Morning Time

I’ve mentioned many times in the past few weeks that my favorite part of our homeschool days are “morning time”. Some homeschoolers refer to this as “morning basket”. Essentially I’m doing the same thing they’re speaking about, but since my books aren’t housed in an actual basket, I call it morning time.

Our morning time can take anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half. If we’re on a roll, there has definitely been a few times it’s turned into two hours. So, without further ado, here is a basic breakdown of what I cover during morning time and some supplies that help us along the way.

“Three Things” Journals

What are “three things” journals you ask? Well, last year I found this free document that provided a full year of journal prompts for every single day of the year. (I’ve tried to find it again, and have yet to locate it!! I will update if I find it again). What I didn’t realize before I printed it out was that each topic asks for three of something.

“Three ways you might use math when you grown up.”
“Three favorite places to take a walk.”
“Three things you wish you never had to do again.”
“Three inventions you think will happen in your lifetime.”

You get the idea.

I write the prompt out each morning on a small whiteboard and change the date on our self-inking date stamp. The kids know they should date the next page in their composition notebooks, copy the prompt, and answer it. I just got them a self-inking date stamp, and IT IS SERIOUSLY THE LIFE OF THE JOURNAL WRITING PARTY. The kids are obsessed. I also let them use a pen or fun marker if they want to. The journals we’re using are the primary composition notebooks, so there is space for an illustration if the mood strikes them.

If my littlest needs help spelling her three things, my oldest will sometimes help her out, or I can write it out for her quickly on a post-it to copy as well.

Three Things Journals are one part of morning time that the kids can quietly complete independently while I’m reading other things to them.

Supplies that help us with journal writing:
composition notebooks
self-inking date stamp
personal dry erase board
expo markers

Handwriting Books

Each of my kids use The Good and the Beautiful Handwriting Books. I expect them to complete two pages a day, and to leave it out for me to see before we put them away. They know they are expected to have neat writing and complete each part of the page.

Supplies that help with handwriting:
The Good and the Beautiful Handwriting Workbooks

Morning Fundamentals Binder

This is another part of morning time that the kids do on their own everyday. My inspiration for the morning binder came from “Let’s Play School” Morning Fundamentals (currently $15 for a year’s worth of materials, themed by month). I have been a subscriber for a few months now, and each month, Chelsea releases a new Fundamentals theme. I always print out the blank calendar for each child. They’re expected to fill out the month, the date, and maybe any special events that will take place. Fundamentals emails also include a daily assignments page that I have the kids fill out a couple of times a week. Sometimes there is map work, math facts, sight words lists, tracing pages, poems, etc. It is geared towards preschool-1st grade, so my oldest does not use a ton of the materials. In that case, I sometimes print out a few logic puzzles or additional grammar practice for him to work on independently during morning time.

If there are games or super simple worksheets included, I will sometimes put it in a sheet protector and let the kids use an expo marker. They love using them, and I don’t have to print a page for every day.

Supplies that help with Morning Fundamentals:
Fundamentals subscription
TPT items (many I’ve found for free)
3-ring binder
dividers
sheet protectors

Drawing Books or Coloring Pages

My kids love to draw. They particularly love to draw on multiple copies of computer paper. To try to curb that addiction and save some trees, I found some drawing notebooks that if I really encourage them to use, help with the dwindling paper supply. I prefer that they draw in their notebooks because then all of their super cute creations stay in one place and don’t get tossed, completely on accident every single time, in the trash. My daughter also loves to color, so usually a few times a week I’ll go on Super Coloring and print out a few cute pages for her to keep in her morning binder as well.

Supplies that help with drawing:
an Art Cart
drawing notebooks
who am I kidding? lots of computer paper
coloring pages
crayola super tips markers
PrismaColor colored pencils
Ticonderoga pencils (the world’s BEST pencil)

Devotional

While the kids are busy with everything I’ve already mentioned, I begin our morning reading all the things. My first stop is always a page from a kid’s devotional. Our favorites are Louie Giglio’s most recent devotionals, Indescribable and How Great is Our God?. We love them so much, that we’ve actually started rereading Indescribable. We’re going to need him to come out with a new one soon!

Daily Gratitude Journal

I’ve been keeping a daily gratitude journal with the kids for nearly two years now. It is an absolute treasure to read through, and something I know I will keep forever. After I read our devotional each morning, I ask them each what they are thankful for in that moment. I also share my daily gratitude out loud with them.

What are you thankful for today?

“The sun.”
“Making a book by myself.”
“Playing with my cousins yesterday.”
“Having a sleepover with my brother and sister.”
“My family.”
“Making a friend happy because I gave her a card.”

It is the best. I am so thankful that we started taking the time to discuss gratitude, and I pray it’s something my kids always do in their lives as adults and maybe even as parents one day.

I keep their responses all in the same notebook. Once that one is full, I anticipate I will buy a new one, but at that time, I may also encourage them to start an individual gratitude journal as well.

Read Alouds

Now, it’s time to READ some more! I read all the things, and the kids continue to work quietly on the above mentioned tasks. IF they finish it all, and just don’t fee like drawing or coloring that morning, I’m completely okay with them grabbing some play dough or putty to keep their hands busy. I’m also okay with them just sitting and listening. As long as the kids are quiet, they can pretty much do what they want during this time.

I wrote a post about our read alouds of the past and some current ones. My plan for this year is to finish the Little House on the Prairie series first. I’ve got to say two things about these books. First of all, I cannot believe I’ve never read them until now. Why on earth did I never check out Little House in the Big Woods from the library as a girl?! I would have been hooked! And two, I am so extremely sad that we are almost done with the books. I’m going to need some recommendations that are good reads if you loved Little House. The last book is so much shorter than the others. We’ll be done with it in a week or so, and then I won’t get my daily Laura Ingalls fix!

My other plans for read aloud books this year include:
The Wild Robot
Pinky Pye (we read Ginger Pye last year and loved it)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Bunnicula
The Whipping Boy
Shiloh
Swiss Family Robinson (the kids LOVE the movie on Disney+)
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street

You can find most of these titles on my Amazon Storefront.

I know I’m going to need more, and I’m sort of drawing a blank at the moment. What else should we read?! Give me suggestions!

Science and History Reading

To go along with the specific subject and lesson we’re doing that day, I begin to read any required reading portion to the kids. By this point, they’ll sometimes have a snack too.

I tend to reserve library books and use picture books we already own that correspond with our science and history topics as well. All in all, you can count on a chapter or two out of our chapter book, science or history required reading and a picture book or two during our read aloud time.

A Few More Things…

I usually put on some classical music or the score to a favorite movie. Nine times out of ten the movie score is done by John Williams (think Harry Potter, Home Alone, Star Wars, Jurassic Park). WE LOVE having these beautiful orchestra songs in the background.

With all that reading, I always make sure to have water in addition to my cup of morning coffee nearby.

This year, I’m planning to have my oldest read aloud as well. It’s good practice, and he’s more than capable of helping me with some of the reading. I’m hoping that this motivates his little brother and sister to be able to read some parts of our morning read alouds on their own too!

What else would you include as part of your morning time? I’d love to hear ideas!