Our family morning time is one of my favorite parts of the day. I love that we get to learn together. However, if I am transparent, it historically has also been a time that quickly gets pushed to the side or skipped. Since it is not a set program, we need to complete it is easy to cut it when we are busy or running late.
It can also be a bit hard to find materials that work well for the whole family. We are almost a month into our school year and our morning time has been consistent and my husband even started joining us most mornings. Usually, I like to do a lot of reading during that time. This year, I decided to switch it up a bit, and I am pleased.
Scripture
During breakfast, we spend time reading a chapter from scripture and discussing. We went through Proverbs, and we are now working our way through the Psalms. I think I will switch over to Luke in December as we focus on the birth of Christ. This is slightly separate from our morning time but still part of our work together each morning.
After we clean up the kitchen from breakfast, we move into the living room for the rest of morning time. We are doing current events, scripture memorization, and hymn study with the whole family. After that, my teens are free to begin work on their other curriculum, and I can spend some time reading with my younger boys. I want to make sure I am making time to read books with my teens as well, but we will do that during a different part of the day.
Cross Seven Hymn Study
For scripture memory and hymn study, we are using Cross Seven. We reviewed Cross Seven last year, and it was an excellent fit for our family. I love that we simply pull up the videos and hit play. It makes it so easy, which helps me be more consistent. Right now, we are learning all of the verses of Amazing Grace and memorizing Philippians 2:1-11. Another thing I love about Cross Seven is that instead of memorizing individual verses, we are learning larger chunks of scripture.
Current Events
Current events can be such a heavy topic with so much division and conflict in our world. I want my children to know what is happening and learn to discern truth from the propaganda in the mainstream news. However, I also want to shield them from those things that they are still too young to bear. World Watch News has been the perfect fit for our family. In just ten minutes each morning, we get an overview of world news from a Christian perspective. There are serious stories and funny stories as well as fun science segments. Occasionally, we skip a story or two when a content warning tells me it might be too much for my three and seven-year-old sons. On those days, the older children can finish watching independently. My husband then makes a point to discuss some of those news events at dinner later that night.
Why We Do Morning Time
Overall, our morning time is only about twenty minutes each morning. While it may not take long, it is a very impactful part of our school day. It is a chance for us to learn and grow together, have good discussions, and start our day with our focus on Christ. I am sure we will continue to adapt our morning time to meet our various needs, but I am really enjoying this lineup for now.
Do you have a morning time in your home? What do you use for family study?
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Deals and Freebies
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