Five in a Row is a familiar name to most
homeschoolers. I first heard about
Five in a Row three years ago when I began investigating curricula for early learners. When I asked my homeschooling friends,
FIAR (as it's known to most
homeschoolers) came up again and again as a great place to start. The more I read and heard, the more intrigued I became. Descriptions like
gentle,
classic literature,
unit studies, and
child-centered learning, all appealed to my own philosophy of early childhood education.
We received
Before Five in a Row to review for the
TOS Crew. Here is the description from the website:
This all new product includes 23 FIAR-style mini-units (plus an extra mini-unit!) on outstanding AND simple children's books for ages 2-4 as well as a large section on learning readiness activities in everyday life; things to do in the kitchen, at the store, at bedtime, bathtime, etc. You'll find an entire treasury of ideas to prepare children for learning- making sure that they've covered all the basic but oh-so-important steps to ensure that they are ready to begin more formal schooling. The perfect introduction to the joys of parent-directed learning in just a few very special minutes each day.
First of all, I'd like to point out that Before
FIAR is not just for
homeschool families! Any family that wants to spend quality time with their children enjoying classic literature will benefit from this. Do you want to instill a love of reading in your children, encourage curiosity about the world around them, foster good character and values, enjoy fun activities together, and do it all in a way that doesn't feel forced? Do you have a desire to spend "learning readiness" time with your kids, but lack the ideas to do that? Before
FIAR will inspire you to do all these things and provide the activities you need to spark that creativity in yourself and encourage your child's eagerness to learn. Who hasn't heard their child excitedly say, "Read it again!" before the last page of their favorite book is even finished. Before
FIAR will help you avoid the monotony of repetition by introducing several new activities to do after reading the book -- making it fun for the child to look for certain things in the story and giving the parent a fresh twist as well.
Big Sis was happy to see some of our favorites used in Before
FIAR:
Blueberries for Sal,
The Snowy Day,
The Runaway Bunny, and
Corduroy. We checked out
Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by Nancy White
Carlstrom from the library in order to read something new and do the lessons along with it. Big Sis really enjoyed the adorable illustrations and rhyming verse. Just look at all the suggested activities
just for this one book included in Before
FIAR:
- Bible (memorize a verse)
- Language Arts
- Loving Relationships
- Colors/Patterns/Combinations
- Fine Arts - Drama
- Literature
- Poetry and Art
- "Can you find" searches
- Order
- Details
- Games to Play
- Science
- Shapes
Each of these activities relate to the story. Children get to look for certain pictures in the book, express their opinions on the story, listen for rhyme, and even re-enact the story. It's a fun way to introduce the qualities of great literature, grammar, and basic skills to little ones. There is also an extensive section of the book called "Parent's Treasury of Creative Ideas for Learning Readiness" with additional activities to do as a family. It's an encouragement to treasure these precious early years that pass much too quickly. Just spending quality time as a family without the pressure to perform academically will teach children so much. Make the most of their own natural curiosity and take the time to make a memory now!
We had only one "problem" with this book:
Before Five in a Row is recommended for ages 2-4. The activities were really too young for Big Sis (7) and too old for Lil Sis (19 months). We enjoyed reading (and re-reading) the books and Big Sis was able to read some of them solo to Lil Sis, which is a great way to spend the afternoon! However, Big Sis lost interest in some of the counting, letters, and colors activities because they were too simple. This would've been perfect for us about 3-4 years ago. Big Sis would've eaten it up! I'm sure that day is coming soon with Lil Sis, too. Right now, it's time to move on to the more advanced levels of
FIAR with Big Sis.
FIAR has an active
message board for interaction with other families. You can get great ideas for
lapbooks and other helpful hints there.
Before
FIAR is inexpensive ($24.95), especially considering the wealth of info it provides. Most books are available at the local library (free!) or through any book seller. There are a few harder to find or out of print titles, but these could simply be skipped if you choose. Before
FIAR (and the other
FIAR books) are easily adaptable to your schedule and your child's ability/interests. The titles don't have to be completed in a particular order either.
Visit the
Five in a Row website to learn more about their books and accompanying products.
As always, read what the Crew has to say for more information.
