Before Five In A Row

I received a product to review for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine (TOS).   This product was recommended for preschoolers ages 2 to 4, called Before Five In a Row (from this point on, I will be using the acronym BFIAR - hope I won't confuse you!).  The subtitle of the book is..."A treasury of creative ideas to inspire learning readiness"...and boy, that turned out to be true. 



If you are a homeschooler, you have probably heard about Five In A Row....sometimes referred to with the acronym FIAR.



I gotta tell you that I have found the acronym confusing....I always think that it is the word "FAIR" spelled wrong.


Even though I had heard about the Five In A Row product for years, I really didn't understand what it was.  I thought it would be a curriculum, but it isn't.  The book has two parts:  Stories and Activities and Parent's Treasury of Creative Ideas for Learning Readiness. 

I was also a little nervous about a program for preschoolers because I am sort of anti-curriculum or formal schooling for preschoolers.  I pretty much believe in the philosphy of  teaching them when they are ready/interested.....plus, there is nothing like the enthusiasm of a preschooler who wants to do school! 

I was pleasantly surprised by BFIAR....it really is a treasury of creative ideas.  I stuck mostly to the first section of the book where it lists classic children's books that you either already own or that can be easily found at your library. 

Now, as you may have seen, I have had a couple of kids.  I sort of have this parenting/teaching thing down.  So, even after I figured out that it wasn't a true curriculum, I still thought....yeah, whatever....preschool stuff that I am going to need to try to shove down their throats....because I agreed to do a review.  Well, as much as I hate to admit it...I was wrong....I did not, in fact, have to shove anything down the kids throat....it was all pretty....painless.

They taught this old dog some new tricks.

Here are a few of the books that S-Girl and V-Girl and I read....and learned from:

Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?, by Nancy White Carlstrom

S-Girl and V-Girl loved this book and had me read it many times....and, by the time, it was due back at the library...S-Girl could pretty much "read" it to me too.

Here are some examples of what BFIAR guide you through in reading this book: 

Language Arts:  The book is written in rhyme.  This section goes on to talk about how these early childhood rhymes set you up for enjoying poetry later in life. 

Loving Relationships:  Ask your child to look for signs of love between Jesse Bear and his parents.  (Then, in case you miss them too....it lists what they are.) 

(I love the Daddy Bear's pin stripe suit!)

Colors, Patterns, and Combination:  Have a box filled with different fabrics, with diferent colors and textures so your child can pretend that they are putting together outfits for themselves or a cardboard bear....that can move into actually picking out their own clothes and having a sense for what "goes together". 

Fine Arts/Drama:  You can have the rest of your family act out or pantomime the Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? story. 

Literature:  This section talked about what other books this author has written. 

Poetry and Art:  You could practice coming up with other rhymes for what Jesse would wear on different occasions ....like a snowy day....or a birthday party....and do it all in the same cadence and rhyme that the book uses. 

Can You Find Search:  This is just what it sounds like...and one that I have used many times ...even before BFIAR.... for those books that the kids want read over and over until I just can't take it anymore.  You can do it like a Where's Waldo type thing....where you find one thing per page....or, you can count "how many" whatevers there are on each page, like flowers, or you can look for differences in pages....like if the clock shows a different time....or what is on Jesse's plate.

I think you get the general idea....the other areas that they have activities and ideas related to this book, specifically are:  Bible; Recognizing Patterns; Order: Details; Games to Play; Science; and Shapes.

I know....who knew there could be so much stuff to do with a silly, little children's book?!?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats

This book had the same type of ideas as Jesse Bear...but, some that I specifically liked:

Art:  This highlighted the type of illustration used and suggested trying you own with water colors and tissue paper.

Healthy: This section talked about how to dress appropriately for the weather.  Not needed quite as much in Georgia as it was in Minnesota - but still valuable stuff to talk to the kidlets about.

I probably wouldn't have picked up this book without the recommendation from BFIAR.  For a really good reason....I don't particularly care for this illustration style....isn't that a good reason?  Ha!  But, I ended up liking the book and I also liked that it showed winter in an urban setting....not just the country setting that I am used to.

(Ignore the diaper clad child above the book!)

