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"Five in a Row"
August 11, 1994 Conference held on Compuserve's Education Forum Moderator: We have Jane Lambert as our very special guest speaker tonight. And we're going to allow her time to share about her method of teaching unit studies to younger children. Then we're going to be opening it up for questions. We will ask for everyone who has a question at that time to type in "?" or for a comment, type in "!". Then wait until we say "Ga" or go ahead and your name, and you may then enter in your question or comment! This way we'll be able to keep track of everything and follow it easily. Now, we'll let Jane tell us a little about her unit studies using children's literature. Go ahead Jane! Jane Lambert: Thank you... and good evening to all of you. I'm a little self-conscious about all this but let me share briefly a bit of my own background. My husband and I have been homeschoolers for 12+ years; we currently have one daughter in college and our 13 year-old daughter will be going into 8th grade this fall, still in homeschool, of course.
Over those 12 years unit studies have become an integral part of my
approach to homeschooling. This past year, for instance, my 7th grader
basically divided the entire school year into two unit studies... one
centering around Australia during the fall and the other centering around
Ireland in the spring. Using those two subjects of interest to my daughter,
we progressed through a wide variety of subject material in dozens of
different subjects. We examined geography, the music of the countries, the
foods, art, sports, history, animals, scientists, etc. Whatever subject you
select as your "gateway" into unit study, you'll find teaching to be more
interesting to the student if the subject area "gateway" is of interest to
them.
Let me tell you very briefly about Five in a Row and then I'll be glad to
take questions. Five in a Row is a curriculum using the unit study approach
for children ages 4 thru 8 using classic children's literature as the
"gateway" to explore social studies (including history, geography, foreign
culture and human relationships), language arts, art, math and science. We
use books like "Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel," "Lentil," by Robert
McCloskey, etc.
The concept of Five in a Row is that the teacher gathers her
child/children around her (we have moms who include as many as 5 children
ranging from 5 to 13) and taking one of the book selections and simply
reading it aloud to her children. The title comes from the concept of
reading the same book, each day, aloud, cover to cover for five days in a
row. After reading the material on Monday (typically 5-8 minutes for a
simple picture book) the curriculum teacher's guide will provide you with
anywhere from 2 to as many as 6 social study "lessons." You choose one or
more that seem of interest to you and appropriate for your child and
informally "discuss" them, drawing from the text you've just read aloud on
Tuesday, you select a language arts lesson Wednesday an art lesson, Math on
Thursday and Science on Friday. By the end of the week your child is
completely familiar with a great children's book and together you've covered
a wide variety of interesting material.
Five in a Row can be used as a stand alone curriculum for a four year old
and would be an enrichment curriculum for children ages 5 and up,
supplementing a structured math curriculum and a phonics/reading program.
When I wrote Five in a Row I had basically 3 objectives in mind: first and
foremost that it be FUN for both the teacher and the student. For most
homeschoolers Five in a Row is the "high point" of the teaching day. It's
easy...it's fun...it's interesting.... Second....I wanted young children's
earliest learning experiences to be natural and enjoyable. It's really
nothing more than what most children would want to be doing anyway, climbing
up on the couch next to mom and having her read a book. The only difference
is somewhere the reading begins and the "teaching" begins but most children
never know when one ends and the other begins... it's all done naturally as
an outcropping of the text you've been reading. Finally.... I wanted to
provide a rich learning environment where children can explore great art,
great ideas, great literature, acts of heroism, both small and large. I call
it the "sweetness" of life, that which gives life it's flavor and texture.
Five in a Row gives you 100s of opportunities to explore the richness of
life.
Last... and then I'll be glad to take questions... I wrote Five in a Row
to be simple to use as a teacher. You should find everything you need at
hand in one book. I've always hated curriculums that send you scurrying from
one reference book to the next to do lesson prep. I never had time!!!!
You'll find pronunciation guides, definitions to foreign or unusual words,
background information, historical context, etc. As a result, hopefully,
you'll find lesson preparation time to be less than 10 minutes daily,
perhaps less than 5! Whew! My fingers are tired!
