The deeniyat curriculum of Ilm academy is based on the An-Nasihah Islamic Curriculum. It is a comprehensive series of Islamic course books and workbooks covering all Islamic studies topics, from Fiqh, Aqaid, Hadith, Sirah, Tarikh, Akhlaq, and Adab. By the end of the eight-year study, students should memorize about 85 Ahadith in Arabic and English and understand the basic concepts of Fiqh and Aqa’id. In the Akhlaq and Adab sections, students cover about 100 topics related to daily life. In Sirah and Tarikh, students learn about the story of 17 prophets, the Seerah of our Beloved Messenger (SAW) and his Sahabas, and also the Islamic history of Umayyad, Abbasids, and Muslim Spain.

The workbooks serve as a great  resource for practicing the concepts taught in the coursebooks. Ilm Academy’s Quran curriculum also encourages students to memorize the 30th Juzu’ along with important surahs and ayats for daily duas. The overall purpose and objectives of the deeniyat curriculum is to help students understand their identity as Muslims,  practice their religion following the sunnah, and be good citizens who contribute to the development of their community and country.


Arabic as a Language

The Arabic Language course at Ilm Academy is designed to prepare students in basic skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). The curriculum is based on the Madinah Arabic Reader coursebooks 1-4 for elementary level, and the Easy Method of Learning Arabic Language Parts 1-3 for middle and high school classes. For elementary classes, Arabic language lessons focus on foundational skills of writing letters, numbers, simple words and sentences along with drills in listening and proper pronunciations.  The goal at this level is to introduce the basics of MSA to students, and through these series of lessons and exercises, students are expected to develop basic reading and writing skills at an early age.

For the middle and high school levels, Arabic lessons expand to include grammar and more complex reading comprehension passages. In addition, drills in translation of sentences and passages from Arabic to English and from English to Arabic become the focal points of each lesson. The goal of these lessons and exercises is to prepare students have simple communications in various situations. Upon completing these lessons, students are expected to have solidified knowledge of basic vocabulary,  and be able to write and comprehend simple sentences.

Ilm Academy’s pre-hifz program is specially designed for students who want to memorize Qur’an without compromising their academics. Students are able to take part in all of their classes, interact with their teachers and classmates, and are assigned the same amount of homework. The program takes place before school hours, granting students  the opportunity to make the best of their mornings. Pre-hifz is a great stepping stone toward full time hifz for younger students, giving them the chance to memorize the first few juz so they are prepared to perform well in full time hifz and minimize the years they spend there.

Full time hifz is a great way to complete the memorization of Qur’an without having to homeschool. Students spend the first half of their day in their hifz class, and after lunch, they join the rest of their classmates for the remainder of the classes. This provides a full-classroom environment that is sometimes necessary for students to learn. After school, hifz students stay and take private lessons with their teachers to catch up on what they have missed during the first half of their day. Hifz students are fully accommodated, as we understand that memorizing the Qur’an is no simple task. For this reason, any projects or homework assignments are waved off for hifz students if need be.

Ilm Academy’s language arts program is focused on providing students with strong verbal and written skills from the very beginning. The phonics-based curriculum in KG jump starts ESL students commendably where students start reading confidently at 2^nd grade level by the end of the second trimester. The LA curriculum integrates listening, speaking, reading, writing skills from 1^st grade onwards. Age-appropriate literature fully aligned with state standards is augmented with vocabulary, grammar, phonics, and spelling enrichment with the target of creating a solid base as students move into middle school.

Language arts from grades 5^th to 8^th is geared towards polishing students’ comprehension, analysis, and critical writing skills that ensure that students learn to communicate in a highly effective, potent, and positive manner. The work of Ilm Academy writers has consistently proven to be at 10^th and 11^th grades when they graduate from the school, as evidence by high school entrance exams taken for private or public high schools. The language arts program is additionally enhanced with original school publications including a school magazine Ilma Voices, and anthologies of poetry, essays, and short stories. The school publications showcase students work, provide motivation, and brings to the fore the talent of writers groomed with a purpose. All of Ilm Academy’s publications are published by the school’s publishing division, Sapienza Educational Publishing, and available for sale on Amazon and through the school website.

At Ilm Academy the focus in mathematics is on providing a strong foundation in the fundamentals of the subjects in all grade levels. Tasks and projects are incorporated into these classes to allow for creative thinking and building resilience with problem solving. In grades 1-6, the Singapore Math series has been adopted. This course is particularly well suited for younger grades where visuals are extremely important for students to engage with the material. The Singapore Math series incorporates visual interpretations of concepts that also allows for scaffolding for students at all levels. For grades 7 and above, the Common core standards are adopted

A consistent theme in the middle school Math course is discussions, different interpretations, different approaches to understanding a concept which encourages deeper thinking and significant retention of concepts for a positive impact on their overall learning. Projects incorporated in these courses provide students with opportunities to explore the applicability of these concepts as well as encourages creativity and reinforces critical thinking.

ILM Academy’s social studies program recognizes the critical importance of identity and community in creating a strong self-esteem and confidence. Students get opportunity to participate in debates, role plays, research based projects, critical thinking and analyzing current affairs, and field trips to help them understand their world and make informed decisions. Students are provided a strong grounding in map and research skills, are made aware of the importance of geography and history, and are geared toward an appreciation of diversity, tolerance, and good citizenship. Ilm Academy participate in civic engagements based on values that develop empathy, equality, and fairness for fellow citizens. Human interactions in family and community are studies to provide opportunities to practice higher order thinking skills.

The mission of Ilm Academy’s Physical Education Program is to develop physically educated students who have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity. Physical activities are critical to the development and maintenance of good physical and mental health. It is the goal of the school’s PE Program is to provide students with developmentally appropriate learning opportunities. All students will be provided opportunities to develop health-related fitness, physical competence, cognitive skills, and positive attitudes about physical activity that promote a healthy and physically active lifestyle.

Program Purpose

A physically educated etudent will:

• Demonstrates competency in motor skills and movement patterns to perform various of physical activities.
• Participates regularly in physical activity.
• Demonstrates understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics as they apply to the learning and performance of physical activities.
• Achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of physical fitness.
• Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings.
• Values physical activity for health enjoyment challenge, self- expression and social interaction with peers.