Caps For Sale, by Esphyr Slobodkina (no, I don't know how to pronounce it either)

This is another one of the books that made me look at illustration in a new way.

This the first page of the book....notice which direction the man is facing....

And here, is the last page of the book....standing in the same spot.  I didn't notice this little detail myself until BFIAR pointed it out to me.  I have found myself looking for more of these little sneaky details in the other kid's books we read.

The Quiet Way Home, by Bonny Becker

We had a lot of fun with the Search and Find with this book.

Can you find the cat that only has its ears and tail showing?

And, good, old, Good Night Moon!, by Margaret Wise Brown

In case you couldn't tell....this is our own personal....very worn....copy.

What I liked:  Just about everything.  I liked that each book had a section about Bible, which talked about things like being a good friend, being kind and had Bible verses that showed examples of these character traits.  I liked that many of these books were award winners.  I liked that lots of them were "old" or "classic" books that could be found....even at my small library, that doesn't have a lot of choices. 

What I didn't like:  Really....I pretty much liked everything.  If I had to pick something....it would be that it felt like there was almost too much to do.  I didn't have much time to explore the second section of the book on creative ideas for learning readiness.  But, they even address this at the beginning of  the the section.  It talks about having time ...or, more accurately, the lack of time, for these things at the beginning of the section.  It mentions how overwhelming all of these ideas can be, but, this quote from the first paragraph of that book just  makes me happy....

"This list is not a must do list."

That is perfect for me.....because really, I have plenty on my "must" do list already.  Frees me from the guilt that may be lurking around the corner!

Believe me, in my time, I have read lots and lots of children's books to my kids and really didn't think I was going to get too much from BFIAR....but, I really was wrong.  They showed me lots of good ideas that were specific to the 24 recommended books.....but I can use those ideas as jumping off points for other books....and really, like I said, for me, it really opened my eyes to some of the many aspects of illustration....probably not an intended consequence....but it is what I learned anyway!

If you want more information or to get your own copy of Before Five In A Row, you can go here and check it out.

I received a free copy of Before Five in A Row in exchange for an honest review of this product.

More About My Dad...

I have been thinking a lot about  my dad lately.  Mostly about he and my mom.  I told you they had been married over 51 years when he died and I showed you this wedding picture....

But, this is too formal of a shot to show you what they were really like....

My sister, Karen, is a long time scrapbooker and had a lot of beautiful scrapbooks that she had made on display at my Dad's visitation.  My sister, Kandi, sorted through the scrapbooks and her own vast amount of pictures that she had taken and put together display boards of some of our favorite pictures of Dad.

Even though I was very much still in a fog-like state that whole week, I had the presence of mind to take pictures of some of my favorites that my talented sisters had on display.

These pictures show what life with parents, who really loved each other, was like...

I didn't do a good job of getting this one captured on film....my flash reflected off my mom....but, that is them smooching....I think as newlyweds....or a newly engaged couple....

And, again....and, again....I think you get the idea....there was a lot of smooching going on.

I shared in this post about my memories of Dad, one of which was him going to find my mom every day when he got home from work.  I was able to share this at his funeral, also. 

I remember that he would come in the front door from work and head up the three steps, to the kitchen, where mom was cooking. 

I remember, they would stand in the middle of the kitchen hugging and sort of swaying back forth.

I remember when I was little, trying to break in and get in on their hug (sometimes they would let me and sometimes they wouldn't....that time was just for them). 

I remember that the hug would almost always end with Dad giving mom a little swat on the rear before he went off to try to read the newspaper on the couch.

I remember when I was a teenager being embarrassed that my parents kissed and hugged....and other things....as evidenced by the fact that I have a much younger sister who came along, when I, the baby of the family, was 12.

Sometime in my adult years, I made the transition from embarrassment to admiration and hopefulness that I would be able to find someone who would stand in the kitchen and hug me, like my Dad hugged my Mom, at the end of a hard day. 

I am proud to say that Rainman and I are carrying on Mom and Dad's tradition of hugging and kissing in the kitchen.....and, I am assuming, from the chorus of "Eeeewww's" that we get...we are also carrying on the tradition of embarrassing our children.

