How often do you practice Morning Time?

Generally, we have Morning Time 3-4 times per week, depending on how busy our schedule is for the week.

How long Is Morning Time?

We spend anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes doing Morning Time. I have written several posts on the blog about this topic if you search for “Morning Time.”

How to Simplify Your Homeschool With Morning Time

7 Tips to a Peaceful Homeschool Morning Time

Teaching Bible In Morning Time

Simple Ideas for Memory Work in Morning Time

3 Christian Resources for Current Events In Morning Time

Simple Ideas for Poetry in Morning Time

Simple Morning Time Notebooks from Previous Years

Simple Morning Time Notebook Volume 1

Simple Morning Time Notebook Volume 2

Daily Studies/ Regular Studies

Some subjects we do daily; others we loop on a schedule. Rather than giving you a detailed schedule for when to do this, I have provided a basic framework so you can choose how best to fit it into your homeschool.

As a homeschool mom of 15 years, I know from experience that each homeschool day, especially if you have multiple children, is completely unpredictable. When it’s a good morning, we do more. At other times, when the day starts on the wrong foot, we do the very basics.

Subjects we do daily:

• Bible Reading/ Christian Biography
• Scripture Memory
• Other Memory Work
• Hymn Study
• Current Events

Subjects we do regularly or on a loop schedule: (5 minutes for each)

• Poetry
• Picture Study
• Composer Study
• Folk Songs
• Grammar
• Nature Study
• Shakespeare
• Math Review
• Proverb-A-Day
• Map Work
• Spelling Patterns
• Nature Study

Daily Subjects

We try to do these studies daily in Morning Time.

Bible Reading/ Christian Biography

We read from a storybook Bible every morning. One morning a week we substitute the Bible reading with a Christian biography.

Scripture Memory

Read the passage once or twice out loud together each day. Focus less on “memorizing” and more on consistently reading the verse. After you hear it over and over, it starts to stick! We find it helpful to do a current verse and a review verse.

Other Memory Work

This year, we are learning the books of the Bible, the Gettysburg Address, the classic poem “Can’t” by Edgar Guest, and other poems. I focus less on memorizing and more on reading it once a day and letting the memorization happen naturally.

Hymn Study

We keep hymnals in hand because they are very useful to refer to when learning hymns. We do hymn study at night as part of our bedtime routine, but many people like doing it as part of Morning Time. During November, December, and March, we use our hymnals to review Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter songs.

Current Events

Our family enjoys World Watch News every morning together. This is a 10-minute news broadcast from a Christian perspective. I highly recommend a membership! ($6.99/month)

Regular Subjects (Loop Schedule)

We implement this section of the Simple Morning Time Notebook on a loop schedule. I am not rigid on how I do this. After we finish our Daily Subjects, we usually pick one or two Regular Subjects.

Each Regular Subject study should take approximately 5 minutes.

Poetry

When I select the poets we will be studying for the year, I try to choose one suitable for younger kids and one for older ones. This year, I have chosen Walter de la Mare and Emily Dickinson as the poets we will study. We study one poem at a time, reading it once a day until it becomes very familiar. Often, kids will memorize the poem from hearing it so much. I’ve also included a page of classic poems with inspiring themes. These are poems I love reading to my kids!

Picture Study

I have kept the artist choices and prints blank for your child to fill in. You can find Picture Study suggestions for the current year on Ambleside Online or pick your own. In the past, I have both had a picture in hand to study AND studied the picture from a computer. Both options work well. You can also purchase art prints from Simply Charlotte Mason. (simplycharlottemason.com)

Composer Study

Choose two composers you will study this year. I have found it very helpful to create a playlist from these on your phone. Have kids hand-write the songs in the blanks as you listen to them. Introduce your children to the instruments of the orchestra. Have them identify them as you listen to music.

Folk Songs

Choose the folk songs you will learn each month and have your children write them in as you complete them. You may want to create a playlist for these as well.

Shakespeare

This year, we are reading the Shakespeare plays Othello and The Taming of the Shrew. Because Shakespeare has such deep plots and several characters, I like to expose our kids to Shakespeare through a progression of readings.

First, I read it from “Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare“ by Edith Nesbit. Secondly, I read the same play from “Tales from Shakespeare” by Charles and Mary Lamb, which fills in more of the details. For high school kids, listening to Arkangel audio versions of the plays is a wonderful extension.

Math Review

For Math Review, we will learn basic measurement in U.S. Customary and Metric units. We will also study unit conversions, including how to multiply or divide to convert metric units.

Samples of questions to ask:

• What do we use to measure length? weight? capacity? for US Customary? Metric?
• How many inches are in a foot? a yard? How many cups are in a pint? a gallon? etc.
• (Older students) One meter is how many kilometers? millimeters? etc.

Spelling Patterns and Rules

I use copywork as the main method for teaching Spelling. Writing lists of words out of context does not seem to be an effective way to learn to spell, in my opinion. In addition to copywork, however, I like to review spelling patterns and rules to help kids see why words are spelled the way they are. Read one Spelling Rule during Morning Time and have your kids try to come up with their own examples.

Proverb-A-Day

When you read through the book of Proverbs, each chapter is full of so many treasures, it can be hard to walk away with one solid application. I wanted to find a way to sort out individual proverbs by topic and soak in them a little, and this is what inspired the Proverb-a-Day page. Read one proverb in Morning Time (there are enough for you to do about one a week.) Ask your kids what they think it means. This should take only about 5 minutes.

Grammar

Learning the parts of speech and being able to diagram a sentence has come under criticism of late, but I believe that understanding the patterns of our speech helps kids communicate well in both oral and written form. Choose a sentence from one of your favorite current read-alouds. Write it on a whiteboard. Using the grammar charts provided, label each part of speech.

Map Work

We are learning about the countries and physical properties of South America. Using a map, kids will label the countries and capitals of South America along with prominent physical features.

Nature Study

Although I typically assign our kids to do their Nature Study Notebook as part of their checklist, many children enjoy sketching during Morning Time. Pull out some field guides or have them collect specimens to copy during Morning Time.

Read Aloud Book List

If you enjoy reading aloud as part of your Morning Time, keep track of all the books you read during the year.

Get your 2025-2026 Simple Morning Time Notebook!

If you would like your own copy of the 2024-2025 Simple Morning Time Notebook that we will use this year, you can purchase a digital download for $9.00 by clicking on the button below.

I would love for you to join us in our Morning Time this year!

Leave a Comment!

What questions do you have about the Simple Morning Time Notebook?

Have you used the Simple Morning Time in the past? Any tips for others? What worked well? What would you change? Share your experience!

The post 2025-2026 Simple Morning Time Notebook appeared first on Our Life Homeschooling.

Inspired by Ambleside Online

From the very beginning of our homeschool journey, I have loved Ambleside Online. It is a beautiful, rich curriculum. As our family grew over the years (we now have 10 children), it became more difficult to continue doing AO, but I did not want my kids to miss out on the abundance that AO provides. Because of this, we adapt Ambleside Online to meet the needs of our family. Our yearly choices are what I like to call the “ultra lite” version. We still enjoy the feast , but only as much as we can handle. We usually do only 1-2 poets, artists, or composers per year, for example, rather than three.

This notebook is one of the ways we make AO work for our large family. Having said that, I have purposely kept many selections blank for you to fill in. I did this intentionally to respect AO’s privacy policy. It is also for people who love the Charlotte Mason and Classical education models, but but use curricula other than AO.

Because I find it more motivating to write down the title of a song/print after we have studied it (and less pressure to try to do every suggestion), I have kept many lines blank for your child to fill in. Additionally, it helps make the study to become more personal to kids when they have to hand write the titles of songs or art pieces.

See the 2024-2025 Simple Morning Time Notebook

Daily Subjects

Bible Reading/ Christian Biography

We read from a storybook Bible every morning. One morning a week we substitute the Bible reading with a Christian Biography.

