Jump to content

Menu

Five In A Row with reluctant listeners?


tdbates78
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hello! My 7 year old twin daughters have only been homeschooled since the beginning of 2017. So far things are going really well. They are adjusting quite nicely to the curriculum (Explode the Code, FLL, Draw Write Now, Math Mammoth, etc) but we sit down at our dining room table most of the time and I am missing that image in my mind of snuggling on the couch with books and making school a little bit more fun and less "school like", at least for some of the time. I've read very positive reviews on Five In A Row and I'm thinking about giving it a try. My only concern is that my girls are not, and have never been, very good listeners. They know how to read, are good readers and good at phonics. It's just a general lack of interest. Things have gotten better recently as I've started picking up books based more on their interests and less on my idea of great children's literature. We've gotten through two Magic Tree House books and are now reading Grimms Rapunzel. Anyways, I'm a little concerned about trying to make a unit study out of books they may not have any interest in. Of course my hope is for the opposite to happen and they find a newfound appreciation for books when we make them multi-purpose instead of me trying to read while they are not paying attention. I'm still not entirely comfortable in my new role as homeschooling mommy so I prefer a curriculum with the teachers instructions laid out for me versus trying to create something myself.

 

I guess I'm seeking opinions based on our situation.

 

Thanks!

Tracy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to homeschooling, you sound like you're doing well!

 

I would think of it as training them to listen and training their interests to the good things. It is natural that they will baulk at something new, and it is difficult to sit and concentrate if you're not used to doing it often!

 

I do love FIAR, just my opinion!

 

Some tips:

 

Start with short times - <10mins

 

Bribery - they can sit and sip their hot chocolate while they listen! This also sets up a positive association in their minds.

 

Ask them to draw a picture from their favourite part. I love drawn narrations for those ages.

 

They are probably paying more attention than it appears they are! Just keep going, they will come around.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would hesitate to use FIAR to try to get 7 year olds to like being read to.  The FIAR book lists are really, really good, but you can find the book lists on the FIAR site and read the books without using the FIAR program.  

 

When my oldest was 5, he LOVED being read to, so we tried FIAR.  It actually turned him off from listening to stories, because while he loved listening to the books (though never more than a couple times), he hated all the "busy work" that FIAR tried to attach.  He didn't want to talk about how many trees were in the picture of the difference between rectangles and squares.  He wanted me to read Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, but not if he then had to learn about steam power.  He didn't want to do art or cooking or map making...he just wanted me to read stories he was interested in, not on a schedule, not five days in a row, but just when he was interested in them.

 

FIAR turned listening to stories from an enjoyable pass time for my son into a chore to be avoided.

 

Wendy 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congrats on starting your homeschooling adventures so recently! Hope you will have a wonderful journey together! ?

As far as Five in a Row:
Just be prepared to adapt. The program has you read the same book 5 days in a row, and then do something different with it each day. If your DDs are not enjoying read-alouds the first time around, it's hard to imagine they will be doing anything but groaning by the fifth day of reading aloud the SAME book. However... You can adapt. Just read the once, and then do the accompanying activities. Have the book handy all week, so all of you can refer to it as you do the accompanying activity. Perhaps re-read just once at the end of the week, and state aloud before re-reading, "Let's look for what new things we see in the story this time around, after all the cool stuff we learned this week about this subject!"

ETA: And as Wendy above says, you know your children. If they enjoy doing activities, then FIAR might increase their enjoyment of read-alouds. But if not, then it can make the read-alouds even more dreaded. So just keep an eye out and see how it goes, as to whether FIAR helps or hinders the read-alouds.

As far as read-alouds:
Some children focus better on read-alouds if they have something to do while listening -- a coloring page, working with clay, or even have a basket of "fidgets" to mess with. See these past threads:

"I need ideas for keeping hands busy during read-alouds"
- "I need ideas on activities for elementary age kids to do during read-aloud"

Or, your DDs might enjoy more, or focus more, with snacks -- pretzel sticks, a snack cup of trail mix or fish crackers, or other "small-eat-one-at-a-time" items.

Or, you could also try read-alouds in novel places -- a dry bathtub filled with pillows and blankets; up in a tree; in a "fort" -- a table covered with a sheet or blanket, and flashlights, if needed; curled up all together in mom & dad's bed with lots of pillows and stuffed animals; 

I'd suggest keeping the read-aloud time short to start with -- 15 minutes -- and do two different sessions a day. From there, you can slowly work your way up in longer reading times. Leave off in an exciting spot in the story at the end of the first session to build enthusiasm and interest for the next session later in the day. Also, have you tried "letting out your inner thespian" (lol) when reading aloud? Use different voices for different characters. Make dramatic pauses. Ask what they think will happen next, or what they would have done in the main character's position, or who they like best/what they've liked best so far...