Question: First, let me say it sounds like a wonderful system. You mentioned that you do Math and Science. Can you tell me how you work those in to books that don't really contain those concepts? Jane Lambert: I NEVER try to "force" a math or science lesson artificially in Five in a Row. The only lessons which appear in the curriculum are those which are easily drawn from the text. Now the books covered in Five in a Row were selected from more than 1300 books I've used on the basis that for one thing... they have a wide variety of interesting material to explore including....math and science.... also that they're great lit....and well illustrated with strong character qualities, btw. That's why I suggested that for 5 and up (ages) Five in a Row will only SUPPLEMENT a math curriculum and a reading/phonics curriculum. It is NOT all-inclusive by any means. Question: How many books are included in 5 in a Row? Also is it meant to last a whole year? Jane Lambert: Volume 1... covers 19 titles... and provides a semester's material normally. There are 16 weeks in a semester. I've included 3 extra titles because while each book is a classic or an award winner and SHOULD be available in virtually every library in the country there may be one or two which for some unknown reason are NOT available in your local library. Further... there might also be a title or two which for some reason you choose not to use. Question: This sounds like an answer to prayer! Is there then a Volume @? I mean 2! Jane Lambert: Well...in truth... it IS an answer to prayer. (smiling) Several of my girlfriends have been praying for years that I'd write this down for their benefit! Anyway, Volume two is about 2/3 written, still needs completion and editing and should be available by early October, long before the spring semester begins. It will include 21 titles there are 2 titles which are currently out of print, but which are such dear favorites that I wanted them to be available anyway so I just "threw them in free!" For those who have the energy to locate them in the library; since you can no longer buy them anywhere. Altogether the two volumes provide 40 titles to cover a 32 week school year and btw since each day includes several (up to 6) different lessons and you'll likely only use 1 or 2, lots of homeschoolers make margin notes about what they covered "today." If you have a 4, 6, and 9 year old for instance you can go through the material and then break it back out in 2 years and go through the same material again with your 6 and 8 year old and use some of the OTHER 2/3 of the material which you didn't use last time! Comment: That sounds wonderful Jane-very cost effective!! Jane Lambert: Thank you...I intended it to be affordable. Over the years there've been lots of things I wanted to use but frankly couldn't afford. Five in a Row is $19.95 per volume. Question: You mentioned Mike Mulligan.... Could I ask for an example of a lesson from that story and how long would you spend? Jane Lambert: Sure... Lu...this is for you too since you asked about math earlier. When Mike Mulligan and Maryanne finish the cellar they note that it is "four corners 'neat and square.'" Now depending on the age of your child you might explore the properties of a square that it has "four corners and four equal sides." For an older student you might go on to discuss the fact that a square has four, equal, 90 degree angles, etc. But further the curriculum invites you to discuss the fact that whoever builds a building, or digs a cellar needs to understand the properties of a square that geometry and mathematics has a REAl WORLD application beyond the theoretical realm of a math textbook. Does that help? Comment: yes! Eric is always asking Why he has to learn math! Jane Lambert: (smiling) well tell him that if Mike Mulligan didn't know math the cellar might have been oblong, oval, trapezoidal, etc.!! and the building would have fallen down. Question: Do you think that this is an idea that can be expanded as children get older with more in depth books? Jane Lambert: Absolutely!! In fact it is my prayer that Five in a Row will be the springboard to a lifelong habit of reading with understanding and excitement and critical thinking. Every book word books, fiction, biography, etc. can be another "gateway", in fact SHOULD be another "gateway", to exploring the world around us. Hopefully students will discover that learning is the natural result of reading. If I might digress briefly, most children read books the way they watch television they only want to know "whodunit" that is...the plot! That's why as soon as you've read them one book they toss it aside and ask you to read another. Plot is their only interest but through critical thinking and exploring through literature they can learn to examine what they've read to "see where it leads them". Which is, after all, the beauty of unit study approach. Comment: I don't think my