Scripture Memory

We memorize Scripture by simply reading the verse once or twice out loud together each day. You may find it helpful to do a current verse and a review verse.

Other Memory Work

This year we are learning the Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 1. This particular question and answer is especially applicable to me in these uncertain times and I wanted our kids to learn it this year. We are also learning the Bill of Rights. I focus less on memorizing and more on reading it once a day and letting the memorization happen naturally.

Hymn Study

Having a hymnal in hand is very useful for learning hymns. We do hymn study at night as part of our bedtime routine, but many people like doing it as part of Morning Time. For the months of November, December, and March, we use our hymnals to review Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter songs.

Current Events

Our family enjoys World Watch every morning together. This is a 10 minute news broadcast from a Christian perspective. I highly recommend a membership! Cancel Netflix and subscribe to World Watch. It is absolutely worth it!

Regular Subjects (Loop Schedule)

This section of the Simple Morning Time Notebook we implement on a loop schedule. I am not rigid on how I do this. After we finish our Daily Subjects, we usually pick one or two Regular Subjects.

Poetry

When I pick the poets we are doing for the year, I try to choose one that is suitableie for younger kids and one for older. This year I have chosen Robert Louis Stevenson and Alfred Lord Tennyson as the poets we will study. We study one poem at a time, reading it once a day until it becomes very familiar. Often, kids will memorize the poem from hearing it so often.

Picture Study

I have kept the artist choices and prints blank for your child to fill in . You can find Picture Study suggestions for the current year on Ambleside Online or pick your own. In the past, I have both had a picture in hand to study AND studied the picture from a computer. Both options work well. You can also purchase art prints from Simply Charlotte Mason. (simplycharlottemason.com)

Composer Study

Choose two composers you will study this year. I have found it very helpful to create a playlist from these on your phone. Have kids hand-write the songs in the blanks as you listen to them.

Folk Songs

Choose the folk songs you will learn each month and have your children write them in as you complete them. You may want to create a playlist for these as well.

Shakespeare

This year we are reading the Shakespeare plays As You Like It and Cymbeline. Because Shakespeare has such deep plots and several characters, I like to expose our kids to Shakespeare through a progression of readings. First I read it from “Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare“ by Edith Nesbit. Secondly, I read the same play from “Tales from Shakespeare” by Charles and Mary Lamb which fills in more of the details. For high school kids, listening to Arkangel audio versions of the plays is a wonderful extension.

I would love for you to join us in our Morning Time this year!

The post Simple Morning Time Notebook 2024-2025 appeared first on Our Life Homeschooling.

Every so often on the blog, I love to give you a sneak peek into “our life” collectively as homeschoolers by sharing interviews with everyday homeschool moms just like you! I am especially excited to share this interview I had with my sister, Jo, a mom of four kids, 7 and under. I hope you will be encouraged by reading this interview with Jo as she talks about how she does homeschool Morning Time with lots of littles.

Video: Homeschool Morning Time With Lots of Littles: Interview with Jo

Introduce Yourself

My name is Jo Meservy. We are a family of six: my husband and I, and four kids seven and under.

What attracted you to homeschooling?

To be honest, it’s hard to judge exactly how long we’ve been homeschooling because in hindsight, I feel like I’ve always been doing it. As a former public high school teacher, education had always been important to me, but I never intended to homeschool.

Like every mom, the early days with my babies were filled with “activities” that are essentially, a foundation for homeschooling–sorting colors, counting, introducing letters, etc. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, COVID hit right around the time we planned to send our oldest to preschool. We were left with no choice but to homeschool.

My sister homeschooled, so how hard could it be, right? We took what we were already doing and gave it just a smidge more focus and attention.

Shortly after we began, I helped launch a co-op with a few other isolated and COVID lonely moms like me. Before I knew it, I had fallen deeply in love with homeschooling, so four years later, we’re still going.

At no point in this journey did I feel unequipped, ill-prepared, or unqualified and that is 100% due to the encouragement of my sister, Sheri. She encouraged me at the start, and she still encourages me to keep going. Although my husband is my best friend and an incredible teammate–Sheri is my homeschool cheerleader. If COVID hadn’t forced me to jump into the homeschool pool, I’m confident that she would have eventually convinced me to dip my toes in the water. 

1. How do I prepare for a successful morning time?

I do my very best to wake up before the kids each day so that I can have time to myself.

There is a quote by Toni Morrison that I have begun to live by, “When a child walks into a room, do your eyes light up? Because that’s what they’re looking for.”

Generally speaking, I don’t greet my children well when they are the ones to wake me up. I have made it a priority to wake up before them, to enjoy the quiet, so that I’m ready to greet them with enthusiasm. The same principle bleeds into morning time. Each day I try to show an eagerness to dive into morning time with them. If I treat it like a chore, no one will want to do it. If I am excited, there is a better chance the day will go smoothly. 

Practically speaking, I keep a basket with our Morning Time content inside (Bible, poetry book, Hymnal, Classical Conversations review booklet). I also have a closet full of activities for the kids to choose from. Only one of my kids is a reader, so activities are an important part of the process for us.

Before morning time each day, I close off all stairs and bathrooms, and set a 5-10 minute timer. We’ve done this enough times for the big kids to know they must be ready and at the table with an activity of their choice by the time my timer goes off. We meet at the table and hope for the best. 

2. What does morning time look like on a typical day?

It’s not pretty. I have my content and activities prepared, and still nothing goes smoothly. Everyone has an activity, the baby is strapped down with a snack, and I’m excited and ready to go. But something will always go wrong.

Kellen might not like the activity he chose and will want to go get something else. Cam, my three year old, might want the activity Sadie chose and they will try and convince me that they can share and listen at the same time–spoiler alert: they can’t.

By the time I get resettled, Raleigh (the baby) has finished his snack and wants to play. I put him down and let him run amuck, because I know I’ve closed off all the exits already. So then, we start again. I’ll get halfway through the Bible passage before there is another interruption. We talk again about waiting until we are between subjects to speak, and then we keep on going.

We aim to read a chapter in the Bible (right now, we’re reading through Psalms), a few poems by Shel Silverstein (he’s an easy way for littles to dip their toes into poetry), we sing through our hymn of the month (thank you Sheri for the idea!), and then we go through our CC review work.

In all, I try to keep it under 30 minutes. On the best of days, they sing and recite along when they’re supposed to, and they keep ears open, hands busy, and mouths closed when they’re supposed to. If things fall apart past the point of recovery, we call it quits.

But as long as I can continue with patience and joy, we stumble through each subject as best as we can. By the time we are done, the baby has torn the house apart, and my three year old has most likely abandoned the table at least once to help him. So then… we begin our chores. 

3. How do I handle it when babies and toddlers aren’t interested or insist on interrupting?

If my little littles want to go off and play during morning time, I let them. They are only under legal schooling age for a few short years. The rule is: if you’re of school age, you must stay and participate.

As for the littles, I don’t want to deprive them of the joy of free play–especially when there are so many intellectual benefits from it! They might go off and make monumental messes, but that’s just the phase I’m in. I choose to embrace the mess. I let the littles leave the table when they can’t handle the structure anymore…most days they come back.

As they age, I try to make morning time the hot spot of the house. I behave as if the morning time table is quite possibly more fun than the temptation of free play.

Although I can’t sustain a Pinterest level activity bin system to keep them entertained, I do have a box of random supplies and activities for them to choose from every morning. When those stop working and my older toddlers begin to get too loud and wiggly, I ask them if they’d like to go play. Sometimes they say yes. Often, they say no. This is the goal.

I want them to want  to stay with us, even if it makes the morning time session harder. 

4. What is the primary objective in Morning Time?

My two biggest objectives in morning time are cultivating a desire to be a part of it and establishing sustainable habits and routines.

For the most part, I’ve met these two goals with my oldest two chidlren. I think that’s why I have patience for the mess and the chaos–because I have two older ones that are finally where I want them to be. They don’t interrupt often, they know the drill and morning time has become easy with them. If I keep fighting the good fight with patience, the others will get there too.

