FAQ
FAQ
Why isn’t Kinza Academy a state accredited program?
One of the hallmarks of homeschooling is the idea of reclaiming the right and responsibility to educate your child from the state. Since the states have failed in their efforts to educate their citizens, we cannot find a need for accreditation by them anymore than we would seek financial advice from a failed bank. There is no intelligent reason, other than for a false sense of security, to work with a program simply because it has been given approval by the state. Having said this, the Kinza academy curriculum does exceed all state educational requirements. A parent would have to be very negligent for their child to fall below state standards while using our program.
I was told your program requires too much time from the parent and that other programs are easier to use. Is this true?
While our program is user friendly, it does require time from the parent. Any program that does not require much time or work from the parent is probably not worth using. Ultimately, what you put into your teaching experience with your child is what you will get out of it. If you are looking for a quick, public school “education” at home, we agree, you will not find this using our program. However, if you desire to give your child the best education possible, and are committed to sacrificing your time for your child’s sake, than you will find the Kinza Academy curriculum more than sufficient.
What is the difference between informal and formal education?
Children are learning from the day they are born and we are their teachers. When we teach them to hold a spoon, crawl, take their first step, and say their first word we are engaged in “informal” education. We are always teaching our children. Formal education is very different, and according to the Islamic tradition should not be introduced until the age of seven. Formal education means that the child is required to attend classes whether inside or outside the home in the major academic subjects. Requiring a child to study reading, writing, and math five days a week is formal education. Teaching a child to count while peeling potatoes or sorting laundry would be considered “informal” education.
The first seven years of a child’s life are focused on building a solid emotional foundation upon which they will base the rest of their life. The quality of the emotional foundation will determine the moral state of the individual. When formal education is introduced before the age of seven it is introduced at the expense of a healthy emotional development. According to Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, a sound emotional foundation is much more important in determining the success of a person’s life than intellectual intelligence. The idea of “success” does not necessarily mean how well one does financially, but more important how well one does in their interpersonal and spiritual life.
What do you recommend children do before the age of seven? After all, isn’t playing just a waste of time?
Playing is one of the major means by which children develop their humanity, their ability to get along in the world, and develop a foundation for higher thought forms. This is a lengthy topic and we have recommendations in our bookstore if you are interested in understanding the importance of play.
The most important environment for young children is one in which they feel safe, in which they feel loved, where they are able to play freely and be played with and ideally, where they are surrounded by lots of great books and tales which are read to them on a daily basis. Technology in all forms including television should be avoided, modern toys especially of a violent or unworldly nature should be avoided, and a natural play environment should be created for the children. Seven years is a very short time and children should not be deprived of this unique world of imagination: a world where reality and fantasy are blended into one. Children are naturally in the “flow.” It is a precious time and should be honored for what it is: childhood.
Why isn’t Kinza Academy a state accredited program?
One of the hallmarks of homeschooling is the idea of reclaiming the right and responsibility to educate your child from the state. Since the states have failed in their efforts to educate their citizens, we cannot find a need for accreditation by them anymore than we would seek financial advice from a failed bank. There is no intelligent reason, other than for a false sense of security, to work with a program simply because it has been given approval by the state. Having said this, the Kinza academy curriculum does exceed all state educational requirements. A parent would have to be very negligent for their child to fall below state standards while using our program.
I was told your program requires too much time from the parent and that other programs are easier to use. Is this true?
While our program is user friendly, it does require time from the parent. Any program that does not require much time or work from the parent is probably not worth using. Ultimately, what you put into your teaching experience with your child is what you will get out of it. If you are looking for a quick, public school “education” at home, we agree, you will not find this using our program. However, if you desire to give your child the best education possible, and are committed to sacrificing your time for your child’s sake, than you will find the Kinza Academy curriculum more than sufficient.
What is the difference between informal and formal education?
Children are learning from the day they are born and we are their teachers. When we teach them to hold a spoon, crawl, take their first step, and say their first word we are engaged in “informal” education. We are always teaching our children. Formal education is very different, and according to the Islamic tradition should not be introduced until the age of seven. Formal education means that the child is required to attend classes whether inside or outside the home in the major academic subjects. Requiring a child to study reading, writing, and math five days a week is formal education. Teaching a child to count while peeling potatoes or sorting laundry would be considered “informal” education.
The first seven years of a child’s life are focused on building a solid emotional foundation upon which they will base the rest of their life. The quality of the emotional foundation will determine the moral state of the individual. When formal education is introduced before the age of seven it is introduced at the expense of a healthy emotional development. According to Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, a sound emotional foundation is much more important in determining the success of a person’s life than intellectual intelligence. The idea of “success” does not necessarily mean how well one does financially, but more important how well one does in their interpersonal and spiritual life.
What do you recommend children do before the age of seven? After all, isn’t playing just a waste of time?
Playing is one of the major means by which children develop their humanity, their ability to get along in the world, and develop a foundation for higher thought forms. This is a lengthy topic and we have recommendations in our bookstore if you are interested in understanding the importance of play.
The most important environment for young children is one in which they feel safe, in which they feel loved, where they are able to play freely and be played with and ideally, where they are surrounded by lots of great books and tales which are read to them on a daily basis. Technology in all forms including television should be avoided, modern toys especially of a violent or unworldly nature should be avoided, and a natural play environment should be created for the children. Seven years is a very short time and children should not be deprived of this unique world of imagination: a world where reality and fantasy are blended into one. Children are naturally in the “flow.” It is a precious time and should be honored for what it is: childhood.