V-girl even stands near us making the kissy noises....and she and S-girl will usually try to get in on the action....sometimes we let them....and sometimes we don't.

A-man has been very interesting since my dad died.  At first, I wasn't sure that he even really "got it" that Grandpa was gone.  As we were traveling on our drive back to Minnesota....I would cry....get myself under control....then, I would talk to someone on the cell phone...and I would cry some more.

He finally just said, "Mom, why don't you just stop talking about Grandpa Doug?  Then you won't cry anymore."

Since we have gotten home, he has been really....I don't know....sensitive and thoughtful....he seems to be always watching and lurking to see if I have been crying...if I look like I am going to cry.... or, if I just look sad.  He will come over and give me a big hug....look into my eyes....and walk away.

The other night, Rainman and all of the kids were out swimming.  After about 15 minutes or so, A-man came inside.  Usually he is the first in the pool and the last out of the pool. 

Here he is swimming with his cousin, Rob....just another typical day of swimming in A-man's life.  He is the "Life of the Pool Party".

So, I asked him why he had come in so early when everyone else was still out there....and probably would be for quite a while. He looked at me for a few seconds longer than normal, then just said that he was just done swimming.

Later that night, he and Rainman went to the store to get some milk....just the two of them.  Somehow a discussion of why he had stopped swimming so early came up.  A-man told Rainman that he thought I had looked sad earlier in the day and he wanted to come in and check on me to make sure I wasn't crying.

This next picture will really only mean something to my family....and people that knew my Dad....check out his pocket.....

This is A-man being like Grandpa Doug......

He told me that he wasn't going to smile with his teeth, because Grandpa Doug didn't do that.

He told me that since Grandpa Doug is dead and I won't get to see him again until I get to heaven....he wanted to try to be like him....for me...so I won't be so sad. 

He has already checked most of his shirts to see if they have a Grandpa Doug pocket.

Big IQ Kids

My family recently received a one year Premium membership at Big IQ Kids.


Who doesn't like that name?  I mean, everyone wants their kids to have a Big IQ, right?  It can't be just me....right?

This site that has both Free and Premium options available. 

First, the Free stuff:  They have free versions of their Spelling/Vocabulary; Math; U.S. States; and Spelling/Vocabulary Competitions.

Premium stuff:  Math; Spelling, and U.S. Geography.

They also just added a new SAT prep vocabulary program that works on word mastery and not just memorization....that has me sort of intrigued...however, we have not used it yet. 

How it works:  One of the fun parts for the kids was to create their virtual "buddy" that would be them on the various pages.  For L-Girl and A-Girl, they spent a lot of time getting them just right, from hair color/style to their outfits and accessory choices!

The kids log on to do their lessons in each subject.  There is a computer generated teacher for each lesson....sometimes it is a man, sometimes it is a woman.  They talk to you throughout the lesson, for example, tell you what to do, give you your spelling words, etc.  I will warn you that these "teachers" talk in a computer-y/robot-y voice that is a little, shall we say.....startling.  Seriously, every time I hear it, I jump a little bit! 

Each time they complete a lesson, they earn a coin.  The coins can then be used to play games....or, if they want their "buddy" to have a new outfit or hair color, they can use the coins to change up their look too.  It is sort of like going to the fair where each ride costs a certain number of tickets....in this case, the games cost a certain number of coins.    With the Premium membership, there are like 3 pages of games for them to choose from. 

It was interesting to me that L-Girl used up her coins as soon as she got them, while A-Girl liked to save hers up to use them later in a big chunk.

This program recommends that you log on daily to complete the lessons, which typically take about 10-15 minutes.....I will admit that we didn't do exactly that.  A-Girl and L-Girl spent a lot more time than that the first week or so and then it tapered off a bit and they were doing the recommended 10-15 minutes a day.  But, then, my dad died, which limited all of our school time and especially our access to computers.  If we had access to computers, it actually would have been a great way to "do school" while our lives were in such upheaval because of my dad.

You, as the parent are in control and always have access to see what they are doing and how well or poorly they are doing.  There are reports you can access that show you information like how many problems they completed, the average time it took to complete them, total lesson time, and how many were completed correctly.  You can even print these reports so they can be part of your official school records.