We slowly instill boundaries, rules, and routines, and the habit becomes a little easier as each child grows older. Slowly, ever so slowly, I’m seeing things piece together into the picture I’ve been hoping for, but we still have a long way to go.

The second goal is sustainable habits. I’m not the mom who has a constant flow of activities up her sleeve to keep them seated and quiet. I come up with a great idea every now and then and it’s great–but I can’t bring that to the table on a daily basis.

They have their activity closet, and I don’t put in more effort past that. I don’t want them to come to morning time each day expecting to be served up creative entertainment on a platter. I don’t have it in me. So to make morning time sustainable–I keep it simple.

I also try to keep it short. We stick to about twenty minutes, maybe thirty if too many interruptions set us back. I keep my vision of our morning time routine as something we can realistically and daily achieve. Once we hit a good rhythm I add in another expectation or content piece to cover. 

I think the biggest goal is to not let morning time take the joy out of the slow mornings that homeschooling provides in these early years.

All the old ladies we run into at the grocery store are right–the days are long but the years are short! In ten years, I won’t mind the messes and the interruptions, but I will regret it if I waste these years stressing over getting it all done and losing my temper trying to make it happen the way I planned. The goal is to use morning time to add to the joy in our home. So far, despite the constant interruptions, it seems to be working. 

Favorite Resources

*This post contains affiliate links which means I may make a small commission at no cost to you.

1. Teaching From Rest
2. Read Aloud Family
3. Your Morning Basket Podcast (Now called Homeschool Better Together)
4. Read Aloud Revival Podcast(basically anything with Sarah Mackenzie’s name on it)
5. I’m a huge fan of Classical Conversations–I know it’s not necessarily a resource, but the habits of CC align really well with families who prioritize morning time. 
6. Surprised by Motherhood by Lisa-Jo Baker (reminds me to take joy in this incredible job!)

Leave a Comment!

Has Jo’s story resonated with you? Leave a comment to let her know!

The post Homeschool Morning Time With Lots of Littles: Interview with Jo appeared first on Our Life Homeschooling.

Would you like your kids to learn the books of the Bible? The Best Books of the Bible At-a-Glance Free Printable will be a great tool to help your kids to memorize all sixty-six of the Old and New Testament books!

The Bible continues to be a worldwide best-seller with 100 million sales per year. It was written by 40 different authors over a time period of nearly 2000 years. Additionally, we have several thousand available manuscripts of the Bible. 

What an incredible treasure we have in our hands. We can read and know the precious word of God! 

One excellent way to better understand the teachings of the Bible is to become familiar with the various books of the Bible in order. A books of the Bible chart in full color is a helpful resource to visually show kids the layout of the Bible.

Although kids often hear the famous stories of the Bible, having an understanding of the necessary background of the different books will help them as they grow and learn through their own personal Bible studies. 

Order of the Bible

Knowing the order of the books will break down the Bible into clearly-defined parts. God’s Word is divided into two sections: the books of the Old Testament and the books of the New Testament. 

These two parts can be further broken down into 9 smaller categories. 

1. The Law
2. Books of History
3. Poetry Books
4. Major Prophets
5. Minor Prophets
6. Gospels
7. Church History (book of Acts)
8. Letters to the Churches (often referred to as epistles)
9. Prophecy

Helping Kids Memorize the Books of the Bible

When the kids and I memorize bible verses or other memory work together, we start by simply saying it aloud. Usually, we do this during Morning Time, but it can be done any time of the day. 

This is a great way to begin with the books of the Bible as well. It may not seem to stick for the first couple of days, but after the following week or so, you may be surprised how quickly your kids remember them.

Another fun way to learn them is through song. One of my kids’ favorite songs is the Go Fish-Bible Book Bop.  There are several different versions of songs on YouTube. I suggest you play a few for your kids and have them pick their favorite. 

Bible Trivia

As your kids learn more about the books of the Bible, they may enjoy some Bible trivia to test their knowledge!  

• How many books are in the Old Testament? 39
• Which book of the Bible was written by King David? Book of Psalms
• How many books of history are in the Old Testament? 12
• Which five books did Moses write and what were they called? Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy; they are called the Pentateuch
• How many books are major prophets? 5
• How many books are minor prophets? 12
• What is the first and last book of the Old Testament? Genesis/Malachi
• What is the first and last book of the New Testament? Matthew/Revelation
• Which particular book is full of wisdom? Proverbs
• How many gospels are in the New Testament? 4
• How many New Testament books are letters? 21
• Are the books of the Bible in chronological order? No
• Who is the author of the book of Romans? Paul
• What is the name of the book of prophecy at the very end of the New Testament? Revelation

Bible Sword Drills

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things that we did in Sunday School was to practice sword drills. In this game, the teacher would call out a book of the Bible with a chapter and verse to see who could find it first. 

After you have spent some time learning the books of the Bible with your kids, you should try playing this game with them. They will love competing with others (or even themselves) to see how quickly they can find the verse in their own Bibles. Learning the books of the Bible really helps to be able to find verses quickly!

How do I download the Best Books of the Bible At-A-Glance Free Printable ?

1. Subscribe in the box below by entering your email.
2. Check your email inbox to confirm your subscription.
3. You will get a success message with a link to the pdf file. Click on the link and print. (You will need a color printer for this printable.) Enjoy! Please remember, these are for personal use only!

As you teach the Bible in your homeschool, these other great resources may be useful as well.

How to Help Kids Develop a Habit of Reading the Bible

Teaching Bible in Morning Time

Best Christmas Bible Trivia Free Printable

Simple Ideas for Memory Work in Morning Time

I hope this printable books of the Bible reference can be a handy chart for you as your kids memorize the books of the Bible! 

The post Best Books of the Bible At-A-Glance Free Printable  appeared first on Our Life Homeschooling.

Disclaimer

Morning Time is one of my favorite times with our kids, but I have to be honest, it doesn’t always play out the way I have planned.. As much as I want to start each day with truth, goodness, and beauty, some days it’s …less than inspiring, to say the least! Can you relate?!

In our 14 years of homeschooling, I have learned a few strategies that can help bring peace to our Morning Time practice and that is what I want to share with you in this post.

#1 Start the Night Before

If you take a little bit of time the night before to tidy up, it can make all the difference the next morning. For me, the biggest help is clearing the counters. Set your timer for 10 minutes and clear all counter and table tops in site. Look at the visual clutter in the room where you do Morning Time and put away the most obvious items. This brief habit the night before will set the tone for the next day. Waking up to a clutter-free space will inspire you, no matter what setbacks you encounter first thing in the morning.

#2 Have a Plan

You will have better results in Morning Time if your kids know what. to expect. Kids thrive with boundaries. Here are some ideas to try.

• Have a beginning and ending time (roughly). I expect our kids to be at Morning Time dressed and ready to go at 8:30. They know it usually lasts 30-45 minutes.
• Have subjects you do daily and others you do on a loop schedule. This provides consistency, but also keeps it from getting boring.
• Kids should know the expectations. Should they be sitting down during this time or are you comfortable with them moving around? Can they color, play, draw, whisper, do Lego’s? Let them know ahead of time what you will allow and what is not okay.
• We often having our Morning Time and breakfast together. Reading aloud goes smoothly when kids are eating.
• Keep moving through the subjects. Kids do better with short lessons.

#3 Make It Visual

One of the surest ways to make sure your kids are retaining the content you are covering is to have a visual for them. Have all the material in one place. One way I do this is by printing out Morning Time notebooks, one for each child. Each notebook has pages with the memory work, poems, picture study, composers, etc. that we will be studying for the year. Having everything in one place, written out for them will help them remember it more easily.

#4 Ideas for Babies and Toddlers

Babies and toddlers present a real wild card in homeschooling. If it’s easier to do Morning Time during nap time, then go for it! There is not reason why you have to do it at any certain time.

