Teaching Series | Ch. 5 | 5 Ideas for Planning Your Morning Time

What is Morning Time? Why do homeschool moms do this? Today, I'd like to give you 5 Ideas for Planning Your Morning Time, but first, let's talk about what it is.

What Is Morning Time?

Before going for a walk or a jog, we warm-up. We stretch the muscles. We take a deep breath. We pause. Then, we get going. 

Morning Time is much the same way.

Morning Time is a warm-up for learning. We want to limber up our thinking muscles. Prepare our hearts. Pause to reflect. Then get going. 

Just a 10–15 minute time frame is ample for Morning Time. ​Keep this time as a quiet, peaceful warm-up time. 
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​Here are 5 Ideas for Planning Your Morning Time.

#1 Prayer and Devotional

For morning time, you start by gently guiding your children to talk with their heavenly father. We start with prayer recitations in PreK-K. We guide our children in real conversations with God as they grow.
 
Also, you might read devotionals together with younger students or let older students find a cozy little corner to have devotions. We have free devotional links under individual study for each grade-level. 
 
 Also, we often play praise music in the background.

#2 The Pledge of Allegiance

• Try saying the Pledge of Allegiance every day, or just Mondays, to build respect for our nation and those who fought for our freedom.

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• Try singing The National Anthem occasionally or America, the Beautiful.

#3 Recitation

Morning Time is a great time to orally recite memory work. Keep it short to about 1-2 minutes. We suggest reciting on a rotational basis or 1 thing a day.

Our copybook primer includes Charlotte Mason-Inspired Recitations for Preschool and Kindergarten. 

This year, each term, we will learn a:

• Poem
• Hymn
• Psalm and/or Scripture
• Literature Selection.

We will just recite just one thing a day.

#4 Calendar

Looking at the calendar, especially for grades K to 4, is an important morning activity for teaching our calendar system. It's fun to note the day, month, year, season, and weather.

You could sing a song about the days of the week and the months of the year. ​Calendar time is already planned into our Kindergarten Teacher Guide.

#5 A Quiet Seatwork Time

Perhaps, the most effective activity for warming-up is a quiet seatwork time. This can help focus your child's attention. Keep it short at 5 minutes or less. 

This year, for seatwork, we will copy 1 page in the copybook primer. 

​Other ideas could be writing (book of mottoes or journal), drawing (sketch pad or nature notebook), or doing a hands-on activity (puzzle, playdough, or handicraft). 

A Sample Schedule

It could be as simple as 1 thing per day . . .
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Monday - Prayer & Devotional
Tuesday - The Pledge of Allegiance and Anthem
Wednesday - Recitation
Thursday - Calendar
​Friday - Copywork

It could be 2 things per day . . .

Monday - Prayer and Devotional & Copybook
Tuesday - The Pledge of Allegiance and Anthem & Copybook
Wednesday - Recitation & Copybook
Thursday - Calendar & Copybook
​Friday - Special Activity of choice

It could be 5 things per day  . . .
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Monday - Prayer, Pledge, Calendar, Recite Scripture Memory, Copybook 
Tuesday - Prayer, Pledge of Allegiance and Anthem, Calendar, Recite Poem, Copywork
Wednesday - Prayer, Pledge, Calendar, Picture Book, Recite Psalm, Copywork
Thursday - Prayer, Pledge, Calendar, Recite Literature, Copywork
Friday - Prayer, Pledge, Calendar, Special Activity of choice

A Few More Thoughts

• Keep morning time short - about 10 to 15 minutes total.

• It can be anything you want.

 

• You don't have to do everything every day.

 

• Planning can be as simple as a list of ideas posted in the homeschool room.

 

• In the beginning of the year, and periodically, you might want to go over your homeschool rules.

 

• If boredom sets-in, do something new. You are not limited to a set list of ideas!

 

• Try reading a picture book aloud to the whole family! Well chosen, the artwork and story can be quite engaging.

 

• Try letting your child color or complete a single page in a grade-level learning workbook such as Brainquest.

 

• Remember, the goal is to warm-up for learning and bring focus and peace.

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• When I was in college, my professor for sociology always played music as we were coming into the classroom. This set such a pleasant atmosphere for learning.

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• Laura Ingalls related a favorite teacher always started by reading from a good storybook - we offer living book ideas under all of our booklists!

If you had to pick just one thing, to which morning time activity would your children respond? Would your children benefit from this warm-up for learning?

Morning Time Checklist

1. Print a schedule free printable.
2. Set aside one 15-minute block for morning time.
3. Choose 1 or more activities to do for each morning. Our list of ideas were: Prayer and Devotional, Pledge, Calendar, Recitation, and Quiet Seatwork. (Now, gather the resource(s) needed.