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AnaB
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| Posted: Feb 19 2007 at 3:16pm | IP Logged
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My happiest memories of homeschooling are when I was using FIAR with my 3 oldest ones. Since then I follow Ambleside loosely but for some reason I feel like we've lost that spark and fun in learning that we used to have when we did FIAR.
My children are now 11, 9, 9, and 3. I'm looking forward to starting the young one in FIAR next year. But wonder if there's anyone that is using some of the other FIAR products? I'd love to hear from you!
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His By Grace, AnaB blessed WIFE to Jeff and mama to 4 blessings!
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Lisa R
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| Posted: Feb 19 2007 at 3:42pm | IP Logged
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I'm also curious about this. My fondest memories with my boys was while using FIAR as well. We rowed all 4 volumes.
I've tried Beyond before (actually rowed all of volume 1) but found it to be too unorganized for me. I felt like I was jumping around from subject to subject too much. For example one week we're on the Civil War and the next we're on The Dust Bowl. Maybe it was just me! I'd love to know how others are making this work.
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Lisa, married to my best friend, Ray and loving my blessings Joshua (17)and Jacob(15), Hannah(7) and Rachel (5)!Holy Family Academy
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JenniferS
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| Posted: Feb 20 2007 at 10:25am | IP Logged
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Well...I was planning to use it next year. Seton keeps us pretty bogged down, so I was planning to use Beyond Five in a Row for next year. Hmmm...
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AnaB
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| Posted: Feb 20 2007 at 11:26am | IP Logged
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I had bought it and sold it here on the board! In looking at it, I too, thought that it interrupted the story and jumped around a bit. But at the FIAR boards, people are really enjoying using it exclusively (adding math, and grammar). It got me wondering!
So, I was hoping to hear from you all about your experience with Beyond FIAR and Above and Beyond FIAR.
Keep it coming!
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His By Grace, AnaB blessed WIFE to Jeff and mama to 4 blessings!
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MichelleW
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| Posted: Feb 20 2007 at 12:04pm | IP Logged
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I am using Beyond. What would you like to know?
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Michelle
Mom to 3 (dd 14, ds 15, and ds 16)
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Lisa R
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| Posted: Feb 20 2007 at 4:27pm | IP Logged
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Michelle,
I would like to specifically know how you handle jumping from one period of history one week to a completely different one the next week? How can I possibly get very involved in one area when I only have one week to cover the information before we're on to something completely different? If I want to read a chapter book to my kids, I can't finish it in one week. Then I feel like we're just skimming the surface with everything and not making any real connections. Not so much for science, mainly history.
Ana, hope you don't mind me jumping in here. Hopefully, you wanted to know a similar question. 
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Lisa, married to my best friend, Ray and loving my blessings Joshua (17)and Jacob(15), Hannah(7) and Rachel (5)!Holy Family Academy
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Mare
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| Posted: Feb 20 2007 at 5:25pm | IP Logged
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Lisa R wrote:
Michelle,
I would like to specifically know how you handle jumping from one period of history one week to a completely different one the next week? How can I possibly get very involved in one area when I only have one week to cover the information before we're on to something completely different? If I want to read a chapter book to my kids, I can't finish it in one week. Then I feel like we're just skimming the surface with everything and not making any real connections. Not so much for science, mainly history.
Ana, hope you don't mind me jumping in here. Hopefully, you wanted to know a similar question. |
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Hi,
I'm not using BYFIAR yet but I believe that each chapter book is meant to take a semester to get through. Here's a link that may better explain what
BYFIAR is.
If you look at the top of that page, you'll see that there are other links such as Book List and
Sample Lessons that may be of help to you.
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Lisa R
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| Posted: Feb 20 2007 at 5:37pm | IP Logged
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Thanks, Mare. I've actually rowed all of volume 1 but I just can't get a grip on the skipping around. I think I'm just looking at this curriculum all wrong. 
I used FIAR with my boys and rowed all 4 volumes and we loved it! I just can't seem to make Beyond work and I can't figure out why! 
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Lisa, married to my best friend, Ray and loving my blessings Joshua (17)and Jacob(15), Hannah(7) and Rachel (5)!Holy Family Academy
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AnaB
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| Posted: Feb 20 2007 at 5:40pm | IP Logged
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I'm already doing some read alouds for American history and for science and for literature. Would adding BYFIAR be too much? What about doing BYFIAR and FIAR at the same time? I have a 3 yr old who will be beginning her FIAR journey soon.
