Hidden In Its Mighty Depths

Words from this poem have been coming to my mind the past couple of days. Words about The Word . . . the Book of books.

Thy Word is like a garden, Lord, with flowers bright and fair;
And everyone who seeks may pluck a lovely cluster there.
Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine; and jewels rich and rare
Are hidden in its mighty depths for every searcher there. 

Thy Word is like a starry host: a thousand rays of light
Are seen to guide the traveler and make his pathway bright.
Thy Word is like an armory, where soldiers may repair;
And find, for life's long battle day, all needful weapons there.

Oh, may I love Thy precious Word, may I explore the mine,
May I its fragrant flowers glean, may light upon me shine!
Oh, may I find my armor there! Thy Word my trusty sword, 
I'll learn to fight with every foe the battle of the Lord. 

I have learned that this poem is also a hymn (you can hear a version ~here~ or ~here~). If I was still homeschooling, I would choose this as one of our Morning Time hymns. 

Perhaps I will listen to it each morning on my own . . . 

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Morning Time {Christmas Music}

We are trying something a bit different for Morning Time during this Christmas season. Combining our Bible and our classical music elements, we are doing devotions based on George Frideric Handel's Messiah. 

Years ago, I had read of this idea on Cindy Rollins' blog, but somehow I perceived it as complicated (I don't know why) and never did it. This year, we jumped in and we're loving it! Each day we read passages from the Bible, and then we listen to the corresponding portions from the oratorio. So simple. So wonderful! My classical music-loving girl is soaking it up!

This is the link to Cindy's schedule of reading and listening: 

25 Days to Handel's Messiah: An Advent Devotional Guide

We are listening (and watching) this YouTube performance of Messiah:

G. F. Handel: Messiah HWV 56 (best performance)

This performance by Collegium 1704 is excellent in every way, from the enthusiasm of the conductor Václav Luks to the superb soloists to the outstanding orchestra. (I even appreciate the quality of the video. It is easy to watch, the sound quality is good, and I love how the videographer sometimes artfully focuses the camera on the neck of a violin or on a bow.) 

Another interesting note. We noticed a brass instrument that we could not identify. It looks something like a trombone, a bit like a trumpet, but it was something that neither of us had seen before. 

I sought help from my Facebook friends. Was it a sackbut? A natural trumpet? After some discussion, it was concluded that it is likely a baroque trumpet, an instrument which would replicate the sound of an instrument of the Baroque period. (Thanks, Melanie!) 

I love homeschooling! It is never dull! 

Our hymn for the month of December was written in 1866 by Benjamin Hanby, but I heard it for the first time last year. Although "Who Is He in Yonder Stall?" begins with the Christmas story, it really tells the whole story of Jesus. It is a beautiful hymn, and this is my favorite version:

We are loving our Morning Time music for the month of December!

Morning Time ~ Autumn 2017

Another school year, a new season...and we continue collecting our little grains of sand.

I first wrote about Morning Time here on my blog back in 2010. Kati was a junior (as Bekah is now) and Bekah was a little third grader, and we had already been doing Morning Time for several years. These many years later, Morning Time remains a foundation of our day. It is a time that has enriched us, one that is well worth the minutes that are sown in exchange for the bounty that is reaped.

Morning Time currently looks something like  this...

BIBLE READING

We are reading and studying the book of Colossians. We read a chapter to get an introductory glance. Then we go back, breaking that chapter down into smaller portions to read again with some discussion. A third time we read, this time also reading corresponding thoughts from Believer's Bible Commentary by William MacDonald. After we have completed our study, we will listen to a series of messages on Colossians by Dave Hunt. 

BIBLE MEMORY

We are learning Malachi 3:16, 17.

Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them. So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name.  

"They shall be mine," says the Lord of hosts, "on the day that I make them my jewels. And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him."

SING A HYMN

Our hymn for the month of September is "When He Cometh (to Make Up His Jewels)" by William Cushing. My daughter-in-law introduced us to this song when she taught it to my grandchildren and they sang it for us. The words are beautiful, the thoughts born of the verses from Malachi that we are memorizing.

POETRY STUDY

We're reading the works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. We began with "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." If you haven't read this in a while, you'll be amazed at how many commons phrases come from this poem!  We will read more Coleridge poems, read some biographical information about him, and perhaps choose a poetic passage to memorize.

COMPOSER STUDY

This term we are listening to the music of British operatic composers Gilbert and Sullivan. Bekah read H.M.S. Pinafore, a retelling by Opal Wheeler. Then we watched, over a period of days, a concert performance of H.M.S. Pinafore from the BBC Proms in 2005. (Following a rabbit trail, we also read about the Proms.) Next, we'll look for a performance of Pirates of Penzance.

ART APPRECIATION

After a couple of brief dabblings (because as homeschoolers, we give ourselves the permission to leave something that doesn't bring "shining eyes" in search of something that does), we settled on Rembrant as the artist for our fall term. 

The Night Watch (de Nachtwacht)
Rembrant van Rijn, 1642

We watched a fascinating video from Khan Academy in which we overhear art historians discussing Rembrandt's The Night Watch while we are looking at the painting in the Rijksmuseum. Special effects highlight and outline the details on the painting while we listen. (Sound boring? Not at all! We felt like "experts" after we listened. We'll be looking for more of these videos!)

