bttrflyvld Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Which would you recommend for 4 turning 5 year old BFIAR or FIAR? I need to add that she's very advanced as a preschooler goes. Also, those who have tried this program did you like/dislike it? and why Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I would go with FIAR at her age, especially if she is an advanced preschooler. We used FIAR when my middle kids were younger and we loved it. The books are wonderful, and the learning you do with FIAR is gentle, yet thorough. I also recommend purchasing the FIAR Cookbook. Some of our best memories are making the foods to go with each story.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperDad Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I would go with FIAR at her age, especially if she is an advanced preschooler. We used FIAR when my middle kids were younger and we loved it. The books are wonderful, and the learning you do with FIAR is gentle, yet thorough. I also recommend purchasing the FIAR Cookbook. Some of our best memories are making the foods to go with each story. :iagree: I wasn't nearly as impressed with B4FIAR as I was with FIAR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 You might want to read this thread for feedback on FIAR: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=351963&highlight=FIAR Some people love it. Others don't think the projects connect and/or have trouble finding the out of print books it wants you to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I started FIAR when my dd was 4. We did okay with B4, but not enough to keep using it. But FIAR stole both our hearts and here we are with her at 6 1/2 yo and still using it. My vote would be for FIAR, but I do know some who adore B4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 We use FIAR for preschool and kindergarten. I typically start it at almost 4 and use it for about two years. I have used BFIAR but it's not really much of a curriculum. I used it with my second kid at 3 just to help me plan out something special for him each week. I use FIAR very differently than the manual probably intends but I really like it and think it's a great preschool/kindergarten choice. I also think you probably need no curriculum at that age and saw in the other thread that many people said it wasn't more than they would do anyway. That might be true but I'm the kind of person who needs structure and it just helps me structure our week, make a library list, etc. I'm also not the best mom in the preschool years at thinking of crafts and playing with my kids. I love my kids but I'm better as they get older. So FIAR helped me do the things that others might have done naturally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 You might want to read this thread for feedback on FIAR: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=351963&highlight=FIAR Some people love it. Others don't think the projects connect and/or have trouble finding the out of print books it wants you to read. Out of 55 books (vol 1-3) there are about 6 books out of print. I have easily found 4 of those with online searches for reasonable prices ($15 or less). One other I have substituted (like many others) with the same story by a different author. Almost all unit studies will run across times when the books the study relies on will go out of print. This is not a FIAR problem only. You can't update/revise every time it happens. But because of the high demand for many of the books, several have been brought back in print by Purple House Press. The good thing about FIAR is that if a person doesn't want to (or doesn't have the time to) do a search for the OOP books they can be skipped with NO upset to the flow of the curriculum. Each book stands alone. The argument that some love it and some don't applies to ALL curriculum. Everybody has their preferences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivka Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 You might want to read this thread for feedback on FIAR: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=351963&highlight=FIAR Some people love it. Others don't think the projects connect and/or have trouble finding the out of print books it wants you to read. That thread is worth considering, but I don't think it represents the range of opinions about FIAR very well. I stayed off it because it was specified that the OP was looking for negative opinions. Negative opinions are what she got. OP, we used FIAR and loved it. I think it's ideal for an advanced K'er. If you follow the link to my blog in my signature, you'll see the FIAR books listed down the side of the page. Click on a book title and you'll see the activities we did for that book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 to my blog in my signature, you'll see the FIAR books listed down the side of the page. Click on a book title and you'll see the activities we did for that book. Just wanted to say that I watched the vid of your little girl doing the re-telling of Katy and the Big Snow and I loved it! She reminds me so much of my little girl who just can't sit still while telling a story. And I am very impressed at all of the detail that your little girl put into it! Well over 3 mins worth! She did great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bttrflyvld Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 That thread is worth considering, but I don't think it represents the range of opinions about FIAR very well. I stayed off it because it was specified that the OP was looking for negative opinions. Negative opinions are what she got. OP, we used FIAR and loved it. I think it's ideal for an advanced K'er. If you follow the link to my blog in my signature, you'll see the FIAR books listed down the side of the page. Click on a book title and you'll see the activities we did for that book. Thanks for all the advice everyone. I can't wait to check out your blog. I've really wanted to see what it's really like. Thanks for the link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Thanks for all the advice everyone. I can't wait to check out your blog. I've really wanted to see what it's really like. Thanks for the link. When you are finished checking out her blog, if you want to see how other moms use FIAR here is an entire blog roll. I really appreciate all of the efforts these moms have put out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I used FIAR with my advanced 4yo, and we absolutely adored it. Sure, there are some lessons that were too advanced for her, but there are so many to choose from, it did not matter. Dd particularly loved the mapping and the vocabulary (as described in the intro). She loved it so much, she would let me take off for even Christmas. I got a little burned out on it toward the end and we didn't finish Vol. 3. OTOH, I have a just turned 4yo ds who I wouldn't think of trying FIAR with at this point. He is also fairly advanced but with a very different skill set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsharris28 Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I would use FIAR, no doubt. Using it now with my almost 4 yr. old and my almost 7 yr. old loves it, too! Don't bother with BFFIAR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALB Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I agree: use FIAR! It is so much fun! Although it isn't an ideal curriculum for everyone (and it wasn't for us after the first year), it is still a wonderful option. The author really put her heart into those manuals, and there is a lot of meat there to choose from. I think one of its strengths is the way you can really make it work for a variety of ages. It won't be hard to find good activities that are appropriate for kids on the young side of the age range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 You might want to try asking this at the fiar forums. http://www.fiveinarow.com/forum/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in GA Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I looked through BFIAR but never actually used it. It struck me as dopey and hardly a "curriculum." The activities were things like, "Point to the picture where they are crossing the river holding their shoes and ask, "Why are they holding their shoes." Or, "The story has a section with people playing in the mud, so take your kids outside sometime and have them play in the mud." Really?? :confused: I guess if you had no idea how to read a book to your kids (or, for that matter, do things with them), that might be helpful. But to me it all seemed like either things I would either naturally do anyway, or things I had no desire to do. I have gotten most of the books on the book list for bedtime stories, though. Now, we did use FIAR for about a year and a half. I have mixed feelings about it. I'll probably go on the other thread and post in more detail. I used it for my third grader and I definitely feel like it is NOT "enough" for third grade, especially in the LA/writing/spelling department, no matter what they say. (BTW, I have looked through "Beyond FIAR," and do not feel like that is enough for a middle school student, either.) Also, I've said this before, but I don't know if I would have used FIAR had it not been for the homeschoolshare.com materials and the FIAR message board archives. The manual alone is more about things to discuss rather than tangible things to actually do, and I think I would have gotten bored with it quickly. I will add that I was surprised how much I liked the art lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I wasn't impressed with BFIAR. Dd was bored with the questions even when she wasn't yet three. We've been doing FIAR for awhile now. We just do the easier discussion points/activities. There's plenty of material there at the level of a bright preschooler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bttrflyvld Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 When you are finished checking out her blog, if you want to see how other moms use FIAR here is an entire blog roll. I really appreciate all of the efforts these moms have put out. Thanks this is a great list of blogs to skim through. Wonderful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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