Does it feel like you either do BYFIAR or other read alouds? Does it ever get awkward to stop reading after a chapter to do the activities rather than just reading through the book? I couldn't pull up a sample of the BYFIAR planning page. Is that up yet?
Do you have any experience with Above and Beyond? I'm sure I"ll have more questions soon. Thank for offering to "talk" with me!
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His By Grace, AnaB blessed WIFE to Jeff and mama to 4 blessings!
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Lisa R
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| Posted: Feb 20 2007 at 6:19pm | IP Logged
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Great questions, Ana. I hope someone chimes in here soon with some more help!
I posted a question about this very thing on the BYFIAR board. Maybe you can take a look at some of the replies and tell me if they help you. It's under the title "help me make this work"
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Lisa, married to my best friend, Ray and loving my blessings Joshua (17)and Jacob(15), Hannah(7) and Rachel (5)!Holy Family Academy
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MichelleW
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When we rowed the regular FIAR vol.'s 1, 2, and 3 THAT was what we did for school. And that was all we did, pretty much (aside from math and phonics). I tried to do that with the Beyond books, couldn't and so I put them away.
This year I pulled them out again because I was looking for a reading program that wouldn't bore my middle child. He is the best reader I have, hasn't needed phonics lessons the last two years and his comprehension is pretty good. But he is not a good enough writer to move to a program that is heavy on writing. I wanted him to read good books, process what he is reading, write a little, and begin to take some responsibility for his own learning (i.e. I want him to say, "hey pulleys look interesting to me I think I will try experimenting with them," etc.)
Beyond has worked well for me used in this way. I now have my younger two working through Beyond. They each use it as independent study. They do vocabulary (that I pick out) from the chapter. They read the chapter, tell me about it, often we discuss it. I have them do a little copy work from the chapter (usually something I want to highlight or emphasize in some way), and then pick some (or several) activities from the topics in the manual. They probably spend 1-3 days on each chapter.
I'm afraid my answers are going to be disappointing to you all. We don't use it like FIAR.
Lisa, we do history as a separate subject that we delve into chronologically. The history the kids are getting from Beyond I see as reinforcing that particular "peg" so that they can "place" the story in it's proper setting and comprehend it better. In my house, they are not getting the major portion of their history from Beyond.
Ana, I loved that concept of FIAR and Beyond and so I've tried many ways to fit it in. We tried to do it as a family, but I just couldn't get it to work for us. I am also doing various read alouds. Adding Beyond would not be too much (they are easy reads), but I guess that was actually what made me think of going with it as a reading program. The books are certainly easy enough for 7-10 year olds to read. The activities are also easy enough for the kids to do on their own with guidance and minimal participation from Mom.
I will sometimes get a read aloud book that will "go along" with someone's Beyond work. I prefer to read aloud books that are a little above their reading level. Then we all enjoy the book, the Beyonder gets to tell us what he/she knows about the subject and then we move on to another book.
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Michelle
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AnaB
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Lisa,
I did read your post there! You did get some helpful answers. It does seem that most of the people there are using it pretty exclusively. I'm glad I'm not the only one with questions!
Michelle, I never thought about doing it as a reading program! Have you read the books before your children do? Do you plan it out on the "planner page"? My boys may do well with doing it this way.
My dd though is a pretty advanced reader for 11 years old. I had bought (and sold) Above and Beyond too, because I wasn't quite sure it would be a fit (she'd read the book in one sitting), but maybe I should look at it again.
I wish our library carried copies of it so I could try it out again.
I did see the "Fold and Learn" packets that they are thinking about doing! That may be great for my little one by the time we're ready for FIAR.
Thanks for the info. Please feel free to add more if you think of anything else that would help me make this decision!
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His By Grace, AnaB blessed WIFE to Jeff and mama to 4 blessings!
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Lisa R
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Ana,
I never did get the answer as to how to use it exclusively on the FIAR board though. I did request more information on that thread today.
Oh well, I guess I'll either keep asking or just give up.
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God Bless!
Lisa, married to my best friend, Ray and loving my blessings Joshua (17)and Jacob(15), Hannah(7) and Rachel (5)!Holy Family Academy
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JennyMaine
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Lisa - posted a response to you on the BYFIAR board.
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--JennyMaine, Mom to Catherine (17) and Sam (15) "The countenance is a reflection of the soul. You should always have a calm and serene countenance." -- Therese of Lisieux
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Anyone here use Beyond FIAR or Above?
