Why We Love ‘Five In A Row’!

One of the literature based curriculums we are using again this year is FIAR (Five In A Row) by Jane C. Lambert.  We used this curriculum a fair bit while my boys were younger however we only touched the surface of so many books and topics that I knew I wanted to do it again with my girls, and continue incorporating more advanced studies using the same books for my boys.  In our family we have had the opportunity to use many different curriculums for LA, Science, Social Studies and Fine Arts.  While they are all really great programs, none of them seemed to accomplish the depth of learning, memories, and enjoyment that this curriculum provided.  We absolutely love FIAR and I knew I wanted to do it again while my girls were younger.  When my boys found out I was pulling it out, they reminisced about all of the fun memories we made and some of the neat topics we covered.  I knew that I wanted to continue using FIAR for not only my girls, but also for my older boys (ages 8 and 10).

Although the curriculum itself is recommended for ages 5 – 8, it is not difficult to add in additional projects, books and go along studies to make this curriculum fit with a wide age range of kids.  For our girls, other than Math and Bible, FIAR is enough.  For our older boys, they are also using the Brave Writer Arrow program which is an LA curriculum that is super flexible and a ton of fun, as well as Beautiful Feet Books for Science and Social studies this year.

Here are my top 10 reasons why I love the FIAR curriculum!

• It reminds me to slow down with my kids and really enjoy the learning process!  Since starting FIAR, I have learned so much more about history, fine arts, science and even L.A than I ever remember learning in school.  I think the fact that we get to work alongside our kids while making amazing memories is why it ‘sticks’ in the mind of the kids that are using it.
• It honestly works SO well when you have a large family.  Even though the books are elementary age picture books, I am a firm believer that a good quality picture book can be one of the best resources for teaching not only kids of all ages, but adults too!
• I love how they incorporate so many details for art and nature study.  In my house, my youngest daughter is an artist to the core.  I love how this curriculum addresses artistic techniques, famous artist studies, a love for the outdoors and so much more!  The projects and crafts that can be incorporated into this curriculum are endless.  I will be honest, my boys were always less interested in the artistic studies and we covered a lot less of those areas than we are now.  However, they still managed to soak it all up like a sponge!
• I love the science!  So many fun projects that my kids love being a part of.  Most of the supplies they recommend are easily found around the house and something that we can all take part in.
• I love the memories that my kids are making with good quality books.  These books have become part of the fabric that is woven into our family.  I love it when I bring out a FIAR book from a few years ago and the boys shout “I loved that book!”
• The books used in the FIAR curriculum all have quality characters that embody strong relationships, positive problem solving and heroic personalities.  They all provide great examples for my kids to look up to.
• The grammar, spelling and LA portions of the curriculum are gentle while still covering many advanced lessons.  Because the kids are not bombarded with worksheets, spelling tests and reading comprehension, they are able to let the topics soak into their young minds.  Often complicated grammar rules become easy to remember because they are instantly associated with a quality picture book.  I LOVE that!
• Adventure, Adventure, Adventure!  FIAR has taken our family on so many adventures and field trips.  We have gone places we would have never even thought of because of the multitude of learning that is presented with each study!
• It is a great relationship building tool for you and your kids.  Reading the same book 5 times in a row (or often more often as your kids request to hear the story again and again) creates lasting memories and rich experiences that you will savour with each of your kids.  Every child is able to see themselves in these books through the characters and sharing these books out loud as a family creates a strong family bond.
• Flexibility!  Sometimes, you just don’t have the time, energy or resources to tackle all of the extra projects that this curriculum offers.  Even so, just reading from the manual itself along with the story is honestly enough for those seasons of life when times of sickness or business hits our family.  We can still discuss amazing themes and topics without anything extra.  The curriculum really does provide everything you need.

FIAR really is an amazing choice of curriculum if you love learning through literature as much as we do.  If you are already using FIAR, or planning to give it a try I would love to hear from you!  If you need help getting started, feel free to download our free planning page, or any of the unit study guides I have created for our family.