I keep a drawer full of puzzles, crayons and coloring books, blocks, playdough, etc. in the same bureau dresser where we keep our Morning Time Notebooks. This way we always have something on hand to distract little ones. Small babies are a little easier since they can be appeased by nursing, but for older babies, putting them in a booster seat with snacks has been the trick for me.

For more ideas, read

How to Homeschool With an Infant

How to Homeschool With a Baby

Best Tips for Homeschooling With Toddlers in the House (Get the free printable Busy Ideas for Toddlers.)

#5 Expect Distractions and Prepare for Them

Nothing can change the atmosphere of Morning Time more quickly than constant annoying distractions. If you think it won’t happen in your homeschool, you are in for a rude awakening! A home is much different than the four walls of a classroom. Our homes are full of distractions…the timer going off on the drier, a neighbor mowing the lawn, the dog whining to go out, kids arguing, urgent text messages…the list is exhaustive. How can you prepare for distractions? These are a few measures I have tried with success.

• Turn off your phone or silence it. If you use your phone for some of your Morning Time activities, turn it upside down. Also, limiting notifications can eliminate a lot of interruptions.
• When kids fight, complain, argue, etc., take the time to address this issue, otherwise, they probably won’t really be paying attention. It may throw off your plans, but in the long run, it will set the tone for future success.
• Tell your kids ahead of time how to respond to distractions.

, Most importantly, you should persevere! Yes, even when the interruptions are so frequent and extreme they start to dampen your spirit. This may mean that on that day, you put it all away…and that is ok! BUT persevering means that you begin again tomorrow and try again. A peaceful Morning Time takes practice.

#6 Adjust Your Attitude

No matter how your morning starts out, you can influence the whole atmosphere of your home by having a positive attitude. Smile at your children. Have a genuine interest in learning. As moms, we can easily forget how blessed we are to be able to spend so much time with our kids. Remind yourself of all the benefits you have through homeschooling…slow mornings, one-on-one time with your children, learning together, sibling friendships, home-cooked meals. Write out a list if that helps remind you!

*This post may contain affiliate links which means I may make a profit at no extra cost to you.

#7 Don’t Forget the Secret Ingredient! (Prayer!)

If you can’t seem to have peace in your Morning Time, have you tried praying about it? Recently I read a moving story from The Hiding Place to our kids. During World War II, Corrie and her sister Betsy were arrested for hiding Jews and sent to the atrocious concentration camp at Ravensbruck. Living in Barracks 28, the women faced conditions of the most horrendous assort: lice, fleas, over crowding, hard labor, little food, poor ventilation… deplorable circumstances . As a result of these conditions, “fighting and quarrels erupted constantly.” On one particularly dismal night, Betsy clasped Corrie’s hand saying, “Lord Jesus, send your peace into this room. There has been too little praying here.”

When you struggle to have peace in your Morning Time, bring your requests to the Lord. As Betsy continued, “Where You come, Lord, the spirit of strife cannot exist.” In His presence is perfect peace, so ask Him for His help.

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way.”

2 Thessalonians 3:16

Other Morning Time posts to read.

How to Simplify Your Homeschool with Morning Time

Simple Ideas for Poetry in Morning Time

3 Christian Resources for Current Events in Morning Time

Simple Ideas for Memory Work in Morning Time

Teaching Bible in Morning Time

Pin It! 7 tips to a Peaceful Homeschool Morning Time

The post 7 Tips to a Peaceful Homeschool Morning Time appeared first on Our Life Homeschooling.

Are you looking for a solution for teaching multiple children or a wide range of ages? Simplify your homeschool by starting with Morning Time. Morning Time is the part of our day where we gather to learn the subjects that are best learned in a group setting. It inspires our day with truth, goodness, and beauty. This Simple Morning Time Notebook is the format our family will be using the upcoming year. Take a peek inside and purchase one for yourself. I hope you’ll join us!

Video: Simple Morning Time Notebook: Volume I

A Peek Inside Our Morning Time

A few months ago, I received a comment on YouTube from a mom who said that she would like to look inside our Morning Time folders to see what we study each year. I tucked this thought away in my head until recently when I started planning for a new school year. I began trying to think of a way that I could share my Morning Time plans with other moms so they can have something tangible to print out and use in their homeschool. That is where the idea for this notebook came together.

Well-Suited for Ambleside Online Users

From the very beginning of our homeschool journey, I have loved Ambleside Online. It is a beautiful, rich curriculum. As our family grew over the years (we now have 10 children), it became more difficult to continue doing AO, but I did not want my kids to miss out on the abundance that AO provides. Because of this, we adapt Ambleside Online to meet the needs of our family. Our yearly choices are what I like to call the “ultra lite” version. We still enjoy the feast , but only as much as we can handle. We usually do only 1-2 poets, artists, or composer suggestions per year. I would rather my child know only a handful of composers/artists/poets very well, than a shallow knowledge of many composers/artists/poets. I try to choose the most well-known and loved choices each year from the Ambleside Online options.

How We Do Morning Time

We typically do Morning Time 3-4 days a week, give or take depending on our schedule. We have subjects that we do daily and others that we loop on a rotation. In our notebooks, I don’t have a detailed schedule for how much I plan to accomplish in a certain time period. I have found that in homeschooling, some mornings we get a lot done and other mornings, we just aren’t that into it. For this reason, I like to have a lot of flexibility in our Morning Time plans.

Studies we do daily:

• Bible Reading/ Christian Biography
• Scripture Memory
• Other Memory Work
• Hymn Study
• Current Events

Studies we do regularly or on a loop schedule:

• Poetry
• Picture Study
• Composer Study
• Language Arts Review
• Nature Study
• Shakespeare
• Math Games

Here are other Morning Time posts you may enjoy reading. These will further describe how we typically do Morning Time

How to Simplify Your Homeschool with Morning Time

Teaching Bible in Morning Time

Simple Ideas for Memory Work in Morning Time

3 Christian Resources for Current Events in Morning Time

Simple Ideas for Poetry in Morning Time

11 Excellent Christian Biography Resources for Your Homeschool

What’s in the Simple Morning Time Notebook Volume I

Here is what you will find in our Simple Morning Time notebooks.

Bible Reading/ Christian Biography

We read from a storybook Bible every morning. One morning a week we substitute the Bible reading
with a Christian Biography. Often we use Trial and Triumph, as suggested by AO.

Scripture Memory

We memorize Scripture by simply reading the verse once or twice out loud together each day. You
may find it helpful to do a current verse and a review verse.

Other Memory Work

This year we are learning The Declaration of Independence, The Preamble to the Constitution, the
Presidents of the U.S., and the Continents and Oceans. We memorize these by reading a small section
once a day until it becomes familiar. *We do not completely memorize the Declaration of Independence.

Hymn Study

Having a hymnal in hand is very useful for learning hymns. We do hymn study at night as part of our
bedtime routine, but many people like doing it as part of Morning Time. For the months of November,
December, and March, we use our hymnals to review Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter songs.

Poetry

This year I have chosen William Blake (AO Year 3) and Rudyard Kipling (AO Year 5) as the poets we will study. We study one poem at a time, reading it once until it becomes very familiar. Often, kids will memorize the poem from hearing it so often.

Picture Study

I chose Claude Monet and Georges Seurat for our artists. Because I find it more motivating to write down the title of a print after we have studied it (and less pressure to try to do every suggestion), I have kept these lines blank for your child to fill in. Additionally, it helps make the painting become more personal to kids when they have to hand-write the title. You can find specific print suggestions on Ambleside Online and either print them from there or show them digitally to your kids from your device. You can also purchase art prints from Simply Charlotte Mason.

Composer Study

The composers we will be learning this year are Johannes Brahms and Franz Liszt. Refer to Ambleside
Online to choose which songs you prefer to enjoy. Create a playlist from these on your phone. Have kids hand-write the songs in the blanks as you listen to them.