What I/We Liked:  I liked that the parents could easily see how the kids were doing in each subject...even if you don't have time to sit down next to them and watch them work.  I like the reward system of the coins.  One feature that I think is interesting for all you "mean" parents out there....you have some option on how you set up the games/coins feature.  One is to only have the games available on weekends - so, for example, you would have the kids do all their lessons and work during the week and then would get the weekends to use up their coins as they saw fit.  Another option would be for the truly "mean" parent....you can set it up that there are no games/coins options available....ever. 

I am using the word "mean" with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek....as I can see possible reasons where parents would set things up this way.  I just liked letting the kids have instant gratification...if they chose to....like I said, A-Girl liked to delay hers to enjoy all at once.

I liked that with the Premium Spelling program, it was done in steps...the first step was to type them on the computer, the second step was to actually write them down on a piece of paper (I feel like that step is the one that really gets words solidified in your mind).  The number of times you had to write them depended on how many you typed incorrectly, in the previous step.  It also included pop quizzes and finally a test on the words. 

I liked that you could print out the math lesson and not do them on-line.  I personally find math harder to do with a keyboard, especially when you are borrowing/carrying, etc.   That being said, I thought the information about the average time it took to complete math problems when the lessons were completed on the computer, was really interesting and I can see it being helpful information to have come standardized test time.

I liked that you work towards mastery in each area and that the program doesn't let you move on before you are ready.

I liked their State Geography program and since that is something that we focus on already with our kids, they found it easy to do.....so, in their minds...easy access to game coins!

(See Alexis' mouth?  She is getting ready to speak in her robot-y voice!)



I also liked, in theory, anyway,  that you can customize the lessons to match up with what you are doing in your actual school lessons, for example, if your kids are working on double digit subtraction problems with borrowing....you can set up their math lessons to mirror that.  I say that I like it, in theory, because it just takes more parent time to get it set up.....and in many cases it is just easier to give them worksheets or teach the lesson yourself.

What I/We Didn't Like:  I didn't like that if you changed your mind and wanted to go back and choose a new subject or look at the previous screen, and you push the back arrow, you were taken all the way back to the log-in page.  I also didn't like that on the Premium Spelling page, when they would ask you to type in a word from your list, it would fill in that letter wherever it is located in the word.....example:  If the word was interfering....when you typed in the "i" at the beginning, it would fill in the blank where the "i" goes at the end of the word too....same with the "e"....when you type in the first "e", it automatically fills in the next one.  (When you are doing the Spelling Bee though, it doesn't fill in the letters until you tell it to).

My problem with any on-line or computer based schooling is that I don't have the time to sit with them and go through the lessons or even supervise....so, there has to be a certain amount of trust that the information they are going to be learning is okay.  I didn't see anything that I was overly concerned about in Big IQ Kids.....but, it does seem like I just let them go learn and then check up on them later....I guess, in a way it is like sending your kids off to public school.....something we homeschoolers aren't used to doing....just blindly trusting that our kids are learning stuff and what they are learning is a-okay.

Overall, Big IQ Kids was a fun program that we intend to use as a supplement to what we have already chosen for this year.  It seems like it really helps you focus on academic excellence....while still keeping things fun for the kids....always a good thing, in my book.  They are all getting used to the fact that when they ask for computer time, after their normal school work is done, the first thing I say is....Do your Big IQ Kids first.

Cost:  There are free Spelling/Vocabulary, U.S. States, and Math programs available. 

OR

Spelling Jr. for $7.99/month or for $39.99 for 12 months (works out to $3.33/month). 
Premium Math  for $9.99/month or $49.99 for 12 months (works out to $4.17/month). 
Premium Geography for $39.99 for 12 months (works out to $3.33/month)

I am happy that we will still have time to delve deeper into Big IQ Kids with our Premium membership, because there is a lot of stuff we haven't even scratched the surface of.  (Okay, I just ended that sentence with a preposition....I know....but I can't figure out how to change it, so it still makes sense....sorry!)

For more information on how Big IQ Kids works and what they may have to offer your family, click here.


My family received a one year Premium membership in exchange for an honest review of this product.