Our Homeschool Morning Time
Our Homeschool Morning Time has become one of my favorite things about our homeschool days! I have heard other homeschool moms refer to this time in other ways: Morning Routine, Morning Basket, etc. and most of the time it seems to be the same basic idea: each morning kicks off with a variety of regular activities that serve to set the tone for the rest of the day.
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As we have walked through different stages and seasons of life, our Morning Time has evolved along the way, and I love how homeschooling gifts you with the opportunity to enjoy that kind of flexibility.
When we were walking through the early years of homeschooling – when my boys were in preschool and kindergarten, our morning time activities looked something like this:
I even made a printable that I kept handy as a way to help me remember the things I wanted to do with them each day. There was nothing magical about any of these activities – I had simply made a list that I thought would help me stay organized. Welcome to my brain!
If you want to access this printable and edit it to include the things you want to remember to do with your kiddos, you can do that here.
Our mornings would kick off with breakfast and Morning Time!
I’ll walk you through each of the activities on this list, and then I’ll tell you a little bit about what our Morning Time looks like these days!
Bible Story/Bible Memory: While my little ones were eating, I would read from one of our favorite faith-based read-alouds, and then we would practice our AWANA verses.
Preschool Resource Ideas for You: (We’ve loved all of these at one time or another!)
- The Jesus Storybook Bible
- Thoughts that Make Your Heart Sing
- Jesus Calling for Little Ones
- Big Thoughts for Little People: ABCs to Help You Grow
Read More: Bible Curriculum Resources for Homeschooling (No expensive kits required!)
Memory Work: We would:
- say The Pledge of Allegiance,
- sing the Months of the Year,
Sung to the tune of Michael Finnegan:
January, February, March, and April
May and June
July and August
September, October, November, December
These are the months of the year.
- chat about the calendar,
Questions to Ask:
Yesterday was…
Today is…
Tomorrow is…
How many Tuesdays are there in this month?
What will the date be next Friday?
- sing the days of the week,
Sung to the tune of Yankee Doodle:
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
Don’t ask me to sing again, because I’ll do it anyway.
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
- and chat about the weather.
Questions to Ask:
What was the weather like yesterday?
What is the weather like today?
What do you think the weather will do tomorrow?
Two Fun Weather Ideas:
- Introducing Weather Bear! Own a stuffed bear? Keep him close by with a little basket that includes a pair of sunglasses, a rain coat, and a winter hat. Each morning, check out what the weather is doing outside and then dress Weather Bear accordingly. If it’s raining, put on his rain coat. If it’s sunny, make sure he’s wearing his sunglasses. When it snows, it will be time for his winter hat. Little ones love this and encourages them as they learn how to dress themselves appropriately.
- Let’s measure the rainfall! Place a rain gauge outside in your yard. This one from Amazon has been our favorite, because it’s NOT GLASS and the numbers are easy to read! Math and Science together?! Absolutely!
These simple little songs and chats about the weather can happen over breakfast…or while driving in the minivan…or while walking around the neighborhood or playing at the park. No need to be rigid – simply include this type of conversation in your child’s day.
ADD-A-COIN/100’s Board: You can hop over here to see how this works.
Alphabet Song/Vowel Song: Using Abeka’s Phonics Charts 1 & 2:
- Sing the Alphabet Song – saying each special word for each letter – practicing each letter’s sound.
- Sing this Vowel Song [Sung to the tune of B-I-N-G-O.]:
The vowels of the alphabet, I know them all by name-o.
A-E-I-O-U
A-E-I-O-U
A-E-I-O-U, I know them all by name-o.
Read More: How We Use A Beka Phonics
Word of the Day/Dictation: At some point during my oldest’s kindergarten year, we started doing a Word of the Day. I would simply write a word on a flash card, and we would talk about it! The word might have something to do with something else we were talking about or it might simply be a new word that included a specific phonics sound/blend/rule we had recently learned.
Read-Aloud: Homeschool Morning Time can be a great time to enjoy read-alouds together, but other times of day have worked well for us, too:
- while eating snack
- during lunch
- before afternoon rest time
- at bedtime (Your kids may love this Bedtime Basket idea – Think Morning Time…just at Bed Time!)
Not sure what to read? Our favorites include:
- picture books that fit with a certain topic
- seasonal/holiday reads
- a chapter book we’re reading through together
- audio books from the library
My goal? To be consistent about reading aloud with my kids!
Homeschool Morning Time for us these days….
Over the years, as our family has grown, so has our Morning Time! I no longer have a list that I’m following but a simple basket of goodies that we are working through together. Those things I did with my boys during Morning Time when they were little? These days, I’m doing those things with my girls throughout the day with our whole-group Morning Time looking a little bit more like this:
If you peeked in at our breakfast table this week, you would see that Bible reading and Scripture memory continues to be a priority. As everyone begins diving into their oatmeal, I start reading! We always begin with those things as well as prayer over our day together and a quick chat about anything unique or special that might be happening that day.
Next up, we dig a little deeper into the basket and enjoy the following kinds of things at different points throughout the year:
- a chapter book that pairs perfectly with something we’re learning about in our science or social studies curriculum
- a biography read-aloud
- a seasonal picture book
- a simple art activity
- something we got in the mail that I want to show my kiddos
Do all of these things happen everyday?
Does our Morning Time go smoothly everyday?
Do our homeschooling days always go as planned?
NO – NO – and NO!
Did I ever walk through a stage where one of my kids cried for six months straight? Yes. Yes, I did.
There are seasons that require adjustment.
There are days when Morning Time is a disaster.
There are mornings when the plan is scratched and we are forced to switch gears – STAT!
Can you relate? If so, you’re in the right place – here with another homeschooling mom who gets it!
I am here to encourage you to find what works best for your family, adjust as needed along the way, and embrace fresh starts as you travel along in your journey. If all of that sounds encouraging to you, you may also appreciate the ideas I share in another post: Why We Homeschool at Night…Sometimes.
Better Together by Pam Barnhill
Pam’s book has encouraged me as I seek to keep Morning Time engaging for my entire crew! Want to see up-to-date peeks into our favorite homeschooling resources and read-alouds? I am always sharing our fun on Instagram, and I would love to connect with you there!
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