5 Approaches to Teaching Children the Quran at Home

For most Muslim parents, teaching children the Quran is very high on the parenting priority list, and that’s understandable.

I don’t know a single Muslim parent who doesn’t want their kids to have a strong, lifelong relationship with the Qur’an. Am I right?

At the same time, teaching the Quran can feel like SUCH a daunting and weighty task. 

If you’re anything like me though, you want to live up to your Islamic responsibilities and are ready to take the task on for your children, insha’Allah!

So I’ve written this post for non-Arab Western Muslim parents who want to be their children’s main teacher of Islam and the Quran at home.

I’ve rounded up 5 main approaches to teaching children the Quran to help you decide what will work best for you.

Developing your child’s relationship to the Quran

How we teach our children the Quran can have a huge impact – positive or negative! – on how they view, think about and experience Islam in their lives. Our role as Muslim parents is rightfully huge.

Add to that, children’s memories and ability to absorb information is the greatest when they’re young.

So naturally, we parents usually want to capitalise on this gift by teaching our kids the Qur’an when they’re little, so that the learning sticks!

It’s a fine balance to strike.

If you teach the Qur’an to your children by forcing them, using outdated methods or not making it meaningful for them, you could potentially damage their relationship with the Qur’an at a young age.

That’s difficult (though, not impossible) to come back from because they will simply associate negativity with the Qur’an.

But if you manage to get it right for your child – wow, what a wonderful foundation you will have built! And on that foundation, you can help to grow your children’s connection to God and Islam for the rest of their lives.

Which ways of teaching children the Quran are right for you?

If you’re a Western Muslim parent raising your kids in a non-Muslim country, you might not always have such easy access to Islamic schools or madrasas, unlike Muslim majority countries where the educational systems and religious teaching are complementary.

This is the problem I’ve faced personally, so I’ve had to reflect on the best ways to teach my own children the Quran at home. 

How you decide to develop your children’s knowledge and relationship with the Quran will depend on your own unique factors. 

For example, you will need to think about your kids’ ages, your and their familiarity with Arabic, and your family’s overall goals when it comes to Islam.

Here are some questions you might want to ask yourself:

Memorisation vs. understanding the Quran – which approach is most important to me?

I don’t think many Muslim parents would argue against the benefits of memorising the Quran and it’s what most of us wish for our children to be able to do.

However, many of us will relate to growing up having memorised surahs but not even knowing what they mean, and therefore maybe struggling to connect with what we’re reciting.

This is one of the decisions you may want to make early on – do you want to teach your child to simply memorise the Quran or to understand it?

My personal view is that it’s important for our Muslim kids to memorise surahs alongside child-friendly summaries so they can connect to what they’ve learnt.

Here are some other questions you may want to ask yourself on this topic to help you decide how to proceed with your Quran teaching:

• Do I want my child to memorise the whole Qur’an or just some of it? If some, which parts?
• How do I want my child to memorise the Quran – through listening only or another method?
• How confident do I feel in my own knowledge of Arabic and tajweed (correct pronunciation) to support my child’s memorisation of surahs?

Insha’Allah, answering these questions will help you decide which approach aligns best with your family, your capabilities and your child’s interests.

Arabic language – learning to read or learning to understand?

Another question you might want to ask yourself is how you want to teach your child Arabic.

There are two main options:

1. Teach your child to understand the full Arabic language, which includes speaking, listening, reading and writing.
2. Teach your child how to decode the Arabic language. This means reading the Quran without understanding what they are reading.

The obvious benefit of learning Arabic in full means your child has a great foundation with which to understand the Quran.

One drawback is that Quranic Arabic is archaic and no longer a spoken language, so teaching a modern Arabic dialect would support some understanding of the Quran, but not all.

The other issue is that learning and teaching a whole new language as a non-native is a very big task, so would require a lot of resource and effort from both you and your child.

The benefit of teaching your child to read the Arabic without understanding is much easier as it’s essentially an exercise in phonics.

If a child can learn the Arabic sounds, associate the sounds with the letters, and then blend them, they have mastered Arabic reading.

Of course, this approach means that your child will read the Quran without knowing the meaning, which is not as meaningful as reading with understanding.

Again, there is no right or wrong approach – it’s up to you to decide what you’d like your child to learn.

Learning targets or goals: how will I monitor or assess my child’s progress?

When deciding to begin this journey of teaching your children the Quran, you should know what you’re aiming to achieve so that you have a clear vision.

For example, my goals are for my children to:

• Have memorised around 20 surahs so that they can recite these during their salah.
• Know how to read Quranic Arabic (not with understanding).
• Learn the meaning of 50-100 key Quranic vocabulary (rather than the whole language).
• Be able to read Quranic Arabic with fluency and speed.
• Complete reading of Juzz Amma as their first major milestone.
• Understand some of the stories and lessons from the Quran.

I can easily assess my kids’ progress against the above because I know clearly what my targets are.

