I was SO excited to receive this item to review!  I had used Before Five In A Row with my older daughter when she was young and thought it would be a great thing to pull out to use with our youngest daughter, but when I went to look for it this past Fall, I couldn't find mine (I think I loaned it out!)  So I was thrilled to be able to have it once again!

Five In A Row (FIAR) is a pretty well known company throughout the homeschool world.  They are known for their wonderful literature based curriculum.  The author, Jane Claire Lambert, has over 17 years of homeschool experience. FIAR is made up of wonderful in-depth, step-by-step lesson plans that incorporate bible, social studies, language arts, art, applied math, history, geography and science in such a natural, fun way for the student to learn.  It is extremely flexible, and most books used in the different FIAR books can be easily found at the library.  There are four different levels:

• Before Five In A Row (ages 2-4) ~ Includes 23 mini-units from simple, well known children's picture books
• Five In A Row (ages 4-8) ~ There are four volumes.  You can view sample lessons and the complete book list
  
• Beyond Five In A Row (ages 8-12) ~ There are three volumes, and uses chapter books, instead of younger picture books
• Above & Beyond Five In A Row (ages 12 and up) ~ Focuses more on student-led learning, instead of teacher-led schooling

 The specific book that we reviewed was the Before Five In A Row and is based on many classic childhood favorites.  Ana loves the book Corduroy, so naturally, we started with that.  We discussed Proverbs 17:17 and what makes a good friend, manners, homes and habitats, found different animals in the illustrations in Corduroy, did some grouping with different colored buttons, and counted beds and lamps pictured on pages 14-15 in the book.  Two things she loves most is doing "her" school and being read to.  Before Five In A Row  makes it so easy for me to read her favorite books to her, then move right into fun learning opportunities with her based on the book we've just read.  Before Five In A Row's activities are easy and so well laid out, there is very little prep time for me.

FIAR also offers digital resources to make the learning even more fun!  Many crafts, activities, games and lapbooks can be found for different books being used in the different volumes (which we will be utilizing!).  You can order any of the FIAR books directly from their website.  Their website also has some great resources as well as a message forum to learn more and discuss the products with other homeschool moms. 

 Happy reading!

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