About a year ago, I had opportunity (as a reviewer for TOS) to review a product that, up until that time, I had only heard about.  I was just  thrilled to receive  volumes 1-3 of Five in a Row and I was very much impressed.  I am going to use an excerpt from that review, as it states exactly my thoughts on the curriculum, and I hope it is beneficial to you:

I had heard of Five in a Row many times, but had never seen it for myself.  I knew others who were using it in their homeschool, but had no idea what all the excitement was about.  Then, I received the Five in a Row curriculum to review, and I knew!  This is just the sweetest curriculum that I have seen, and I can’t wait until my youngest child is old enough for us to start using this in our homeschool.  I just wish I had known about it when my girls were younger. 

Five in a Row is a step-by-step, instructional guide for teaching Social Studies, Language, Art, Applied Math, and Science to your children, ages 4 to 8.  This curriculum uses outstanding children’s literature as the basis for each weekly unit study.  The lessons include discussion questions, teacher answers, hands-on activities, and suggestions for further study. 

Five in a Row has received rave reviews from some expert homeschoolers.  Why?  Well, first of all, it’s simple to use; everything you need is right in the book (with the exception of the reading books).  It holds children’s attention because it is based on books that they will enjoy hearing and/or reading.  It is flexible; you don’t have to work through it in order, but can pick and choose which reading book you’d like to work with each week.  Also, you don’t have to do every activity suggested in the book; just do the ones that appeal to you or meet your needs at the time. It will instill a love of reading in your child, as you introduce them to great books.  It is a relaxing approach to learning and will be fun for both you and your child(ren).

How does Five in a Row work?  It is set up to focus on one children’s book each week.  Reading the same book each day for five days will help the child remember more of what they have heard/read and will encourage them to think more about the book.  Five subjects are taught, to correspond with the five days of the week. Planning worksheets are included in the appendix (both a sample and a blank), making this curriculum very easy to plan and prepare for.  You can choose to follow the plan in the book, or change things around to suit your schedule.

The Homeschool Crew was very excited about the opportunity to review Five in a Row also.  Some of the various Five in a Row components that were received are:

• Before Five in a Row
• Five in a Row
• Beyond Five in a Row

Crew Members - please sign the Mr. Linky with your name - and, when doing so, also include the volume of Five in a Row that you received for review.  Thanks!