Morning Time: Spring 2013

It's been a while since I have given you a peek at our Morning Time.  (If you're not sure what I mean by "Morning Time," scroll down to the bottom of this post and follow some of the links.)

I continue to be amazed that such a simple plan and the investment of an hour or so (usually less) can add such richness and scope of learning to our school day.  These are things that could so easily slip through the cracks if I did not have "intention" about it, which is why I am so thrilled with the concept of Morning Time.

Homeschooling mom, if you want your students to memorize Scripture or view great art or read poetry or learn Shakespeare, consider taking those few minutes each day in your own Morning Time. (Yours can look entirely different from ours; you will include those things that you deem important.)

Our Morning Time currently looks something like this...


BIBLE READING
We are continuing to read through the second chart of the Daily Bible Reading Plan for Children, found ~here~ , which features Bible stories and truths that every child should know.

BIBLE MEMORY

We are continuing to memorize Romans 8.  Last year's goal was to memorize the entire chapter, but we only learned the first thirteen verses.  So far, we have added ten more; the last five will need reviewing, as we learned those a few years ago.  That leaves eleven verses to memorize.  (We'd better buckle down if we're going to accomplish our goal this year!)

SING A HYMN
We recently learned “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today”, by Charles Wesley.  Bekah also learned to play this on the piano.  Last Sunday, she played it for our church fellowship and again at our family gathering   I truly cannot tell you how much I love that she plays!  

We'll be adding one more hymn to our repertoire this school year for a total of six.  I will probably choose "Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart."  Bekah is learning this one on the piano, and it is one of my favorites.  She already knows the hymn, but I think that those words are well worth committing to memory.  

POETRY RECITATION

Bekah:  “At the Zoo” by A.A. Milne
Mom:  "God of the Stars" by Amy Carmichael 

POETRY EXPOSURE
We are reading aloud the poetry of William Blake.  We choose one of his poems, read it three days in a row, then move on to another. We're also reading Poetry for Young People: William Blake, slowly making our way through the biographical section, taking care to discuss Blake's religious perspective.  

LISTEN TO A PIECE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
This term we are listening to the music of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.  Over the winter, we read The Story of Peter Ilyich Tschaikowsky (note the alternative spelling) and now we are reading Peter Tschaikowsky and the Nutcracker Ballet, both by Opal Wheeler.  (This is one of the only composers about whom Wheeler wrote two books.)  Bekah has also learned a couple of Tchaikovsky pieces in her piano lessons. 

ART APPRECIATION

To accompany our American history studies, we have been looking at the art of John Singleton Copley, Gilbert Stuart, and Benjamin West.  (There is an excellent book about Benjamin West, Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin by Marguerite Henry.  It was a family read aloud several years ago, and Bekah remembers it clearly!) 

Penn's Treaty With the Indians by Benjamin West

And that's our Morning Time plan for this term.  Small investment, great returns!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For more reading about "Morning Time":

An introduction to our own "Morning Time" 
What Is Morning Time? by Cindy Rollins
Cindy's Inspiration for Morning Time
Kathy's "Morning Stack" 
Confessions Regarding Morning Time