Product Review: Before Five in a Row

Before Five in A Row by Jane Claire Lambert is a beautifully written book I wish had been around when my  older children were preschool age.  Here is a description of the book from the back cover:
"What is Before Five in a Row?  Let's begin with what it isn't.  It isn't a curriculum.  Neither is it an aggressive, academic training regimen designed to turn your preschooler into a scholastic super-achiever.  It is a rich treasury of creative ideas designed to help you gently, consistently prepare your children for the life-long adventure of learning.  For children ages two to four, Before Five in a Row is better than a curriculum!"

All three of my children loved being read to. There is just something so special about that quality time between a parent and child.  Before Five in A Row is all about enjoying that special time together.  In the first half of the book, there are activities to go along with 24 classic books written for young children.  Some of the activities for after reading each story are Art, Bible, Science, Math, Health, and many others.  There are many fun things suggested to do with your child, and it is also recommended to just talk about what you have read. 

The books used with Before Five in A Row are:
Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?
Yellow Ball
My Blue Boat
The Little Rabbit
Ask Mr. Bear
Blueberries for Sal
Goodnight Moon
The Big Green Pocketbook
The Runaway Bunny
The ABC Bunny
If Jesus Came to My House
Caps for Sale
The Carrot Seed
The Snowy Day
The Quiet Way Home
Play With Me
Prayer For a Child
I Am An Artist
Angus Lost
Katy No-Pocket
We're Going On A Bear Hunt
The Red Carpet
Corduroy
Jenny's Surprise Summer
Most, if not all, of these books should be available at your local library.

The second half of Before Five in A Row is 'Parent's Treasury of Creative Ideas for Learning Readiness'. There are Activities for Reading Readiness, Coordination, In the Kitchen, At the Store, Toys, and The Arts. Each of these sections contains many suggestions and activities for each area.  Last, there is also a section titled 'Learning to See Through Children's Eyes with examples and suggestions, as well as a list of more books and tapes you might use.

Although my youngest is 8, he still loves being read to, and so I knew he would enjoy this book. Chad's favorite story and activities from the book was 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt.'  This doesn't surprise me as there is lots of action you can act out in this story.  The author gave many great ideas we used, and we had a wonderful time together.  There were a few activities that were too young for him, so we just skipped over those.  Even though the Before Five in A Row is suggested for ages 2-4, I found it was engaging for my older child as well. 

There are many other Five in A Row products designed for a variety of ages.  You can learn more about these products at their website here.  Before Five in A Row is sold by Rainbow Resource for $35.00. If you'd like to read more reviews of this product, click here.

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this product free in exchange for my honest review.