Using FIAR in co-op

[KariHL]

Forgive me if this has been asked and answered....I couldnt find anything in the archives.

I'm starting FIAR with DD this year - our 1st (she said nervously!) and it appears the co-op I'm intending to join needs a leader for the 4-6yr olds. IF (big IF!) I volunteer, I was thinking of using a FIAR book each week. Anybody with experience in this?
I was thinking I could read the book then do several different activites during the 3hr time period. At the end of the day we could re-read the book. No ideal, but at least a good framework.

Thoughts???

Thanks!

[Jodi B]

Another mom and I are a part of a FIAR co-op, (ours meets roughly 1x/month) for about 2 hours, and here is what we do:

* Activity time
* Read story
* Take a couple of lessons out of the story and discuss them
* Craft related to the story
* Snack :yum:
* Play time/clean up time

Here are some websites on doing FIAR co-ops if you have not seen them yet:

http://www.fiarcircle.com/
http://www.ilovejesus.com/school/handmaiden/
http://www.hcecf.net/literatureprograms.htm

[DonnaMarie]

I was part of a large co-op that met weekly a few years ago. I was the K teacher and of course I used FIAR! I read the story, we went back through the book and discussed it. I always had a craft and many times a snack that was related. I tried to bring in some kind of hands on activity that related to one of the topics in the book. I also had the kids make passports. They drew pix of what they remembered from the book, then cut and pasted them into their passports each week. We'd also have them tell us what they liked about each book and copied that for them into the passport. I also had a video that related to the story each week for that last 30min of class when everybody was getting a little tired(our co-op met from 11:30-3:30).
I had a lot of fun and so did the kids!

Donna

[Cari]

I use FIAR in a large co-op setting, 1st/2nd grade, 45 minute class. Last year I had 10 very high-energy little boys who would actually sit and listen to the wonderful books in FIAR.

In the beginning of the year we made passports, complete with digital pictures that I had printed during lunch the 1st day -- that blew their minds!

Each week I'd read the story, we'd do a geography/culture type lesson based on the setting, and/or one of the science activities.

I printed out little squares with pictures of the book covers (our library has images of the books in its collection, or I found often author websites will have them) that were their passport "stamps" with dates.

Then we'd add maps, flags, etc. or some print-out related to a science topic.

Finish up with snack and we were done!

Cari

[ami*]

Forgive me if this has been asked and answered....I couldnt find anything in the archives.

I'm starting FIAR with DD this year - our 1st (she said nervously!) and it appears the co-op I'm intending to join needs a leader for the 4-6yr olds. IF (big IF!) I volunteer, I was thinking of using a FIAR book each week. Anybody with experience in this?
I was thinking I could read the book then do several different activites during the 3hr time period. At the end of the day we could re-read the book. No ideal, but at least a good framework.

Thoughts???

Thanks!

Three hours seems so long to me! :lol:

I like the video at the end suggestion.
I know there are videos for Lentil, Mike Mulligan, Harold and the Purple Crayon...and Reading Rainbow videos for Mrs. Katz and Tush, Apple Pie, Little Nino's, Follow the Drinking Gourd, and others.

I am in a FIAR co-op, but all the moms are present and all the moms help with various things. Our co-op lasts about 1 1/2 hours. We come in, get situated, sing a welcome song/sing for birthdays, etc. Then we read the book and have #1 an educational activity and #2 a fun activity (both relating to the story). We try to end with announcements.

In a three hour deal, I would probably try to include
book reading
educational activity
time for a potty break
fun activity
snack
games (get up and move, move, move!)
video

Does it meet weekly? That seems like a lot of planning for one person every week...just something to think/pray about. I'm sure it would be fun, but you always have to take in account how much it is going to require of you/take away from your own homeschool at home.

Just some thoughts. Trying to be helpful, so just ignore me if I'm not! ;)

[Hollie in SC]

Three hours seems so long to me! :lol:


YES! :eek: I taught the K/1st class in co-op and it was 1.5-2 hours and they were so DONE after about an hour. We kept trying to figure out what would work best for them.

My first suggestion--if there is a playground or safe play area or even a large hallway.....make sure you let them loose for a little while...especially the boys. Games, moving around, a snack, potty breaks, etc.

I know I'm not giving you much in the way of FIAR, but the one thing I learned last year was that no matter what I had planned or how good / bad it was....if they sat there too long I completely lost them.

And what Ami* said goes the same for me....ignore me if I'm not being helpful.:kiss:

[Marie]

In our coop (which was only an hour), snack was a very important part of the FIAR experience, especially because it tied into the story.

I've done what the others have suggested, but I will say that parents and kids also liked having some kind of folder to put all the kids' projects, worksheets, etc.--maybe you could created a FIAR folder for each book you row that the kids could color/decorate (kind of like a FIAR notebook or lapbook).

I didn't have such a big block of time as you will be having, but I definitely think that having some kind of physical activity that relates to the story would be good to break up the time.