You might also start incorporating an audiobook read-aloud in the car and/or at lunch to build stamina for listening to reading. Or do some grade-level read-alouds all together, taking turns, with each person getting to read aloud a page, then passing the book along.

Interacting with books in different ways can increase interest in books overall. One idea: if your DDs have a flair for the theatrical or the imagination, have fun enacting a scene from a read-aloud. I remember that at your DDs' age, I had a blast enacting "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" with my sister and 2 cousins, when we would go to a park that had a small foot bridge over a drainage ditch. You're reading "Rapunzel" right now -- what a fabulous opportunity for dress-up clothes, and using scarves for long Rapunzel hair. ?

Sounds like you're on the right track of picking books based on interests. What things is your family interested in? We could give you some ideas to help build a booklist!  :thumbup1:

BEST of luck in finding what works best in incorporating read-alouds. And welcome to homeschooling! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited by Lori D.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You all are wonderful. Truly. Thank you so much! It's great to get various opinions.

 

I LOVE the idea of trying reading out in some other spots. My girls love forts and they would love a bathtub filled with pillows and their "stuffies" :)

 

They are in a phase right now where they are into tornadoes, so I picked up the Magic Treehouse Twister on Tuesday. They weren't quite as interested at first, until we started actually talking about the tornado, but they brought up the book a few times since so maybe they are listening more than I am giving them credit for. But often I ask them a question about something I literally just read and they look at me with blank stares. But I feel like we are getting somewhere! They still like some pictures. I purchased The Secret Garden by Illustrated Classics. It's a much condensed version of the original, and with nice pictures. They seem relatively excited about it. And one of my girls is obsessed with all things horses and unicorns so we have a Magic Pony book lined up as well. Hopefully the further away they get from public school the more they will enjoy it. They seem to appreciate being able to pick the topics. Whatever works!

 

I'm not sure if they are much for busy work or activities. Workbooks work surprisingly well for them, although I don't do them too often. They also like their interactive notebooks and listening to instruction. They don't sit well for My America and My World!

 

Thanks again!

Tracy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I should probably add, as it may make a difference, that one of my twins has high functioning autism. Crafts and hands-on activities are sometimes difficult for her. We do an interactive language notebook and if her pieces aren't cut "just right" or it doesn't look "pretty" on her page (meaning centered correctly) she gets easily flustered and frustrated and then a meltdown can possibly occur. Even our weekly online art lessons, which are supposed to be for fun, ends up frustrating for her and I end up doing half of her drawing. So if there are a lot of hands on crafty-type activities I'm not sure if FIAR will be a good fit? I love the idea of lap books and crafts and things like that, but she seems to thrive on work when there is a definitive right or wrong answer, if that makes sense.

 

Tracy

Edited by tdbates78
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I should probably add, as it may make a difference, that one of my twins has high functioning autism. Crafts and hands-on activities are sometimes difficult for her. We do an interactive language notebook and if her pieces aren't cut "just right" or it doesn't look "pretty" on her page (meaning centered correctly) she gets easily flustered and frustrated and then a meltdown can possibly occur. Even our weekly online art lessons, which are supposed to be for fun, ends up frustrating for her and I end up doing half of her drawing. So if there are a lot of hands on crafty-type activities I'm not sure if FIAR will be a good fit? I love the idea of lap books and crafts and things like that, but she seems to thrive on work when there is a definitive right or wrong answer, if that makes sense.

 

Tracy

 

My son, who I mentioned in my post above, is also autistic.  FIAR was not a good fit for him.

 

Wendy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well here are some things you can do to increase their listening potential:

 

1.  Required read-aloud time every day- no Dr. Seuss, no easy readers. Pick really well chosen, interesting story books with beautiful illustrations. Require them to sit still, and listen for one book, and they will earn a sticker.  When they earn so many stickers, you can give them a treat.  Listening is a learned, behavioral habit.  :) It is something that must be thoughtfully developed in the child. 

2.  NO and I mean NO screen time unless it's a nature/Science documentary, or Reading Rainbow.   Many children nowadays have a short attention span due to too much media. NO ipad games, NO Ipod games, I would give all media a one-year moratorium (at minimum) until their attention span for listening increases.  You will be amazed how they learn to spend their time with no TV, no ipad, no ipod, etc.  

3.  When you read story books, be sure to pause, and let them discuss and talk about each page, each picture.  As they get older, you can increase to pausing only every two pages, or more.  For now, they need to know that unlike in school, "listening" can mean fun and interactive (please don't let them interrupt your reading though, as that would be a  very hard habit to break.  Instead, pause before turning the page and ask questions, see what they think.

 

Now, all that said, after you put the above in place, for a few months, then they will be ready for FIAR.  FIAR itself actually teaches the children to listen to see, to observe a book, and it even teaches you how to teach the appreciation and enjoyment of books.  I highly recommend it and we did three years of it :) some of our best homeschool memories are from FIAR!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...