Learn with Joy: Why I Love Before/Five in A Row

Welcome back to our homeschool series. I know it's been a long while. I haven't written so much about our homeschooling journey for quite sometime. I have been meaning to share about it though, I just couldn't find the time to write. But I believe that is going to change now. 

I have always been asked about homeschooling my daughter. And honestly, that makes me so happy! I could go on and on sharing about what we do and how we do it. So, I guess, it's the perfect time to write about it, don't you think?

As I chronicle our homeschooling journey, my simple desire is to document our family's learning adventure and that somehow, when you read it, you would feel and realize you're not alone; that somewhere in the world, there's someone who gets what you're trying to say, who understands what you're feeling, and who believes that homeschooling may be daunting, but with God's grace and a support-community, it is doable. 

Now let me start by sharing what curriculum we are using for now. Currently, we are independent homeschoolers. And though there is a ton of great homeschool providers in the country, I believe that for now, this is where God is leading us, that is, to be independent. I'm simply following my daughter's lead, cues, and interests. I believe, we're doing more than okay, so that is why. ;)

The first time I've heard about Five in A Row (FIAR), I fell in love with it. I love story books. I love literature, so there's no question why I wouldn't love FIAR. But when I saw the manual and the books included in the list, I just couldn't resist it. So, we started using Before Five in A Row (BFIAR). BFIAR is a "prequel" (my own word) of FIAR. While FIAR is for kids from ages 4-8, BFIAR is for 2-4 year olds. It's an understatement to say that my daughter liked it. She was ecstatic every time we read a BFIAR book. She would always say, "Again, Mommy! Please read it again!" Together, we learned a lot from it and enjoyed every learning moment. So now that she's 6 years old, my husband and I decided to use FIAR as our  main curriculum for this year.

So, why do I love FIAR and BFIAR? Let me tell you the reasons. 

It focuses on developing positive attitude and character in the heart of a child.

I love to hear people say that my kid is smart and way beyond her years. But more than that, I prefer to hear them praise my daughter for being kind, friendly, and loving. And in our world today, one would think that it's really hard to raise such kind of kids. Good thing, there are helps available and I consider B/FIAR as one of them.

It cultivates love for reading and lets you rediscover the joy of learning.

"The more you read, the more things you know. The more you 

learn, the more places you'll go!" - Dr. Seuss.  We often hear this quote and we know it's true. As a child reads the classic stories of B/FIAR books, s/he hungers to read more and to know more. I have seen that in my daughter. She would always say, "More, Mommy, let's read more, please?" I don't even have to "teach" her. Because she's reading these books, she learns a lot on her own. She discovers what she needs to know and the joy it gives her is just priceless!

It presents simple lessons that are rich in results. 
It just amazes me how the simple lessons presented in this curriculum are expanding my and my daughter's learning horizon. Every time we finish reading a book, do some activities, I would often find myself with a smile on my face, excited with the relearning process and reintroduction to the subjects which I used to love but have already forgotten about because I'm now an adult. :)

It is so flexible you are given an option to do all or the activities that fit the needs of your learner.
Depending on your interests and time, you could choose an exercise or activity with your learner. Most of the time, I would let my daughter pick what she likes to do. The funny thing is, together, we would end up doing all the activities because she just loves doing them. From the suggested activities, ideas would pop up and then we would do them too! What I find interesting here is that, it's not just my daughter who is having fun. I also find myself glad and content that we are able to do and learn things together.

I simply love it. Period. Haha!
I simply love it! I'm a bookworm that's why I love the books that Five in A Row shares. I have never seen those books before when I was a kid. As I read each book with my daughter, I am like, "I wish I had read this when I was a kid." These books are classics and truly worth-reading and sharing. 

So, there you have it. If you are homeschooling and on the lookout for a curriculum for your little learner/s, give it a try. And I'm sure you will love it, as much as I do!

Note: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are personal and not in any way influenced by the author/s of Five in A Row.