Katie would listen to the same story 5 days in a row Jane Lambert: How old is Katie? Comment: almost 5 Jane Lambert: That's possible but consider that after you've discussed the geographic and historic setting on Monday when you begin reading the book again on Tuesday they now see it in a much broader context and are often fascinated to re-examine the book in light of yesterday's new information. After Wednesday's art lesson they'll see the illustrations with new understanding and curiosity. In my experience most children are FAR more interested in the book on Friday than they were on Monday. I'd encourage you to at least try the approach but remember...the book you select has to be worth reading five times with plot, illustrations, characters and values of interest. There are lots of books I wouldn't want to read once! (smile) Comment: I know all children are different, but my almost 3 and my 4 yr.olds love to hear the SAME story over and over again. That's one of the things that attracted me to your books! They become very attached to the books! Question: I'm sorry if this is repetitious. We got here a little late. When you have completed the book, do you recommend any other titles along the same lines of the material covered that the child may find enjoyable. I.e. Mike Mulligan, do you recommend another title that supports the ideas of Math..building..machinery... that are touched on in that book... for a child that may want to delve further? Jane Lambert: As a rule....no. If there is a particular title that I really like which relates to the current lesson I'll recommend it. I'll also recommend a book for the teacher to explore as a springboard for their own understanding of the topic but Five in a Row is largely self-contained. Intended to provide you with enough information to teach at least ages 4 thru 8 without looking at additional outside references for children at the top end of that range or older. You may want to direct them to the library or encyclopedia for additional research. Question: I also arrived late...forgive repetition...do you have a suggested list of books to follow your guidelines? Jane Lambert: The books you use are outlined in the curriculum Five in a Row. There are a total of 40 titles covered in two volumes of curriculum which provide a full year's material. Question: Do you use the books in a specific order? That might be a problem in a small town where many families need the same book at the same time from the library! Jane Lambert: Good question!! No... the books do NOT have to be used in a specific order for EXACTLY that reason!! You'll find a "suggested" order which loosely ties the books to the seasons.."Cranberry Thanksgiving" for instance would be enjoyable just before Thanksgiving but the curriculum does not BUILD on itself and the books can be enjoyed in any order so if you go to the library searching for "Lentil" and it's checked out get "Katy and the Big Snow" instead! Question: How do we order Five in a Row?! Jane Lambert: Volume 1 is currently available for $19.95....+$3.50 shipping.... by mail at: 14901 Pineview Dr. Grandview, MO 64030-4509. Make checks payable to "Jane Lambert" and you're welcome to call to ask additional questions at (816) 331-5769. Question: Katy & the Big Snow is one of our favorites... Are the majority of titles chosen related to the holidays or loosely based on the seasons? Jane Lambert: No not specifically. The titles were selected in the basis of: A: Great story B: Great illustrations and C: Strong character qualities. Several are seasonal but the topics/titles cover the gamut from 60 year old classics to this year's Caldecott winner, "Grandfather's Journey." Comment: I just want to say that I think this is a wonderful approach. I'm on the 20th consecutive night of The Midnight farm for my 8 yr.old and I can see the beauty of the depth the child gains from this approach, so that it makes the book a lifetime experience! Jane Lambert: I agree completely and one of my subtle purposes in creating Five in a Row is a desire to see young children develop a lifelong love for classic children's literature quality books that have endured for 3 generations and after exploring them for a week they will have made a lifetime "friend" of a book worth remembering. Question: May I ask what are the two books that have gone out of print so I can keep an eye out for them? Jane Lambert: Sure Lori....the "out of print" titles are in Volume 2 for next spring... One is A Babar book entitled "To Duet or Not to Duet"... the other is "Down, Down the Mountain" by Ellis Credle written in the 30's. Moderator: It's been over an hour now, Jane, I know you're getting tired... I can't tell you how much we appreciate you coming tonight. This has been wonderful! Jane Lambert: Thank you....I've enjoyed it. I always enjoy talking about children's literature with homeschoolers! |
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