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Five in a Row is a literature-based unit study curriculum for younger elementary students. Available in both softcover volumes and as digital files (the files include some features not available in the books), FIAR is used by many families for all but the Language and Math while others use it in conjunction with other resources. For more information on Five in a Row, visit http://fiarhq.com.
Website: Five in a Row
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(7 Reviews)
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Contributor Reviews
Reviews are solely the opinions of the contributor.
Pros:
Literature based
Story circle chart is a fun way to track your reading
Cons:
Out of print: Some books are out of print and I could only find some online.
Cost: the curriculum isn't too expensive but the books ended up being another $150 (used) so I chose to rent the ones I could from the library and only purchase about half that I couldn't.
Not open and go: geared toward the younger age group I guess I expected easy to use lessons. It is written like a teacher guide in paragraph form so you have to translate everything into the small nuggets of information that are age appropriate. The activities are laid out by subject but not open and go so there is prep involved. Sometimes I just opted for Pinterest activities instead.
Cons: not in-depth study - may need supplementation depending on child (besides math & grammar)
Grades Used: Pre-K - 1
We are absolutely loving our journey through FIAR. The girls are so attached to the books each week and are sad to return them to the library. For Christmas, they are getting copies of the books we've read so far! I love the variation in activities - we have focused, for example, on vocabulary words for the Language Arts lesson for each book and my 6-year-old is loving charting her vocab words in her binder. We have focused on the geography lessons for the Social Studies piece, which has fit in well with our learning about the world & continents. We've decided to supplement beyond the basic math & grammar so as to build a more Classical education, but we'll keep FIAR as part of our days because it's just so much fun and extremely valuable. For kids to learn how to read and really appreciate a book is just amazing! (And, I just won a trivia game on a question that had to do with one of the books...which I wouldn't have known had it not been for FIAR.)
Grades Used: Kdg, 1st.
I LOVE FIAR! My children enjoy reading the book each day for five days. Every day, they learn something they didn't hear the first time. By the end of the week, not only do they know the story, they have learned social studies, science, art, math, vocabulary, cooking, Bible, and more....all from the use of one great book!
We make a lapbook each week and there are so many great resources for these online for FREE! My girls love the lapbooks and are able to tell me about each thing they learned at the end of the week. So, not only are they having fun, being creative, and enjoying great reading time with mommy, they are also retaining what they have learned.
Before Five in a Row is available for 2-4 year olds (we will be using it next year!), Beyond Five in a Row for those over eight, there's also a Bible supplement, a cookbook which is fun (we cook something to go with our unit every week), and a Holiday book.
Grades Used: preschool and K
Such a sweet curriculum for moms that plan to do cuddling on the couch, reading books and doing projects together that compliment their reading. Great for kids close in age.
Grades Used: Pre-K - 2nd
This curriculum was foundational to our family. It put the love of learning into my children right away. You will read age-appropriate books with activities to follow that will help them understand and appreciate the world around them. We also used the Christian Supplement which was excellent to pull scriptures, faith and morals into each lesson.
Cons: A little prep is required, can get repetitive.
Grades Used: pre k - 2nd
I used this when my girls were little. They are only 2 years apart, so it worked out well to use for both of them. They loved the stories and the activities they got to do with each story. We never used it for the full 5 days, we could easily finish the activities in 2-3. It opened up a world of books to us that we may have never sought out on our own. I'd highly recommend it for use with younger children.
Cons: 5 days of the same book gets boring for some children
We loved this literature-based unit study when my youngest was little. We didn't always follow it the way it should be used, but I highly recommend it for the great choice of books and the age-appropriate activities suggested.