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momto2
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| Posted: Feb 21 2008 at 7:02pm | IP Logged
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Can you tell me which you prefer and why?
Thanks!
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folklaur
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| Posted: Feb 21 2008 at 7:25pm | IP Logged
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Hi,
I haven't really used BFIAR...I have used FIAR and liked it - though we never read the book every day.  I have the BFIAR book somewhere, though....
Now, LS....every activity we did from LS my little ones really enjoyed. My only problem with it was that it did take a lot of prep time beforehand. That was the only drawback I saw with it. However, as I said, my children really enjoyed the activities that we did do.
Here is another thread where they talk about BFIAR a bit more:
FIAR or BFIAR
HTH,
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Feb 21 2008 at 7:25pm | IP Logged
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I found Little Saints to be "meatier" than BFIAR. The activities in BFIAR were fun and easy, but I thought Little Saints offered me more ideas and lots of great recommended reading. LS is more labor intensive to set up, though.
If I could only pick one, I would pick LS.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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Rachel May
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| Posted: Feb 22 2008 at 10:06am | IP Logged
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We gave up on Little Saints shortly after I was up until 2 am cutting and laminating monkeys. I found that while the projects sounded fun, they often seemed like someone's untested idea, like the suggestion to put holes in felt with a hole punch.
I keep the program for the booklists which I really like. I found that I prefer having multiple books on one theme as opposed to drawing many themes from one book. Sometimes now I'll give the unused photocopies to the little kids to color or cut or glue.
I don't do formal preschool now, but I think that doing it then, when I was a brand-new homeschooler it was a great idea. I had a lot to learn about how to plan, how to think about our school day and our curriculum, and what needed to come first to make homeschooling work. I learned more than the boys that year.
I've never used BFIAR.
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Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
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Roma
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| Posted: Feb 29 2008 at 9:06pm | IP Logged
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I'm using LS right now. I don't do it the way it is written though. I think that would drive me nuts. I use the theme to get ideas from. I use the booklist at the library to check out the week before. I purchased a used copy that came with all the copies made on cardstock which was a big BONUS. So, I just go through and pick and choose. I modify heavily to prevent unnecessary time consumption for prep work. I'm going to use LS until August. I will switch to BFIR then. My son (almost 4) is already reading, but I don't want to push K work on him early, so we'll use that for next year.
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melanie
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| Posted: March 24 2008 at 1:33pm | IP Logged
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We have LS and have used some of the easier ideas with my 3 1/2 year old. My intention is to use it slowly over the next couple of years, not to try to do everything each week. He loves it. It does require a *lot* of mom prep. I was lucky enough to buy mine 2nd hand from an uber organized friend who had it all set up for me. :) If you are interested, let me know and I'll be glad to tell you what she did...I want to be just like her when I grow up. 
I haven't used BFIAR.
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Melanie
homeschooling Maria (13yo), Kain (10yo), Jack (5yo), Tess (2yo), and our newest blessing, Henry Robert, born 4/23!
slightlycrunchycatholic.blogspot.com
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Waverley
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| Posted: March 25 2008 at 9:12pm | IP Logged
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I find it hard to do a lot of prep work as well so here's what I do:
I love B4FIAR. It gives some easy ideas, things to talk about, etc. along with a great list of books. We often add things that aren't mentioned in the manual. For example, when we did Corduroy, we made quilts (like on the little girls bed) by cutting out pieces of paper and fabric and gluing them on a piece of poster board. We also did quilt coloring pages. My prep time was printing quilt coloring pages off the internet.
Because I also wanted religious education, we use the liturgical year as a framework for reading our Bible stories and doing crafts, prayers, etc. There are a lot of liturgical year resources out there and lots of the crafts and coloring pages require almost no prep time.
Good luck to you.
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Sarah M
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I really think BFIAR and FIAR are great precisely because they don't require a lot of prep work. We use the FIAR series almost exclusively, of course I add a lot of my own ideas here and there, but I haven't found many other curriculum providers that I like nearly so much for young children. We celebrate feasts throughout the church year, mostly using ideas from Catholic Mosaic by Cay Gibson, and whatever ideas I can find on Catholic Mom. That combo seems to about cover it all. I haven't used or even seen LS, so I can't chime in on that one. I can say, however, that I have a distinct aversion to anything that seems to require too much prep on the mother's part.
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Tina P.
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| Posted: April 21 2008 at 10:45am | IP Logged
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Sarah M wrote:
| I really think BFIAR and FIAR are great precisely because they don't require a lot of prep work. |
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Agreed. It depends on how much disposable time you have. We had very little when I tried to start Little Saints and I was trying to do it with three children at a time. It's labor-intensive, as every one of these ladies who answered your query agrees, and it didn't feel natural to me. When I feel something is put on, I can't help but communicate that feeling to my children through my tone (it unintentionally gets sing-songy). Then their attitude mimics mine ... and it all goes downhill from there.
ETA: We LOVE B4FIAR and have used it alone and in a homeschool academy situation with preschool/kindergartners.
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Tina, wife to one and mom to 9 + 3 in heaven
Mary's Muse
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Bookswithtea
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We love B4FIAR. I like the Treasure Box books for preschool and K level religious ed, along with other things. I tend toward the simple and LS is too time intensive for us.
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and  due 9/10
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Little Saints VS BFIAR...
