Our Latest Five in a Row Title - A Pair of Red Clogs
Friday, February 18, 2011 at 5:00AM
We've slowed a bit on our FIAR titles since 2011 started. I don't know exactly why that is, but I'd like to pick up the pace again. Our latest book, A Pair of Red Clogs, was so enjoyable. I wouldn't say it was GMan's favorite, but he definitely learned quite a few things, and he has been talking a lot about Japan since we started the book! (I'd also like to recommend, Suki's Kimono, a book we found at the library, that really goes along nicely with A Pair of Red Clogs.)
A brief synopsis of the A Pair of Red Clogs:
For Mako, a little Japanese girl, the new shoes were clogs painted with red lacquer that shone beautifully. This is the story of what happened after she cracked the new clogs playing the weather-telling game and so longed for a bright, shiny new pair to replace them that she almost did a dishonest thing.
*Taken from Goodreads.com
Here are several pictures of the lapbook GMan completed, all of the mini books came from Homeschool Share, my favorite homeschooling site of all time!
The title page.... we discussed (per the FIAR manual) the use of colored pencil drawings and how the illustrator used vivid colors when the story was happy, and more muted colors when the story was sad. GMan enjoyed this part. He loves looking at and analyzing illustrations, and I believe this due in part to the guidance FIAR gives in this area.
The entire lapbook:
My favorite mini book - it contains four verses from Proverbs about honesty.
Many of the illustrations in the book are just embellished stick/action figures.... it was so neat to see this pointed out in the teacher's manual, and then to show it to my little guy in the book. I loved the mini book about action figures.
Do you use Five in a Row in your homeschool? Or, do you have questions about FIAR? Leave me a comment ~ I'd love to hear from you!
*This post is linked to the Weekly Wrap-Up at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. 
Reader Comments (5)
I am thinking of using FIAR next year with my daughter. She'll be in 2nd grade. Any tips or suggestions?
I'm thinking of FIAR, too. I'll have a 2 1/2 y/o next school year...do you think that's too young for B4FIAR? My other kids are 3rd, 5th & 6th. What would you consider "too old" for FIAR?
I love your blog. Your love and enjoyment of homeschooling your kids really shines through!
Jenny & Maria, I hope I answered your questions at your blogs. I can't speak highly enough of FIAR! Please keep me updated on what you choose.
We had so much fun with A Pair of Red Clogs a couple years ago. Recently when we discussed Japan, my girls started talking about that book again and noticed someone wearing clogs in a picture. We still try to do FIAR any time we get a chance and even my 5th grade son still enjoys it.
we love FIAR. I am glad I found you. We need to get back to FIAR. I have not done a book with the littles in a few weeks.
Blessings,
Dawn