1. **State the problem:** We need to find the area of a circle given its radius. 2. **Formula for the area of a circle:** $$A = \pi \times r^2$$ where $A$ is the area and $r$ is the radius of the circle. 3. **Important rule:** The radius must be squared before multiplying by $\pi$. 4. **Example calculation:** Given $r = 5$ inches, $$A = 3.14 \times 5^2$$ $$A = 3.14 \times 25$$ $$A = 78.5$$ 5. **Explanation:** We first square the radius $5^2 = 25$, then multiply by $\pi \approx 3.14$ to get the area. 6. **Final answer:** The area of the circle is $$\boxed{78.5 \text{ square inches}}$$