Five in a Row

Five in a Row provides a wonderful way to nur­ture your relationship with your children and foster a lifelong adventure of learning. The title "Five in a Row" comes from reading the same classic children’s book five days in a row as a literature-based unit. After reading the book each day, choose from many possible activities in different subject areas.

The original Five in a Row series was written three decades ago for the previous generation of homeschoolers. Now, the author’s children have undertaken the task of modernizing the series. Adding over 100 pages of new content, there are now Teacher’s Notes for every title so you can record favorite memories, resourc­es used, and activities accomplished. Activity Sheets have also been added to aid in some of the suggested activities.

Books in Volumes 1-3 (for ages 3-8) are read 5 days a week. Supplement with phonics and math for older children. Books in Volumes 4 and 5 (for ages 9-12) are read for two weeks instead of one because the activities are more involved. Volume 5 also includes two chapter books with accompanying lessons. Add a math program along with grammar, spelling, and penmanship for a complete curriculum.

Volumes 6-8 offer a variety of subjects: social studies, science, language arts (including writ­ing, discussion questions, vocabulary, fine arts, and life skills). Just add math, grammar, spelling, and possibly handwriting. There are lots of writ­ing activities but very little writing instruction. Some lessons involve using an activity sheet that is included in the book. Volumes 6 and 7 (ages 10-12) each include four chapter books. There are more than enough les­sons so you can choose activities that are inter­esting to your child. Sample planning sheets for the first two weeks are included for the teacher as well as reproducible blank planning sheets so you can organize your studies. Volume 8 (for ages 12 and up) contains com­plete units for three chapter books. The unit for the last novel is longer and more complex because there are lots of lesson options per chapter and two projects: a research paper and a service project. This unit is also written direct­ly to the student.

Two redesigned Bible supplements for Volumes 1-4 and 5-8, respectively, provide Bible and char­acter development lessons to accompany each story. There are many refer­ences to choose from or you can read them all. You can also use the verses for handwriting practice or copywork. Teacher’s Notes pages follow each title for you to record your studies.