Grammar

On the mornings when we do grammar, I write out a sentence on the white board and together we
label each part of speech.

Nature Study

Although I typically assign our kids to do their Nature Study Notebook as part of their checklist, many
children enjoy sketching during Morning Time. Pull out some field guides or have them collect specimens to copy during Morning Time.

Shakespeare

We will be reading the stories of Twelfth Night and King Lear. I have not been able to complete an actual Shakespeare play with our kids, but I do like them to be familiar with the characters and the stories. Because of this, we read sections from Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb and Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare by Edith Nesbit. We also enjoy the Bruce Coville Shakespeare picture books. Since Shakespeare plays have deep plots, I have found it helpful to read the story to my kids more than once in a progression of books from easy to harder. With each reading, they understand more details.

Math Review

Kids love doing these review games and they can be adapted for almost every age. These math
games teach addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division as well as money skills.

Get Your Simple Morning Time Notebook Volume I

If you would like to get your copy of the Simple Morning Time Notebook that we will be using this year, you can purchase a digital download for $7 by clicking on the button below. I hope you will join us in our studies!

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Who are your kids’ heroes? You can find out who they admire by merely listening to the people they talk about. Challenge your kids to live above the status quo by introducing them to great people through the books they read. Give them Christian heroes! Show them a life worth emulating. Reading biographies is a wonderful way to do this. Show them men and women from all ages of time who, by faith, lived their lives for something that outlasted them, something eternal. Here are 11 Excellent Christian Biography Resources for Your Homeschool.

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Video: 11 Excellent Christian Biography Resources for Your Homeschool

11 Excellent Christian Biography Resources for Your Homeschool

In this list you will find the eleven resources categorized by genre. I have also tried to give an approximate age level for which each book or series word work well.

#1 Heroes for Young Readers by Renee Meloche

Genre: Picture Book

Age: Young Kids

With colorful illustrations written in four line rhyme, these books are written for young readers. This resource is a picture book version of the similar Christian Heroes Then and Now series (below), both of which are put out by YWAM. Each book is about a different character. If you have children in 6th grade and below, this series would be great to use for all your children. Reading one picture book a week at Morning Time would be a wonderful way to get kids familiar with some of these great men and women.

#2 Trailblazer Books by Dave and Neta Jackson

Genre: Biographical Historical Fiction Books About One Character

Age: Elementary

Trailblazer Books are historical fiction books which read much like a chapter book for elementary age kids. Each book features a different hero of the faith. One thing I like about these books is the catchy book and chapter titles and the occasional illustrations sprinkled throughout the books. The books are generally 100-150 pages in length with slightly larger font. Over 32 people are featured in the Trailblazer Series.

#3 Christian Heroes Then and Now by Janet and Geoff Benge

Genre: Biographical Historical Fiction Books About One Character

Age: Upper Elementary, Middle and High School

Christian Heroes Then and Now is published by YWAM. Each book is the life story of a Christian hero written in fictional style. The books cover interesting stories in the character’s life as well as some little known facts about the person. I have used these as a read aloud book for my kids, but they could easily be assigned to an upper elementary, middle, or high school child for personal reading as well. They are a little bit longer, 150-200 pages, so it is not a quick read.

#4 Men and Women of Faith Series

Genre: Biography

Age: Middle and High School

The books in Men and Women of Faith series are individual biographies which highlight the important contributions of each person’s life. These biographies are well-suited to give a Middle and High School aged kids to read on their own. We have used them as read aloud books which has been great as well. They are definitely a little deep for younger kids, but bits of the story still trickle down to the littles as they sit in and do some quiet work while listening.

Each book is approximately 125-150 pages long, so by reading one chapter a week, it would be reasonable to cover two-three biographies a. year. Individual books are written by various authors and some of them written as an autobiography.

Here are some of the people featured in the Men and Women of Faith biographies.

Women: Amy Carmichal, Corrie Ten Boom, Florence Nightingale, Gladys Alward, Isobel Kuhn, Mary Slessor, Joni, Hannah Whitall Smith

Men: Borden of Yale, Brother Andrew, C.S. Lewis, Charles Finney, Charles Spurgeon, Eric Liddell, George Mueller, Hudson Taylor, Jim Elliott, Jonathan Goforth, John Hyde, John Wesley, Samuel Morris, Terry Waite, William Carey, Andrew Murray, Charles Colson, D.L. Moody, John Newton, John Paton, Luis Palau

Men and Women: John and Betty Stamm, Francis and Edith Schaeffer

#5 Light Keepers by Irene Howat

Genre: Biographical Historical Fiction Series, Books with a Different Character in Each Chapter

Age: Elementary and Middle School

In this five book series, each book has ten biographies which are like ten chapters. The story of the person in each chapter reads like fiction and gives a fairly brief overview of the person’s life. The end of each chapter has a section which includes a short fact, the keynote of the person’s life, questions to think about, and a prayer. The chapters are about 12 pages of light reading, suggested for kids ages 9-14. I think these books would be perfect as a devotional, considering the reflection questions at the end of each chapter. Chapters do not go very deep, but give a short synopsis of the lives of several people in one book.

The books come in a series of five. There is a set for boys and girls .

Ten Boys/Girls Who Changed the World

Ten Boys/Girls Who Used Their Talents

Ten Goys/Girls Who Didn’t Give In

Ten Boys/Girls Who Made History

Ten Boys/Girls Who Made a Difference

A few of the biographies in each chapter include:

Boys: Eric Liddell, George Washington Carver, Billy Graham, Luis Palau, George Muller, Nicky Cruz, Polycarp, Thomas Cranmer, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Nate Saint, C.S. Lewis, John Bunyan

Girls: Gladys Aylward, Mary Slessor, Amy Carmichal, Joni Eareckson Tada, Catherine Booth, Sabina Wurmbrand, Ruth Bell Graham, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Blandina, Anne Askew

#6 Trial and Triumph by Richard M. Hannula

Genre: Biographical Historical Fiction Series, Books with a Different Character in Each Chapter

Age: Middle & High School or all ages if used as a read aloud book.

This is one book which follows the history of the church and tells individual stories of Christian heroes. Each chapter the story of a different hero of the faith. Trial and Triumph is very well-written. The chapters are not an easy read, but they are an excellent read! Because of this, I have used this book primarily as a read aloud. When I read it to the kids (as opposed to them reading it to themselves), we are able to discuss difficult sections or details that may go over their heads.

The book is divided by time periods chronologically: Early Church, Middle Ages, Reformation, Post-Reformation, Modern Missions, and Recent Times. We have gone through this book twice over a period of several years. I usually read one chapter a week during Morning Time. Sometimes I can get through a chapter in one day. Other chapters may take 2-3 days if they are longer.

#7 History Lives Series by Mindy and Brandon Withrow

Genre: Biographical Historical Fiction Series, Books with a Different Character in Each Chapter

Age: Middle and High School

History Lives is a chronological historical fiction series of five books. The books follow the history of the church, each chapter covering a different person. This is an easy read for Middle and High School students. The chapters, however, are longer so that is the reason I have not used these for younger ages. I assign this series to my 7th and 8th grade kids to complete in two years. To finish in this time frame, they have to read a little more than one book per semester which comes out to 1-2 chapters a week. My kids really enjoy these!

#8 Christian Biographies for Young Readers by Simonetta Carr

Genre: Non-fiction Picture Book

Age: All ages, perfect for Morning Time

Christian Biographies for Young Readers would be excellent choices to read for Morning Time with kids of every age. This series is very well done. It reads more like a non-fiction book, but is highly engaging for young readers. The books are roughly 60 or so pages with 5-7 chapters in each book. The thing that I love most about these books is the beautiful illustrations, on-site pictures, famous artwork, and copies of original documents which can be found on each page.

In some of the books you will find the following themes: exposing doctrinal errors like gnosticism and Arianism, actual quotes from the person, books they have written, a timeline of their life, snippet stories of contemporaries who lived during their lifetime.

