Quran Classes & Weekend Islamic School for Kids in Ottawa

For many Muslim families in Ottawa, the weekday is public school and the weekend is where Islamic learning happens. A good weekend program can become the anchor of a child’s relationship with the Quran, with Arabic, and with other Muslim kids. A poor one becomes the thing they beg to skip. Here is how to tell the difference, and how to choose the right Quran classes for your child.

What a Great Weekend Islamic Program Includes

• Quran by level, not just by age. A ten-year-old who is still learning letters and a ten-year-old who reads fluently need different classes.
• Arabic reading and writing. Quran recitation improves fastest when children can actually read the script with confidence.
• Adab and identity. Children should leave knowing more about how to be Muslim, not just more verses.
• Friends and movement. Kids return happily to places where they have friends and where they get to run around.
• Clear communication with parents. You should know what your child is working on and how to help at home.

Recitation, Tajweed, and Hifz: Know Your Goal

“Quran classes” covers a range of goals. Recitation classes teach children to read the Quran correctly and fluently, usually with steady memorization of shorter surahs. Tajweed focuses on the rules of beautiful, correct pronunciation. Hifz programs aim to memorize the whole Quran and require intensive daily review, often in a full-time or daily after-school setting. For most children in a weekend program, strong recitation and consistent memorization is the right goal, and it is the foundation for hifz later if your family chooses it.

Questions to Ask Before You Enrol

• How are Quran groups divided, and how many children are in each?
• How will I know what my child is memorizing and how they are progressing?
• What happens in the rest of the day besides Quran?
• What does the program cost for the full year, and is there a long-term commitment?
• What is the food policy, and is the facility nut-free?
• May my child try a class before we commit?

How QAF Sunday Camp Works

QAF Sunday Camp is our weekend program for ages 8 to 15, every Sunday from 11 AM to 3 PM at 900 Dynes Rd. Instead of scattering Quran, Arabic, and tutoring across separate weeknights, it brings them together in one afternoon:

• 11:00 to 12:00, Quran: recitation and memorization in small groups by level. Children review what they hold and add new verses at their own pace.
• 12:00 to 12:45, Arabic: reading and writing. Juniors build reading fluency; seniors move into writing and vocabulary.
• 12:45 to 1:15, break and snack with friends.
• 1:15 to 2:00, math and STEM: puzzles, building challenges, and experiments.
• 2:00 to 3:00, soccer on the field beside the school in warm months, and indoor games through the Ottawa winter.

There are two classes, juniors and seniors, each with their own room and teacher. Tuition is $190 a month from September to June, month to month, with no long-term commitment. Your family does not need to speak Arabic at home.

For Younger Children

If your child is 4 or 5, Quran is part of every day in our Islamic JK/SK program. By the end of Senior Kindergarten, children typically memorize 7 to 10 short surahs from Juz Amma along with core daily duas, learned with understanding and love rather than pressure. Read more about building Islamic identity in the early years.

Making It Stick at Home

Weekend learning sticks when it shows up during the week. Ten minutes of review after Fajr or before bed, listening to the surah your child is memorizing in the car, and asking them to lead a short recitation at home all turn one afternoon a week into a daily habit. Above all, keep the Quran joyful. A child who loves coming back each week will go further than one who is pushed.