That means I won’t feel overwhelmed or guilty about all the learning they’re missing out on because I’ve decided exactly where to focus my attention as a non-Arab and Western Muslim mum. 

Once you make these decisions, you can make peace with what you’ve decided and move forward with your goals.

And obviously, as you and your children learn together on this journey, you can reassess your goals and decide whether to make any changes if you need to as you go along! 

Approaches to Quranic education at home – what else do I need to keep in mind?

There may be lots of other things you still want to consider that are unique to you and your family.

For example, if you’re a working parent, you may have less time available to teach your child at home so time will be a key factor.

Or it may be that you live with lots of extended family and space is limited in your home. In this case, you’ll need to consider how to work around your family and within the space you have.

Regardless of your situation, it may be useful to reflect on the answers to the following questions:

• If I want to be my child’s main Quran teacher at home, is there any part of the teaching I need to outsource?
• How will my child’s age affect the style of teaching I need to use?
• When will I commit to teaching my child the Quran? Where can I fit it into my routines and family life?

Once you know the answers to the above questions, you can assess which of the following 5 approaches to teaching your child the Quran at home is best for you!

5 main approaches to teach your children the Quran at home

1. Online Quran teaching (games and apps)

There are lots of educational apps out there for Muslim children. There are two main apps we have settled on as our favourites: Quranera and Miraj Stories. Both have very distinct functions which I have outlined below.

Quranera

Quranera teaches children aged 4-10 how to read Quranic Arabic (does not teach the Arabic language or its meanings).

Here’s why we love it:

• It takes an extremely structured, step-by-step repetitive approach which is ideal for young children who learn through repeat practice.
• There’s a huge focus on phonics teaching with fun characters to help kids remember each sound and letter. (This is very similar to the English phonics approach in programmes like ‘Read Write Inc’ by Ruth Miskin).
• It teaches accurate tajweed rules as you go along so the children have the right foundation from the start.
• Very interactive and fun! Includes colourful teaching videos, stories, songs, audio recitations, games and quizzes, and lots of reading practice material.
• Once a stage is completed, the child can go back and repeat the activities as many times as they want.
• Available via website and a new mobile app.

I love Quranera for all the reasons I’ve listed above and my daughter relishes the chance to play.

Some things to note about Quranera:

• Quranera is game-based teaching which means it can become quite addictive for young children.
• There is a points-reward system so children may tend to want to rush through the stages to gain more points. (However, the points aren’t used for anything.) So there is a possibility your child may be motivated by the reward rather than the enjoyment of learning Arabic. 
• At the time of writing this post in 2023, there are 3 pricing structures available for one student. Each plan comes with a 7-day free trial:
  1. Monthly plan: $9.99 per month.
  2. One year plan: $69.99 per year (normally $99).
  3. Lifetime plan: $199 one-off payment (normally $499).

I’m not affiliated with Quranera in any way. I’m a current paying user who loves the app which is what my recommendation is based on!

Every person who signs up as a paying user is given a unique referral link. If you decide to sign up to Quranera, please consider using my referral link to sign up as a thank you for my recommendation. This will allow me to earn one month free!

Click here for my Quranera referral link! Jazakallah khair!

Miraj Stories

Miraj Stories is an Islamic education app for children aged 4-11. It teaches kids about Islam through stories, interactive books, audiobooks, videos and games. It does not teach Arabic in a structured way though there are few Arabic letter-learning games.

Here’s why we love it:

• It has a HUGE library of audiobooks and stories which retell stories from the Quran, such as prophets’ stories.
• I don’t need to worry about the content as everything is halal and appropriate for young children.
• My daughter has learned about so many Quran stories through this app. She now has a desire to learn more about the Quran because her love of Islam is so strong, masha’Allah.
• New content is added frequently, so the library is always growing.
• You can use the app in offline mode if you download the content first.

I love the Miraj Stories app because it supports me in teaching my children Quran stories and lessons, which is one of my family learning goals. This is so important to me as a working mother with limited time. My daughter has already learned about the stories of the prophets, such as Prophet Ibrahim (as) and Prophet Sulaiman (as)!

Some things to note about Miraj Stories:

• There can be glitches sometimes. To fix them, you need to close and restart the app which can be annoying. However, there is tech support via email and they are very helpful.
• Miraj Stories is only available through the app on iOS and Android, not via website.
• At the time of writing this post in 2023, there are 2 pricing structures available. Each plan allows unlimited access on 4 devices and comes with a 7-day free trial:
  1. Monthly plan: £5.99 per month.
  2. Annual plan: £59.99 per year.

I’m not affiliated with Miraj Stories and receive no commissions. I’m a repeat paying user so my recommendation to you is based on my experience with the app.

2. Montessori-aligned approaches to teaching the Quran

If you’ve read other posts on my blog, you’ll know I am a big fan of the Montessori philosophy of education. So below, I’ve listen a few ways to incorporate Montessori principles into teaching your children the Quran.