Here are some of the biographies in this series.

• Charles Spurgeon
• Jonathan Edwards
• John Owen
• Phyllis Wheatley
• Irenaeus of Lyon
• Peter Martyr Vermigli
• Martin Luther
• Marie Durand
• Jonathan Edwards
• John Knox
• Anselm of Canterbury
• Lady Jane Grey
• Athanasius
• John Owen
• Augustine of Hippo
• John Calvin
• John Bunyan
• Julia Gonzaga

#9 The Hiding Place with Elizabeth and John Sherril

Genre: Autobiography

Age: Middle and High School

If I were to pick a book that is a must-read for your homeschool, this would be it! This book is a fabulous read aloud! Sections and chapters end with cliffhangers. Your kids will ask you to read “just a little more”. Corrie Ten Boom tells the story of hiding Jews in their home in Amsterdam during the German Occupation during World War II. She shares the details of their arrest, time in the Auschwitz concentration camp, and ultimately the message that “there is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”

Some of the details in Corrie’s story may be too strong for young readers, so I would suggest this as a read aloud for Middle and High School ages. It would also be a great book to assign for kids to read on their own, but I think that Corrie’s style of writing here is perfectly suited to be read aloud to a group. You really don’t want to miss this reading this story with your kids!

#10 God’s Smuggler with John and Elizabeth Sherrill

Genre: Autobiography

Age: Middle and HIgh School

This is the riveting story of Brother Andrew who courageously smuggled Bibles into some of the most dangerous places in the world. His miraculous encounters inspire kids to live a life of faith in a God who can be trusted! This account will challenge your teenager to rise above the status quo and live for something with eternal value.

The text in this book is 260 pages. I have given this book to our high school students to read on their own. It does contain some adult topics that might be inappropriate for younger readers.

#11 George Muller

Genre: Autobiography

Age: Middle and High School

Reading this book as an adult changed my perspective in the power of faith in prayer. George Muller’s story is one that your kids need to hear before they leave home! Reading from his personal journal, follow Mr. Muller’s personal account of his conversion from a rebellious lifestyle to his call by God to care for thousands of orphans.

This is an excellent book for a high school student to read independently or to use as a read aloud to older kids. It is 235 pages in length. Because I always try to read to the oldest ages and because I have a senior this year, I will be reading this autobiography once a week during Morning Time for our spring semester.

Leave a Comment!

I hope you have found some inspiration in reading about 11 Excellent Christian Biography Resources for Your Homeschool. What resources would you add to this list? Please share in the comment section below. I love hearing from other homeschoolers!

Looking for more book lists? You may also enjoy reading these.

Teach a Child To Read With Two Important Habits

The True Thanksgiving Story Book List for Kids

9 Favorite Homeschool Christmas Chapter Books and Short Stories

The post 11 Excellent Christian Biography Resources for Your Homeschool appeared first on Our Life Homeschooling.

Poetry in Morning Time

Morning Time has been a wonderful addition to our homeschool. Morning Time is the time that we all gather to cover the subjects that we highly value, but that often get lost in the shuffle of the more formal subjects. I have written several posts about how we do Morning Time in our homeschool.

HOW TO SIMPLIFY YOUR HOMESCHOOL WITH MORNING TIME

TEACHING BIBLE IN MORNING TIME

SIMPLE IDEAS FOR MEMORY WORK IN MORNING TIME

3 CHRISTIAN RESOURCES FOR CURRENT EVENTS IN MORNING TIME

SIMPLE MORNING TIME NOTEBOOK

7 TIPS TO A PEACEFUL HOMESCHOOL MORNING TIME

Poetry is a subject that everyone can enjoy together, no matter what their age, so it fits nicely into Morning Time. We don’t do poetry daily, instead we loop it into our schedule.

Reasons Why You Should Read Poetry With Your Kids

1. Poetry improves vocabulary. Almost every time we read a new poem, we learn a new word.
2. The descriptive, metaphoric language helps them grasp the concept of a difficult passage in ways that book reading cannot.
3. It inspires them to feel and act a certain way.
4. Poems introduce them to beauty in the written and spoken word.

“The more connections a person makes between seemingly unlike things the more the world opens up to them. Poetry is almost our only tool for teaching this kind of thinking. As your children hear and hear poetry, they will gradually begin to make connections and think in metaphors. Thus it is far more valuable to memorize poetry than to memorize lists of information. In fact, when in doubt, err on the side of poetry.”

-Cindy Rollins, A Handbook to Morning Time

Simple Ideas for Poetry

When you read a poem one time, you may just slightly understand the gist. Or you may catch snippets here and there, but have no idea what it is about at all! Poems are best understood after they are read over and over again. Often it is the 5th, 6th or more time that you have read a poem before you truly grasp the meaning or the author’s intent.

This is true for kids as well. I encourage my kids when we read a new poem that they should not get frustrated if they don’t understand it right away. I remind them that they will understand a little more each time we read it.

Memorize Poetry

One of the most obvious practices for poetry is to memorize it. Pull it out every morning for a few weeks and simply read it one time together. If the kids are up for it, you can choose a volunteer to read it a second time while the rest of the family listens. If there are unfamiliar words or phrases in the poem, you might stop to ask and try to understand them. This helps build their vocabulary and understanding of poetic form. Work on the same poem for a few weeks until one day you ask everyone to try reciting it without the passage in front of them.

We like to memorize poetry by poet. I love Christina Rosetti and Robert Louis Stevenson for young children because their poems are often titled with concrete topics that are familiar to children. Here is a list of some of the favorite poems we have memorized over the years.

Younger children

• “The Swing” by Robert Louis Stevenson
• “Daffadowndilly” by Christina Rosetti (This one great for spring when the daffodils come up!)
• “The Tyger” William Blake
• “Wynken Blynken and Nod” by Eugene Field
• “My Shadow” Robert Louis Stevenson
• “Months” by Christina Rosetti

Older kids

• “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
• “The Sluggard” by Isaac Watts
• “I Can” by Edgar A Guest

Girls

• “The Window” by Walter de la Mare
• “Crossing the Bar” by Alfred Lord Tennyson
• “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost

Boys

• “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll
• “Opportunity” by Edward Rowland Sill
• “Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

Read It

Another way to enjoy poetry is to read a few different poems a day. We have a few collections of poems that I have read through. You can start at the beginning and read 2-3 a day, making your way through. Or you can peruse through and read just the ones you like. This is usually what I do.

Here are some poetry collections we have enjoyed through the years.

Ambleside Online’s list of poetry

Oxford book of Children’s Verse

A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson

When We Were Very Young and Now We are Six by A.A. Milne

Read by Favorite Poet

We have a couple of favorite poets that we read over and over. Sometimes you get familiar with a person’s style and you want to hear more of their work because you understand it or relate to it in some way.

*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

Listen to Poetry

Sometimes the kids get tired of hearing my voice all the time. Additionally, they can become familiar with my personality and style and it no longer inspires them. Hearing someone else read a poem and talk about it can be just the ticket to seeing it in a new way. From time to time, our kids have enjoyed listening to the Daily Poem podcast. These are short podcasts, 5-10 minutes each. The host reads a poem at the beginning of the podcasts. Next, he gives a little history or background. He might mention a few notable parts or give further meaning to details. Finally, he finishes by reading the poem a second time.

I would say these are geared a little more for middle and high school, but even my elementary aged kids have enjoyed them.

Write Poetry

Often when we are memorizing a poem, we mix it up by writing a short section every day. Our kids like to use colored pencils or gel pens to do this. It usually takes us 5 or 6 mornings until we have written the whole poem, depending on how long it is. We only write a little bit every day. After they have finished writing the poem, I encourage them to draw illustrations in the margins and we put it into their portfolios.

Poetry for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

Don’t forget to include nursery rhymes in Morning Time for your youngest children. Nursery rhymes are poems for little children. They introduce them to new words, rhythms, rhyming sounds, and so much more. When you sing and repeat nursery rhymes to little ones, you will hear them repeating them throughout the day in their play.

