I bit the bullet and bought FIAR

[hands-on-mama]

So I posted a few weeks ago asking where the fun was in LHFHG. Overall, the program is working for us. It is so amazingly open and go. My daughter is taking the Bibles lessons and verses to heart and everything is just dandy, right? Really, it is, but I feel like there's something missing. I want nice picture books-quality picture books. She is still young and I want her to have a love of books. She doesn't love the Burgess books yet.

 

So I started researching. I have ordered a few things actually. We will continue with Little Hearts. I just want to supplement with something. I found a book called Picture Book Activities. It was recommended by some members her, so I ordered it and also a treasury that had many of the stories. I kept looking at FIAR. I guess we're going to give it a whirl because I just bought a volume of it as well. FIAR scares me to death. It seems like there is so much planning to be done with it! Please tell me that it's doable with what we are doing. We probably won't do but 2-3 days a week with FIAR realistically. I really hope we love it. We shall see soon I guess. I bought it used at least. :)

[xixstar]

I am excited for you. I think I just decided to add FIAR to our plans because of how often I go back to it. You can do as little or as much as you like with it so don't worry too much. There are a lot of great blog posts out there too.

[hands-on-mama]

Thank you! I really hope it works out. My youngest is just a couple months shy of 4, so I think it will work with both of them. I just looked at your Siggy. I just purchased Miquon too. I am super excited to get that!

[...................]

We absolutely loved FIAR. We did B4, Volume 1 and some of Volume 2 and 3.

[hands-on-mama]

Realistically, how much time do you think this will add to our days? Really, our days are not very long right now. Some days are longer than others depending on how engaged the girls are.

[PollyOR]

Love FIAR.  Be sure and visit the FIAR boards.  You'll get a lot of support there from some great folks.

[jelbe5]

Love FIAR here. I would like to suggest you keep it simple - pick one lesson per day and don't worry about doing a lot of extras. Make it fun! My 18 yod and I were looking over some of those books and she has such fond memories . . .

[Meg429]

We love FIAR!  And I agree, start out simple.  Just read the book, and pick one follow-on lesson from the FIAR manual each day.  There's really no need for any extra planning or other things unless you really want to.  Some rows we go all out, but it's nice to snuggle up on the couch with a good book and just talk about things. 

[Susie in MS]

FIAR can be as simple as you want it to be or as complicated. Get your feet wet, like the others say, keep it simple. FIAR is a treasure and it creates some lovely memories. It should add no more than 30 mins to your days, unless you later decide to do more than one lesson and add go-along books. But that is totally optional. Have fun!

 

My dd and I have enjoyed FIAR so much over the years that we are part of the FIAR quilt square swaps! I can't wait to see the squares the other ladies have done and put them all together with my dd.

[craftyerin]

We love FIAR!! It adds anywhere from 20 to 60 min to my day depending on if we're reading the book and discussing something simple or if we have a project of some sort.  Please don't be scared of it!  It's really not hard at all to plan.  I wrote a blog post about how I plan FIAR, if that would help.  The forum is helpful for finding some activities, but the most practical FIAR support right now, I believe, is a very active Facebook group.  People pop on and ask for suggestions with planning a "row" and other such things all the time.  Here's the link if you're interested.  

 

If I were you, though, I'd do the 3Rs and drop down to one "other", especially for kindergarten.  I wouldn't try to keep up with HOD, the other picture book activity book, FIAR, etc.  Unless you plan to alternate them and not do them in the same week.  FIAR is wonderfully rich and rewarding for us, and I can't imagine running it on top of other programs that include the same subjects.   

[Jackie]

We started FIAR a few weeks ago. We do 4 days per book instead of 5, choosing just 1-2 activities or discussions each day. We always skip the math because we are already using RightStart and I don't see any good reason to double up.

[Tracy]

I know that some people feel the need to do a lot of planning with FIAR.  But I did not do any planning beyond picking the easiest lessons to do.  There are lots of lesson plans that are just read and discuss or do a very easy activity, like acting something out.  We did put the discs on the map, but it only takes 30 seconds to cut one out and 60 more seconds to help your dc stick it to the map.  If your dc needs lots of kinesthetic activities, then I can see how that would require planning.  But my dd loved to just talk about the books and act them out.  Sometimes we looked for things on the internet.  We did this when she was 4yo, and she still says that FIAR is the best thing she has ever done for school.  Of course, YMMV.  My ds5 didn't care much for it at all, no matter how much planning we did.