Link Love: Teaching Children Qur'an Through Lego
Saturday, February 05, 2011 Read more → blogosphere, Cool-Children, education and knowledge, quran, sister bloggers, teaching, trendy quran In the name of God, entirely Compassionate, especially Merciful | Peace be with you
Mezba has taken an everyday toy and utilised these building blocks of playful education to teach Qur'an, photo by photo, verse by verse.
The Qur'an chapters on Read With Meaning include a photographic prologue for background information, high resolution photos of each verse and hundreds of Lego characters and scenic blocks to build a very realistic interpretation. It's fun and exuberant, yet balanced with enough literary detail for adults; this easy learning allows children in particular to feel as though the Lego is communicating with them and they can absorb huge amounts of 'ilm (knowledge) without getting bored.
I got in touch with Mezba to ask why she created the blog:
Tell us a bit about yourself:
"I was brought up in Middle East; I'm Bangladeshi-Canadian, in my mid-30s, and married."
Why did you create the blog?:
"What sparked my interest for this site was the realization that most muslims, including me, have no idea what the Qur'an verses we are reciting actually means, and about the context or relevance of any of the surahs to everyday life.
When challenged on a verse and what it purportedly means, we have no clue. That combined with the love of Lego and doing something constructive with my free time lead to the creation of Read With Meaning.
How often do you work on your blog and how do you recreate the verses with Lego?:
"I devote about 3-4 hours every Saturday (early morning) constructing and photographing the Qur'an section I want to feature in a post. During the week when I have some time to spare I think about how to depict a verse I am reading about or I read up on the tafsir of a section. My favourite post happens to be Surah Al Fil - The Elephant."
Surah al-Asr caught my eye because of the immensely creative interpretation of time, which otherwise can be difficult to visualise by the standalone ayaat (verses). Take a look:
Photos:: Meza Mahtab, Read With Meaning ©
Now is that cool, or is that cool? If our children have alternatives to video gaming and TV such as Read With Meaning, they will become the great active Muslims we hope them to be. All it takes is a great idea, determined planning and inspiring toys! Read With Meaning is regularly updated so check it out for yourself and be sure to leave Mezba a comment.
Shukran, thanks to Mezba Mahtab for showcasing her blog.
Get in touch with Mezba:: e | mezbam@hotmail.com w | http://mezba.blogspot.com
Got a blog to share? contact@muslimness.com
More on Children in Islam:
Awesome and Unusual Gifts for Children at Eid-ul-adha
Are Homeschooled Children Clever Enough?
Al-Hidaayah Publish New Children's Books
Muslim Teacher Tips: Eight Core Principles
More on Children in Islam:
Awesome and Unusual Gifts for Children at Eid-ul-adha
Are Homeschooled Children Clever Enough?
Al-Hidaayah Publish New Children's Books
Muslim Teacher Tips: Eight Core Principles
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