FIAR question

[Pine Ledge Academy]

I think I would like someone to just tell me what to do every day, but since I can't have that, I will keep asking annoying questions.

Can I do FIAR for my little guys...K in the fall, while I am doing TOG with the older 3? Would I be trying to do too much in a day?

I really want something more than just math and reading with them but they can't keep up with the LG of TOG.

Just don't want to plan it and then find there is no way to fit it in.

[Shannon C]

I would suggest that if you do FIAR, don't read about what others are doing with it online. I only say that b/c it will make you feel that you need to add to the manual and you will feel very ovewhelmed. Speaking from recent experience. I keep finding great ideas that I just don't have time to implement fully. I too often am taking much longer on FIAR than I should just b/c I'm trying to keep up with 3Rs with my 2 kids and trying to do things like lapbooks, crafts, recipes, etc to go along with lessons. I would suggest that if anything maybe pick up some of the books and do some ideas from the manual, but mainly keep it conversational. Your kids will still be exposed to the great books and still can learn things from them(geography, history, etc.). I just couldn't imagine doing it the way I'd want to do while doing another curriculum with more kids. That's just my 2 cents.

[Kristiana]

I agree with Shannon, keep it conversational, and maybe get a few supplemental books to read. I went all out with FIAR with my oldest in Kindergarten and now I'm trying to do it for my younger two and it just doesn't work that way with everything my 8yo is doing. We're lucky to read and talk about 1 topic in each subject and while I feel it's not as fun, they think it's great. They're learning to love learning, they love books, and it's something just for them--their own special time with Mom. So absolutely you can make it work, but don't overdo it! ;)

 

Oh, one thing that really works well at our house is to spend time with the younger ones first before everything else gets going.

[Amber in AUS]

We keep it conversational here too with maybe 1 craft item every so often. I just can't fit anymore into my day.

[Alice]

I think FIAR is a great choice because you can adapt it so easily to your own needs. It's very easy to just read the book and do the lessons conversationally from the manual. You can also add whatever you want or have time for.

[chiguirre]

If you go to the library anyway, you can add in a non-fiction book or video on the science topic and the geography. This only took me about 20 minutes every 3 weeks to search the library catalog and request the books/videos. FIAR was a lot of fun and surprisingly rich with very minimal prep on my part.

[Aurelia]

You really don't need to add a whole lot, just pick 1 or 2 activities a day and call it good. If you want add an extra, related, library book, like something about Russia or hearing. That's all we do and Ariel has learned a lot.

[Angel]

Our FIAR time is only about 30m to an hour. We usually like to delve a little deeper into the science topics (or something else we find interesting), so we quite often will do the same book for 2 weeks. We only do the reading of the actual FIAR book for 5 days but then we'll branch off with dd's interest for the next 5. I don't feel rushed and we can do it in smaller chunks.

 

I'll give you an example of our last week and this week (sometimes it helps me to see it written down;)) We did "Owl Moon."

 

Last week we read "Owl Moon" everyday. We talked about similies and metaphors and did a worksheet for her lapbook one day. We spent two days reading books about woodland habitats and animals and drawing a picture from the Draw Write Now book for the lapbook. We spent two days reading about animal tracks and doing a lapbook page on matching animal tracks.

This week we have been reading about owls and have watched a video online about owls and did an online owl pellet dissection. Still left to go for this week is an owl poem for copywork, draw a picture of an owl from Draw Write Now, and a study of the moon's phases with a lapbook page and online site.

 

I don't always do what is in the book and I usually don't do it exactly. I have realized after a year and a half of FIAR that I do like things a little more planned out. I think that is why I am now taking topics from the guide and just "running" with them as dd wants.

 

Dd is listening in to SL history and read alouds with her sister as well as doing Math and Spelling. I find the half hour to hour that I give FIAR easy to do. I think you would be able to do it with TOG easily enough.