Poetry as Art

Kids can really appreciate poems when they become a work of art. Let them write out their favorite poem. Then give them time to illustrate it. Mount the poem and place it in prominent places around your home as part of the decor. They will take pride in their work and truly “see” the beauty in poetic verse.

Short Lessons

Don’t forget the importance of short lessons. When it comes to poetic language, brevity is key! Give them just enough to whet their appetite so that they look forward to it the next time you do it. Anywhere from 5-15 minutes is plenty of time!

Pin it for Later! Simple Ideas for Poetry in Morning Time

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If you are intimidated by studying poems with your kids, I hope that these simple ideas for poetry in Morning Time can give you enough of inspiration and boost to give it a try!

Have you found some unique ways to learn poetry with your kids? Please share with others! I love hearing from other homeschoolers!

The post Simple Ideas for Poetry in Morning Time appeared first on Our Life Homeschooling.

When our kids were young, I wanted to shield them from all the violence and scary headlines in the news. My husband and I wanted them to have an innocent childhood. But as they grow older and their world expands, this changes. We want them to know what is happening daily in the world around them. We also want them to be able to think critically, to identify truth from error, and most importantly to measure everything they hear against the rubric of God’s Word. Here are 3 Christian resources for Current Events in Morning Time.

Current Events in Morning Time

Morning Time has been a wonderful addition to our homeschool. Morning Time is the time that we all gather to cover the subjects that are of great value, but often get pushed to the wayside because of the more formal subjects. I have written several posts about how we do Morning Time in our homeschool.

HOW TO SIMPLIFY YOUR HOMESCHOOL WITH MORNING TIME

SIMPLE IDEAS FOR POETRY IN MORNING TIME

TEACHING BIBLE IN MORNING TIME

SIMPLE IDEAS FOR MEMORY WORK IN MORNING TIME

Morning Time is the perfect atmosphere for learning current events with your kids. Everyone is gathered and for the most part, kids enjoy discussions around things that are happening “right now” in the world.

In our homeschool, we have subjects that we cover daily and others that we learn regularly and rotate through a looped schedule. Because of the nature of the subject, we do current events every day in our Morning Time.

Teach Kids to Think Critically

Let’s be honest, because we are Christians, we are biased in our thinking. We compare and measure everything we read or hear against the truth of God’s Word. We read the Bible to our kids regularly and want them to compare the news that they hear in the world around them with Scripture.

While we have found some wonderful Christian resources for current events that we use daily, I think it is also helpful, especially for teens, to hear the news from other perspectives. From time to time, when we watch news from mainstream media with our kids, it presents great topics for conversation! This can be a great opportunity to help kids think critically.

Watching news from different perspectives really gets kids thinking. Usually they ask some fantastic questions! Again, from childhood, we have encouraged our kids to measure everything they hear and see against the truth of the Bible. With this in mind, rather than answer their questions or draw conclusions for them, sometimes we leave the questions unanswered and challenge them to form their own opinions.

3 Christian Resources for Current Events In Morning Time

The thing I love about all three of these resources is that they are each ten minutes or less. Because of that, they very easily fit into our Morning Time.

#1 World Watch News

World Watch is a 10 minute video world newscast. As advertised in their sneak peak video, their episodes build news literacy, Biblical discernment, and critical thinking. World Watch reports on current events from across the globe from a different perspective: one that isn’t scary. World Watch is written for middle and high school ages, but all of our kids enjoy it. Host Brian Basham ends each program by saying, “Whatever the news, the purpose of the Lord will stand.”

The first half of each episode has the top news headlines from around the world. For the second half of the episode, World Watch goes a little deeper with feature stories. The feature stories vary widely and can be anything from the history of coins to artisans who make hand woven saris to Peruvians sharing meals to survive to Boston’s celebration of Patriot’s Day.

Our family tried the free 30 day trial of World Watch just to see what it was about. After the 30 days was up, everyone loved it so much, we subscribed! Our kids forward to it every morning. It is perfect for our Morning Time because it provides a visual/technology element to our meeting. A family subscription is just $6.99 per month or $79.99 per year. It absolutely pays for itself! This has been a wonderful addition to our Morning Time.

#2 The Worldview in 5 Minutes Podcast

The Worldview in 5 Minutes is a (roughly) five minute podcast that reports top news headlines from across the globe from a Christian perspective. Hosts Adam McManus and Kevin Swanson clearly state the program’s purpose in their promotional video. “A totally unique look at the world everyday. It’s upbeat. It’s truthful. It’s biased. But it’s the right bias. It’s the best bias of all.” They also describe their program as “part Paul Harvey, part R.C. Sproul.”

What I love about each podcast is that and the end of several of the stories, the host reads a passage of Scripture that relates to the story. This encourages the listener to compare the content of the story with the Biblical perspective. I love the challenge that McManus ends each episode with, “Seize the day for Jesus Christ!”

Some of the topics in the podcasts can be a little too much for younger ears, so I would say this resource is more appropriate for middle and high school ages. After having said that, we all still listen to it in morning time because my little are often distracted with drawing or puzzles that they work on during the older kids’ portions of Morning Time and often much of the headlines are over their head anyway.

Because it is only five minutes, we often listen to both The Worldview in 5 Minutes and watch World Watch News.

The Worldview in 5 Minutes is completely free. Search for The Worldview in 5 Minutes in the podcast app on your smart phone.

#3 Voice of the Martyrs Magazine

Voice of the Martyrs Magazine shares the stories of Christian persecution around the world. VOM is an interdenominational, non-profit missions agency. It was originally started by Richard Wurmbrand who faced 14 years of prison and persecution in Nazi Germany. As a result, he started the organization as a way to encourage Christians to remember the persecuted church and to encourage us to love our enemies.

For our Morning Time, I often read through a story or two from Voice of the Martyrs magazine one day a week, usually in place of something else. What I love about reading these testimonies to our kids is that reminds them of Jesus’ words, “If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also.” Seeing the difficulties Christians around the world are facing helps them to gain an appreciation for the freedoms they have. Furthermore, I hope it will give them an attitude of compassion for people who are suffering.

Some of the descriptions in the write-ups can be a little graphic or brutal for younger ears, but since I am reading it to the kids, I can use discretion based on who is present.

Occasionally, instead of me reading the article, I will choose one of our teens to read. I have found that the person reading the story is usually the most engaged, so having them read (especially a more distracted child) can help draw them into the story.

Additionally, what I love about Voice of the Martyr articles is that these events are happening to Christians around the world right now. It reminds us to pray for the persecuted church and it helps us to pray more specifically.

You can subscribe for a free monthly magazine at persecution.com.

Pin it for later! 3 Christian Resources for Current Events in Morning Time

Leave a Comment!

If you are looking for some good current events options for your homeschool, I hope that these 3 Christian resources for current events in Morning Time might help you!

What Christian resources have you found for your homeschool that you love? Leave a comment and share with our readers! I love hearing from other homeschoolers! Please tell others what Christian resources you enjoy.

For more posts about Morning Time, you may enjoy reading these.

How to Simplify Your Homeschool with Morning Time

Simple Ideas for Memory Work in Morning Time

Teaching Bible in Morning Time

Simple Ideas for Poetry in Morning Time

Simple Morning Time Notebook

7 Tips to a Peaceful Homeschool Morning Time

The post 3 Christian Resources for Current Events in Morning Time appeared first on Our Life Homeschooling.

Modern education trends view memorizing as a thing of the past…old school! Why memorize anything when you can look it up? But as usual, the proof is in the pudding! Rote memorization may not be in vogue now, but I have seen enough positive results of memorizing with my own kids that I have continued to keep weekly memory work a daily part of our Morning Time. I hope these simple ideas for memory work in Morning Time will inspire you to add some new memory work to your repertoire.

