Over time, some of the stories have become part of the backdrop of our family.
If you peruse homeschool blogs, many FIAR families do beautiful and extraordinary crafts. I am not one of those moms! While the crafts are fantastic and can create many wonderful memories for your children, FIAR still works even if you are not the "crafty" type. Please, don’t let that stop you from using and enjoying FIAR.
While I don’t do elaborate crafts, I do often make a meal or food item that goes along with the book. I have found that making the food item for dinner is an easy way to get dad involved in our week. The kids can narrate the story, share their favorite part of the story, and tell Dad why they have made or are eating that particular food item. That time spent sharing the story gives each child the opportunity to share insight into what they remember from the story and why.
The Five in a Row cookbook is very helpful, but not a necessity. Most often the books do mention some sort of food item or ingredient, and it’s so easy to look around the internet and get ideas from others. Homeschool moms are very eager to share what has worked, and what hasn’t worked, with a particular books. Delightful Learning has a blog roll of FIAR blogs, a great collection!
Since we have read through most of the volumes, this fall we are going to do a “best of” . Twenty of our favorites, as well as a couple of new titles to keep things fresh. Here is our plan for the 2012-2013 learning year.
Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say
Night of the Moonjellies by Mark Shasha
They Were Strong and Good by Robert Lawson
The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Amber on the Mountain by Tony Johnston
Very Last First Time by Jan Andrews
Mr. Grumpy’s Motor Car by John Burningham
Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey {Before Five in a Row}
Mailing May by Michael O. Tunnell
Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco
Pappa Piccolo by Carol Talley
My schedule is pretty simple, and we do read the book each day. This is integral to the point and purpose of FIAR. I know some complain its boring to read the book each day, but I have not found this to be true in my home. I have one child in particular with some short term memory issues and I have found this method to be most helpful to her.
Monday we read through the book, Tuesday and Wednesday we read and discuss math/science/language arts/health etc., Thursday we read and do a craft or make a food item and on Friday we read the book a final time and read our go alongs for the week. Also, we do a bit of a review.
Five in a Row allows for so much flexibility to the day and to the week. The suggestions are there as a starting point, but the possibilities are endless.
For more about how I plan our Five in a Row weeks you can read here, and I have created a Five in a Row planning sheet to help keep myself organized, maybe it will be helpful to you too.
Enjoy your Five in a Row adventure!
Jen is a wife to one amazing husband and mom to six energetic kids. Visit Forever, For Always, No Matter What where she blogs about their Catholic faith, homeschooling and adoption. All while trying to fit in exercise and healthy eating.