I adore the gentle approach that Five In A Row (FIAR) unit studies offers to my kids. Children are intentionally introduced to new concepts, yet it is so fun that they beg for their lessons each day.  (Yes, they quite literally beg for their lessons.  Add in whiney, “but Moooom, will you pleeeeease read to me nooow?” here to fully appreciate the reality of how much my kids love FIAR.)

But, this is my 3rd time through, and life with one sweet little preschooler is very different from life as a homeschool mom trying to get everything done with a (very sweet and well-loved) preschooler underfoot.

For my first, we sat and played through our FIAR lessons together all morning, pretending to be in a cave while reading We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, or creating a tightrope in the backyard to practice balance while we read Mirette on the High Wire.  I loved those moments, but I wasn’t sure that I would have the energy or time to make it all happen for my 3rd.

My days are now filled with teaching division, creating co-op lesson planning, and memorizing the states.  How in the world would I find time to create the same special memories with my youngest?  …And what would we do to keep her occupied while we work on “real” school?

Solution: Teamwork

Our school day ebbs and flows, so I decided to use those natural moments to make sure that my youngest is kept engaged.

Reading & Discussion – This is an easy one. My son is a capable reader, no longer requiring direct supervision, but still in need of daily practice, so I handed off the reading of our FIAR books to him. The two kids will snuggle up on our reading couch and happily immerse themselves in their story. I sit with them making sure that he isn’t getting stuck on any words, and pointing out our daily lesson from the manual ( but I have to admit that my son is so familiar with these books that he often beats me to the punch – “Look at these pictures. Isn’t the artist’s use of dark colors interesting?” – Hey kid, that’s what I planned to talk about tomorrow! Ah well.)

Art – My oldest is our resident artist, so she is the natural choice for leading our hands-on FIAR projects. While my son and I work on his spelling lessons, the girls will spend their time creating. I try to be intentional about having all of the supplies for the project I have in mind ready for them at the beginning of the week. Sometimes they follow my ideas, and other times they pull out the playdough or something else and surprise me with their creativity.

Basket Activities – We still have math, grammar and a lot of other daily subjects to work through, so I keep a basket of independent activities that the little one can play with during this time. Because this is our 3rd time through, we have collected quite a few dolls, toys and other items that go along with our favorite FIAR stories.  We also have on hand the FIAR lapbooks that my older kids made as they worked through their lessons, and the big kids happily point out their favorite things and hand them over for their little sister to play with.

So what about the things I mentioned in the beginning?  The pretend cave or backyard tightrope?  I don’t do them as often.  BUT every once in a while I will look into my dining room and see 3 kids hiding under the table cloth.  I hear “we’re not scared!” followed by uproarious laughter and I know immediately which book they are reading with the flashlight – And I’m glad I wasn’t the one to make the cave.

Rowing with a growing family looks a lot different from where we started, but I have to admit that I think I like this stage better. The kids are creating some special routines and memories together, and I love watching those bonds form.