Each week I take about ten minutes to place book holds on our library’s website. I try to get a wide variety of topics and reading levels to keep each of our five kids happy in their reading. I typically find something for myself, as well. Recently I requested a book that intrigued me. It was called Five in a Row: Inspired learning through great books. I didn’t know exactly what it was about, but it involved reading and children, so I figured I’d better check it out. I’m incredibly glad I did! 

Five in a Row is a curriculum for teachers and homeschoolers, created by Jane Claire Lambert. It suggests that children could glean much more from a picture book by reading it at least once each day, five days in a row. Wait! Before you tune out because that sounds too repetitive and boring, please think about your own reading habits. Do you have a favorite book you return to again and again? Maybe an old classic, the Bible, or a romance novel? Do you find some new detail each time you read it? Does it seem to hit you differently every time you pick it up? Our kids could be experiencing this joy of discovery, too, if we gave them the chance. “By selecting excellent children’s literature and reading it together each day, children have the opportunity to ‘catch a new theme, savor the beauty, the subtle humor or a special meaning that eluded them at first’” (8).

When we read a story just once, we really only scratch the surface of the plot. But there are hidden treasures to be found! At each reading, you and your child should take a deeper look at another aspect of the story. Be sure to take a turn focusing on the artwork and literary techniques (such as symbolism, onomatopoeia, rhyming words, personification, etc.). Provided in the Five in a Row curriculum are suggestions of picture books to read with your child, followed by accompanying lesson plans and activity ideas to teach your child math, science, and social studies as you read together. Isn’t it wonderful to have resources like this to help us in our pursuit to teach our children?

It is clear that delving deeper into the elements of a story can increase our understanding and enjoyment of the book. But there is another advantage to repetition in reading. “Each day as you read, your child will hear the sentence structure, syntax, mood and style of a story written by a great children’s author. This repetitive reading of a story for five days can make a huge difference in your child’s ability to read and write (at the proper time)“ (26). So keep this tool handy in your pocket!

Remember those days in high school and college when you had to study before a test? You knew that reading through the material one time was not enough to help you pass. You took the time to review, to let the information sink in. For the most part, the more time you devoted to studying, the better your score became. I don’t think any of us are handing out tests to our little kids to check their comprehension. However, repetition is a simple way to assist them in their acquisition of knowledge. And don’t you just love seeing something click in your child’s head for the first time?

“Sometimes . . . an adult has the privilege of seeing this discovery take place. The children’s faces come suddenly alive; their eyes shine. They may be anticipating an amusing conclusion or a heroic triumph. There is a sudden chuckle or breath is exhaled like a sigh. The book has moved them, perhaps even to laughter or tears; in any case there is a deep inner satisfaction and they will turn to books again with anticipation” (8).

I encourage you to put Five in a Row into practice by getting a copy at the library and following the curriculum. Or, if you prefer, try it on your own and relish the daily treasure hunt with your child. You can find out more by visiting their website, fiveinarow.com.

Lambert, Jane Claire. Five in a Row. Inspired Learning through Great Books. Five in a Row Publishing, 2020.