Learning Roots and Kiitab

One of the features of a Montessori work or activity is that it allows the child to be independent. Another feature is that it is hands on.

The Kiitab allows for both of those things! The Kiitab is designed to take children from reading Qaidah to reading the Quran.

When a child touches the Kiitab pen onto the Arabic words on a page, the pen speaks those words with perfect tajweed.

This self-correcting feature means children don’t have to rely on you or a teacher to correct their Arabic reading. Your child can therefore be much more independent and in control of their progress.

It also explains letter rules and provides word translations so the child can have a deeper understanding of what they’re reading. This is a great option if you’re looking at teaching your children the Quran meanings alongside the Arabic.

The Kiitab only works with Learning Roots products, such as their ‘Read and Rise’ Qaidah and Juz Amma books.

You can see the Kiitab collection on the Learning Roots website.

I have no affiliation with Learning Roots. I am a repeat customer and love the quality of their products, masha’Allah!

Teach Your Child to Read Arabic in 10 EASY Lessons

This book is devoted purely to teaching Arabic as a second language to beginners.

The author describes it as Montessori-inspired with a combination of visuals, decoding practice, quizzes, challenges and progress trackers.

The books takes a very systematic and structured approach to teaching Arabic, starting with the alphabet, working up to reading and writing sentences.

Children will also learn a bank of vocabulary and common words as they go along.

You can see more details about this book here (not affiliated).  

Surah Strips – Juzz Amma

This hands-on book is ideal for children who are fluent in reading Arabic and are focused on Quran memorisation.

Each ayah from each surah of Juz Amma is separated into colour-coded strips which can be cut out and matched onto the matching page.

The book is made to encourage children to build on their reading fluency and to test their memorisation skills by placing the ayahs in the correct order.

There are answer sheets and stickers to mark your child’s progress.

The book is available to purchase on Etsy at this link where you’ll also be able to see a video of the surah strips in action!

3. Verbal teaching of surahs and meanings

If your priority right now is for your child to only memorise surahs rather than learn Arabic, then verbal teaching of the Quran could be right up your street.

This approach works especially well for very young children (0-6 years old) who are developmentally able to absorb information without having to try!

You can start priming your children by reciting duas and surahs from the Quran throughout the day so they get used to hearing them. They will begin to memorise the surahs without effort.

Instead of lullabies, many Muslim parents will recite the three ‘Quls’ (Surah al-Ikhlaas, Surah al-Falaq, and Surah an-Nas) and Ayat-ul-Kursi at bedtime, which is what I did with my children!

This meant by the time my daughter was 3 years old, she had pretty much memorised the three surahs and some of Ayat-ul-Kursi. Just through listening alone!

So for the next 2 years after that, I used verbal teaching only to help my daughter memorise short surahs. This worked really well for me as a working mum too. I had limited time to devote to my daughter’s Islamic teaching so I had to make the most of the time I had.

If you don’t feel comfortable reciting yourself, you can play slow audio Quran recitations. Just be sure to make it part of your daily routine.

All your child needs to do in the beginning is listen without pressure to recite back. When they are ready to recite, they can have a go and you can correct them gently where needed.

Always remember to keep the pressure off, never get angry and let it be enjoyable!

4. Traditional methods of teaching the Quran to children

The traditional method of teaching children the Quran has worked for many people in the past and is an option for you too.

You can help your child to memorise through reading written drills repeatedly which can be done through worksheets or workbooks, via online apps, flashcards, online classes or with at-home teachers.

As with anything, you can decide whether this your preferred approach based on your time, capacity and family values.

5. Using mixed methods to teach the Quran at home 

My favourite way of teaching my children the Quran at home is to use a mix of methods!

I’ve used a combination of all of the above approaches to teach my children the Quran over the years.

I have changed my teaching methods depending on time, capabilities, finances, children’s interests and age, and so on.

I love having the freedom to create my own unique curriculum! It’s meant I can include within it hands-on activities, online apps, story books, audiobooks and reading drills.

This approach can be quite time consuming since it requires research (though I’ve done that for you in this post!) But I love having the control and oversight over my children’s learning.

Final recap & reminders

To recap, the five main approaches to teaching children the Quran are:

1. Using online resources, such as apps like Quranera and Miraj Stories
2. Using Montessori-aligned approaches such as Kiitab from Learning Roots
3. Verbal teaching of surahs and their meanings
4. Using traditional methods such as drills and workbooks
5. Using a mix of all of the above

There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to Quranic education.

As Muslim parents, you’ll need to consider your children’s needs, learning styles, and family dynamics when deciding how to go forward.

Consider your availability, time commitments, routines, capacity and siblings.

If your kids attend school, will you do your Islamic teaching in the evenings or weekends?

How will you plan your activities? How will you monitor their progress? 

Remember, the main thing is to always remember your family values and the benefits of investing time and effort into your kids’ Quranic education.

Insha’Allah, whatever approach you choose, I pray your children enjoy their learning and grow to love the Quran and Islam. Ameen.