Video: Simple Ideas for Memory Work in Morning Time

I recently wrote a detailed post about Morning Time that gives a basic understanding of how to SIMPLIFY YOUR HOMESCHOOL WITH MORNING TIME. In this post, I share how we use Morning Time to teach the subjects that are best taught as a group and also some of the things that we want to teach our kids, but often get put aside for the more important subjects.

I have found it helpful to break up the subjects you want to do with your kids into daily and regular lists. We do memory work as part of our daily subjects.

Why Memorize?

Andrew Pudewa from the Institute for Excellence in Writing talks about the value of memorizing in this excellent podcast by Your Morning Basket with Pam Barnhill. He tells the story of Frederick Douglas who was born in a supremely dismal literate environment, yet when he escaped slavery as a free man, he became one of the greatest orators our country has ever known.

The interesting thing is this. One of the first books he ever owned was a book of famous speeches.

He memorized them.

Memorizing enhanced his vocabulary and gave him an understanding of the basic form of good speech.

Science also backs the value of memorizing. In his book Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization, Pudewa explains that when children memorize, the network of connections among neurons becomes stronger.

And, as he suggests in the above interview, children are built to memorize…since they repeat everything anyway, let’s make it something of value!

For these reasons and others, we value memory work as part of our daily routine. We don’t overdo it by spending too much time on it. It is a small part of our day, maybe 10-15 minutes, but it packs a powerful punch.

Simple Ideas for Memory Work in Morning Time

Scripture

We like to memorize scripture passages in sections. We’ve always done it this way. We do Bible memory in two steps.

1. Read our current verse aloud together.
2. Review 2 or 3 old Bible passages.

Years ago, I made a little file box of our verses that helped us keep track of how often we were reviewing old Bible verses. Inside, I wrote our memory verses on index cards and organized them with tabs, putting a verse behind each tab. It was arranged like this.

1. Current verse.
2. A review verse for each day of the week.
3. Daily review verses by number of the day of the month.

This way we were daily reading a current Bible verse, reviewing an old verse weekly, and reviewing an old verse monthly.

This worked for quite a while until we accumulated too many to fit into this system. Now we use our Morning Time Notebooks. I have printed out all our verses and put them in a section of our binder.

Here are a few of our favorite Bible verses.

Deuteronomy 6: 4-0

Psalm 78: 1-8

Isaiah 53:1-6

John 3:16-18

Ephesians 6: 10-18

Colossians 3:12-17

Revelation 21: 1-7

Nursery Rhymes (Younger Kids)

Why do younger children love nursery rhymes and simple songs? Because when you can’t read something, your mind is looking for some form of stimulation. Repeating the same sounds, rhythms, and rhymes is entertaining!

When a child hears nursery rhymes every day, he will repeat them throughout the day. When you teach a child nursery rhymes, you will hear, “Again! Do another one!” Without realizing it, the children are building a repertoire.

Children love to hear the same phrases over and over so that they can remember them and do them on their own. Many nursery rhymes have been put to song. If you can sing some of them and add hand motions, your littles will relish this time with you. You will be folding laundry and hearing them in the next room saying, “this little piggy went wee wee wee aaaaaall the way home!” with delight.

Poetry

Memorizing poetry is beneficial for so many reasons. Poetry is a great way to expand a child’s vocabulary naturally because they can learn words in context. Each time they repeat a poem, they gain more understanding of the little parts of it.

We like to memorize poetry by poets. I love Christina Rosetti and Robert Louis Stevenson for young children because their poems are often titled with concrete topics that are familiar to children.

Here are some of our favorites:

Early Years

• “The Swing” by Robert Louis Stevenson
• “Daffadowndilly” by Christina Rosetti (This one great for spring when the daffodils come up!)
• “The Tyger” William Blake
• “Wynken Blynken and Nod” by Eugene Field
• “My Shadow” by Robert Louis Stevenson
• “Months” by Christina Rosetti

Older kids

• “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
• “The Sluggard” by Isaac Watts
• “I Can” by Edgar A Guest

Girls

• “The Window” by Walter de la Mare
• “Crossing the Bar” by Alfred Lord Tennyson
• “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost

Boys

• “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll
• “Opportunity” by Edward Rowland Sill
• “Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

To read more, see SIMPLE IDEAS FOR POETRY IN MORNING TIME.

Catechisms and Creeds

Memorizing catechisms can help a child understand the basic doctrines of our faith. It can also help answer some of the questions children naturally ask!

Who made you? God.

What else did God make? God made all things.

Why did God make you and all things? For His own glory.

Memorizing Creeds like the Nicene Creed and the Apostle’s Creed, along with teaching doctrine, can give kids a link to important historical moments in church history.

Grammar

When children are old enough to begin studying English grammar, it gives them an advantage to know some basics. These are lists we have memorized. When they approach their grammar work for the day (we begin grammar lessons in 4th grade), they already have these in their bank.

• Subjective, Objective, and Possessive Pronouns
• Conjunctions
• Prepositions
• The “Be” and “Helping” verbs
• Questions to ask for Adjectives
• Questions to ask to find Adverbs

History Timeline Songs

We memorize the history songs from Veritas Press. Our kids do Veritas self-paced history program for their history lessons. Veritas Press has five years of history study, each with a timeline song of that section. Each song has 32 timeline cards to go along with it which describe the people or events of that period.

1. Old Testament and Ancient Egypt
2. New Testament Greece and Rome
3. Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation
4. Explorers to 1815
5. 1815 to Modern Times

When kids memorize (through song) events of history in order, it gives them a rudimentary framework to hang their hat on, so to speak. From this time forward, whenever they learn any new person or event from history, they can mentally browse through their memorized catalog and put that event in the right place.

*Veritas Press is currently running a free 2-week trial to any self-paced course!

Famous Speeches

Memorizing famous speeches is one subject area have not tried yet, but it is on my list! Memorizing speeches not only teaches excellent form and vocabulary, it also connects us to important historical moments. When repeating a line from a famous statesman or patriot, you are challenged to have the same kind of courage as the person you are studying.

Here are some speeches on my list of new memory work.

• The Gettysburg Address
• Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”
• Winston Churchill’s “We Shall Fight”

Math Facts

We weave math facts into our Morning Time in seasons, usually when I can see the kids need to sharpen up a bit. I did a post on FIVE MINUTE MATH GAMES TO DO WITH EVERYONE which goes into more detail about how I have used math in Morning Time. Here are some math memory ideas. (I adjust these according to the different levels of children present.)

• Skip counting by 2’s to 20 (and back), 3’s to 30, 4’s to 40… up to 10’s. This helps prepare them for multiplication tables.
• Counting by nickels and dimes to a dollar, by quarters to five dollars.
• Basic facts-addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Geometric shapes by sides, angles, etc.

Lists of Valuable Information

There are so many other fun ways to add important facts to your repertoire. You might like learning this random list of information with your kids.

• Presidents of the US
• Kings of the Bible (We love this song on YouTube!)
• Kings of England (Another favorite song)
• Continents
• Planets
• Periodic Table of Elements
• Books of the Bible
• States and Capitals

Pam Barnhill from Your Morning Basket also put together a wonderful list of things to memorize in Morning Time. See her post here for more: Pam Barnhill’s 100 Things to Memorize.

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Comment With Your Memory Work Suggestions!

This is by no means exhaustive, but I hope it is enough to give you some ideas for your Morning Time. What new thing will you add to your memory work plans this school year?

What kinds of things are you learning for homeschool memory work? I’d love to hear about them! Leave a comment with your memory work suggestions below so others can see and get ideas!

Looking for more inspiration for Morning Time?

See HOW TO SIMPLIFY YOUR HOMESCHOOL WITH MORNING TIME.

Also TEACHING BIBLE IN MORNING TIME

And 3 Christian Resources for Current Events in Morning Time

7 Tips to a Peaceful Homeschool Morning Time

Simple Ideas for Poetry in Morning Time

Simple Morning Time Notebook

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