At this level, students are introduced to Islam through the shahadah (testimony of faith). They learn appropriate care of the Quran and engage in memorization and recitation of Surah al-Teen to Surah al-Humazah. The life of Prophet Muhammad (s) is introduced. The children are taught the basics of cleanliness and ablution along with the proper performance of prayer.
The course ends with lessons on personal hygiene, respect for parents, and respect for the property of others. The material is presented using a spiral approach; students revisit each area and study it in greater depth each year. The Teacher's Manual contains tips for teaching each lesson, suggested pedagogical practices, and solutions to the exercises and activities found in the Student's Textbook and the Activity Book.
The ICO project is a distinguished one because our curricula
- Meet the needs of the target audience for integrated, coherent, and appropriate curricula
- Were prepared on scientific bases, assimilating the most recent educational and psychological theories
- Were prepared by special educationists who are experienced in designing curricula and who are familiar with the needs of the target group
- Employ the newest techniques and educational aids
- Passed numerous quality control processes, which were carried out by specialized committees
- Were enhanced by teachers who evaluated the curricula before releasing them
The Features and Characteristics of the Textbooks: These books were prepared by the International Curricula Organization (ICO) and have certain features that distinguish them from other textbooks.
First: The Technical Features:
- Designed in accordance with international quality standards for color, paper, size, illustration, and printing
- Illustrated with appropriate pictures that match the students’ educational stages and environment
- Designed so that the text stands out, with special focus on the font type and size, white space, and colors
Second: The Instructional and Linguistic Features:
- Reinforce linguistic basics for non-Arabic speaking students
- Build students’ lexicon according to their environmental needs
- Provide non-Arabic speaking students with a good deal of Islamic vocabulary
- Identify the correct articulation of the different sounds through the study of the Glorious Qur’an
- Enable the students to avoid making mistakes when reciting the Glorious Quran through employing the rules of the Arabic language
- Provide an integrated curriculum with well-prepared scientific content and vocabulary
- Take into consideration the students’ individual mental differences and their diverse linguistic skills
- Consider the students’ different cultures
- Develop the students’ creativity and mental faculties
Third: The Educational Content Features:
- Reinforce the principle of forgiveness and the etiquette of disagreement with others
- Develop the spirituality, morality, and values of the students
- Help students have good and balanced personalities
- Develop the students’ pride in their Muslim identity
- Help the caller to Islam to develop a balanced personality that reflects the moderation of Islam
