need first above theirs.

They are more independent.

By joining a playgroup, your kids learn to be separated for a while from their parents. And, they will learn to adapt with their new environment without having to always be helped by their parents. This is a good exercise for them to be more independent. Therefore, whenever they have to do something by themselves, they can do it with confidence.

As you can see, there are many benefits your kids can get. Compared to the disadvantages such as getting affected by others kids having cold or any other illness—which is unnecessary because it can be cured anyway—, those points mentioned above are very constructive for your kids’ interpersonal skill.

Now, it is time to reconsider your decision.

Source: http://hubpages.com

How to help your child make friends

2010-07-28T02:02:00.000-07:00

Salam parents,

This article from babycenter tells us how to help our child make friend through playdates (or playgroup). Some of our kids are shy and afraid of unfamiliar faces. Thus playdates offer a shy child a starting block for a social life.

"If you promote a positive experience, your child is more likely to want to play again," says Dale Walker, a professor of child development at the University of Kansas.

Now here's what to do:

Keep playdates small.

You can invite a few friends with their kids to your house. I'd be better if the kids are your kids friends' and they should be around your child's age.

Keep playdates short.

Young kids attention span are short, between one and two hours. Kids might be overstimulated or burnt out if the period is longer.

Plan ahead.

"Maximize the positive interaction by making sure there are plenty of materials, so children have enough to play with and don't necessarily have to share right off," Walker says.

Get involved.

You can guide them and make them feel more at ease when making new friends and playing. However, try not to dominate or fill in for your child; the idea is to help break the ice without taking control.

Get a schedule, then get going.

Try to arrange regular playdates with the same kids on a weekly basis to get familiarity.

Be a playdate yourself.

Being a regular playdates with allows you to stimulate interaction while getting to know his playing style. "You can get a sense of where your child struggles and when it is easy for him," says Alison Ehara-Brown, a licensed clinical social worker who works with children and families in Berkeley, Calif.

See how others do it.

Watching videos or reading books about friends with your child is another low-key way to reinforce the positives of socializing.

Have your own friends over.

Since young children pay close attention to what grown-ups do and often imitate their behavior, model for your child by having your friends over, especially in ways that include the younger generation. Have a double playdate with a friend who has children.

Try not to expect too much.

"Parents should never push very young children to play together; they have to be able to choose some things for themselves," Walker says. "There's a fine line there. You don't want to really push friendship, but you can certainly set the stage for it."

Get help if you sense a real problem.

In most cases, shyness or difficulty making friends in early childhood is normal. But a few red flags could indicate that something else is going on. If your child rarely holds eye contact, is unusually withdrawn, throws tantrums or cries whenever other children are around, or seems terrified of going to preschool or the playground, talk to your pediatrician.

Come join us in ALIMKids Melaka and you can help your child make friends too.

:)