Weekend Islamic School vs Online Quran Classes: Do Both?

What Does a Weekend Islamic School Give Your Child?

A weekend Islamic school is a real gift to a family. In cities like Chicago, Dearborn, Mississauga and Calgary, many masjids run one on Saturday or Sunday. Parents look for an Islamic Sunday school near them for good reason.

Here is what a good weekend school does well:

• Friends. Your child meets Muslim kids of the same age. That means a lot when few kids at school share their faith.
• Islamic studies in a group. Kids learn about prayer, wudu, the Prophets and good manners, often with songs and crafts.
• Prayer at the masjid. Children watch adults pray side by side and learn to join in.
• Events. Eid parties, Quran contests and charity drives help kids feel part of something bigger.
• Care. Many weekend schools are run by kind people who give up their own weekends to teach.

Where Does One Class a Week Fall Short?

Reading the Quran is a skill, like reading English or playing the piano. Skills grow with short, steady practice. A child who reads once a week has six days to forget.

In a group, time is also split. A teacher with a full room cannot hear every child read every line. Each child may get only a short turn. Small mistakes in letters that sound alike can slip by and turn into habits.

This is not the fault of the masjid. The teachers there work hard. One weekly class was just never meant to carry all of a child's Quran reading. Watch for these signs that your child needs more reading time:

• They forget last week's lesson by the next class.
• They guess at words instead of sounding out the letters.
• They have been stuck on the same Qaida page for weeks.
• They feel shy to read in front of the group, so they stay quiet.

What Do Online 1-on-1 Quran Classes Add?

In a private online class, it is one teacher and one child on a live video call. Your child reads out loud for most of the lesson. The teacher hears each letter, fixes each mistake on the spot, and lets your child try again.

At Salam Campus, each class is 30 minutes, and young children aged 4 to 7 have 25 minutes. Your child keeps the same teacher each week. You can ask for a male or female teacher. After each class, the teacher writes a short note, and you get a written report each month. The parent portal shows class notes, progress and the next class time on your phone.

Online classes also move at your child's pace. A fast reader is not held back. A child who needs more time on a hard rule gets it, with no one else watching.

Weekend Islamic School vs Online Quran Classes: Side by Side

Here is a quick way to see what each one does best. Neither one wins on every line, and that is the point.

• Group size: weekend school is a group class. An online class is just your child and the teacher.
• Reading time: in a group, each child reads in short turns. In a private class, your child reads for most of the lesson.
• How often: weekend school meets once a week. Online classes can be 2 to 5 times a week.
• Friends and community: weekend school wins. The masjid, friends and events are hard to match online.
• Islamic studies: both can teach it. Weekend school does it in a group. Online, it can be its own private course.
• Pace: weekend school follows the class plan. A private class follows your child.
• Travel: weekend school needs a drive. An online class needs a quiet corner and a screen.
• News for parents: this depends on the school. Online, you get a note after each class and a report each month.

The Blended Plan: Weekend School Plus 2 Weekday Classes

You do not have to choose. Keep the weekend school for faith and friends. Then add 2 short private classes on weekdays for reading. Your child now meets the Quran three times a week, spread out, so less is lost in between.

Here is a simple plan to set it up:

• Step 1: Keep weekend school as it is. Let it cover Islamic studies, prayer and community.
• Step 2: Pick 2 weekday slots, such as Tuesday and Thursday. Space them out from the weekend, so the week has a steady beat.
• Step 3: Use the private classes for reading only. Start with Noorani Qaida, then move on to the Quran with Tajweed.
• Step 4: Tell the online teacher what the weekend school teaches. Then the two can work as a team, with no repeats.
• Step 5: Add 10 minutes of reading at home on days with no class.
• Step 6: Read the monthly report. If your child is ready for more, add a third class.

What Does the Blended Plan Cost?

Our plan with 2 classes a week is USD 40 a month in the USA and CAD 52 a month in Canada. There is no fee to sign up and no long contract. Weekend classes cost the same as weekday classes. See all plans on our fees page.

If your weekend school does not teach Islamic studies, you can add it online. Our course on Islamic studies for kids covers faith, worship, good manners and the stories of the Prophets, one level at a time.

How Do Classes Fit Around US and Canadian School Days?

Classes run 24 hours a day, and each class is set in your own time zone. So you pick a time that fits the school day, not the other way round. Here are slots that suit many kids:

• Right after school: a class at 4:00 pm or 4:30 pm, before homework and dinner.
• After dinner: a class at 6:30 pm or 7:00 pm. Evening slots fill up first, so book early.
• Before school: a 7:00 am class works well for kids who are sharp in the morning.
• Saturday: one class on Saturday, with Sunday kept for weekend school.

Which Time Zone Is My Class In?

Yours. Families in Chicago are on Central Time. Dearborn and Mississauga are on Eastern Time. Calgary is on Mountain Time. You give us your local time, and the class is booked in it. When daylight saving starts or ends, your class stays at the same time on your clock.

For city details, see online Quran classes in Chicago, Dearborn and online Quran classes in Mississauga. Families in other cities can start with our pages on online Quran classes USA and online Quran classes Canada.

One last tip: keep Sunday light. If your child spends the morning at weekend school, do not add a private class that day too.

What Should You Ask Your Local Weekend School?

Before you plan the week, talk to the weekend school. A few questions show you where the gaps are:

• How many children are in my child's Quran group?
• How long does each child read out loud in a class?
• Which book or level is my child on now?
• Is there homework, and how can I help at home?
• Do you teach Tajweed, or reading only?
• How will you tell me how my child is doing?

How Can You Try an Online Class First?

The easiest way to see if the blend works is to try one class. At Salam Campus, the trial is a free 30-minute live lesson at a time you choose. No card is needed. Here is how it goes:

• Fill in the free trial form. Add your child's age, what they can read now, and 2 or 3 times that suit you.
• We confirm the time, most often within 24 hours.
• In the trial, the teacher hears your child read and finds the right place to start.
• Then you decide. You pay nothing if you do not go on.