HISTORY READING

This is a new addition to our Morning Time line-up. Certainly not a new thing for us to share a history book together, simply a new place in the schedule. After a couple of years of Morning Time in the afternoon 😉, we have returned to gathering in the morning and it makes sense to do all of our "togethers" when we're . . . well . . . together, rather than carving out a separate time later. Simplify!

Our current history book is The World of Columbus and Sons by Genevieve Foster (love her books!) which covers the years 1451 to 1522. We read ten to fifteen pages a day as we are immersed in the world of Renaissance and exploration, wars and kingdoms, enlightenment and discovery, spiritual darkness and persecution.

Morning Time continues to be a wonderful way to find joy in the journey of homeschooling!

For more reading about "Morning Time":

An introduction to our own "Morning Time"
Cindy's Inspiration for Morning Time
Kathy's "Morning Stack"
Confessions Regarding Morning Time
Morning Time 

Morning Time {Autumn Term}

My poor blog has taken a back seat lately. There are just so many things that clamor for my time and attention, not the least of which is getting back into the groove of homeschooling a high schooler! It is the best of times. It is the worst of times. Kind of.

The best of times because I love having a teenager in the house, so full of life and blossoming talents and personality and plans. It is a time to build on the foundation laid carefully in the early years. A time to reap friendship with my young adult.

The worst of times because there's just so much to do!

We are continuing to find joy in the journey of homeschooling amidst the busy days.

We are making adjustments in our schedule for high school. Bekah and I worked together on planning the schedule and she has decided that she needs to do her math and her science work at the beginning of the day when she is fresh. That means that "Morning Time" is almost always in the afternoon this year. Regardless of when it is, it is still important to me to make time for these heart-enriching, mind-enriching studies.


Our Morning Time for this autumn looks something like this...

BIBLE READING
We began this year with the book of Malachi because that is where we left off with our ancient history studies. We are now reading the book of John and will continue to read books and passages of the New Testament that will relate with our walk through history.

BIBLE MEMORY

First passage of the year: John 1:1-13

SING A HYMN

We are learning "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say" by Scottish hymnist Horatius Bonar.  We aim at memorization which usually takes 6 to 8 weeks per hymn.

POETRY RECITATION

Each of us recites the poem we're memorizing. Bekah is working on Hamlet's soliloquy. I have chosen "Crossing the Bar" by Tennyson. (Confession: I learned this poem several years ago, but I need a refresher!)   

POETRY EXPOSURE

I choose a poet to study for a time. We read a selected work of our chosen poet two or three days in a row and sometimes read a biography. Our poet for this term is Lord Alfred Tennyson. We have read biographical information about Tennyson in  Poetry for Young People: Alfred, Lord Tennyson and we are finding his poetry in almost every book on our poetry shelf!

LISTEN TO A PIECE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC

This term we are listening to the music of American composer George Gershwin. After watching Mr. Holland's Opus this summer, we decided to make Gershwin our first composer of the year. Along with listening to many recorded versions of his songs, we are also watching movies like Rhapsody in Blue (the story of Gershwin's life) and An American in Paris.

ART APPRECIATION

We are enjoying the art of Vincent van Gogh. Currently, we have a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle of van Gogh's The Starry Night on our dining room table. I have found that a puzzle is an excellent tool for studying a painting closely! (Now if only we are able to complete it before Sunday's family dinner!) 

There are also some engaging children's picture books about van Gogh, including Katie and the Sunflowers, Katie and the Starry Night, Vincent's Colors, Camille and the Sunflowers, The Yellow House: Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gaugin Side by Side. I have found that a well written picture book is a great teacher, so we'll read through as many of these as time allows.

The Starry Night, 1889

Before school started for this year, I heard Kati asking Bekah what artists she was going to be studying and what composers and what poets and hymns, and then she said to me, "Sometimes I wish I was still in school." Then she qualified that by saying, "Actually, what I really want is Morning Time."

Morning Time continues to reap benefits!

gather. {for morning time}

Gathering for Morning Time is one of my favorite parts of our homeschool day.

In the first year of my blog, I talked about Morning Time...what it is, how we do it, and why we do it:

Several years ago, I stumbled across an idea that breathed new life into our homeschool. “Morning Time” has become an anticipated and much-loved part of our day, and I believe that we are all the richer for it. It is a simple idea, and yet it is profound. I first read about “Morning Time” one summer on Cindy Rollins’ blog, Ordo Amoris (which is always full of mind food). She wrote about the benefits her family has reaped by dedicating a small amount time each morning to learning the things that she had deemed important. Cindy shared this childhood poem to illustrate what she was trying to accomplish: Little drops of water, Little grains of sand, Make the mighty ocean, And the beauteous land. She wrote, My Morning Time is a way to collect little grains of sand. It should not be a way to complicate life but a way to simplify it. When I read this, I knew that this was something I wanted to do! You see, there were things that I wanted my children to learn (actually, I wanted to learn too!), but they were things that were too often overlooked or put off for another time. I wanted my girls to know the words to “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”, to recite Psalm 100, to recognize Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, to recite “The Swing,” to begin each day with the Living Word...and “Morning Time” seemed to hold an answer. So come the beginning of our new school year, we gave it a try. And, several years later, it remains an integral part of our day and (I am repeating myself here) we are all the richer for it.

Homeschooling mom, if you want your students to memorize Scripture or view great art or read poetry or learn Shakespeare, consider setting aside a bit of time each day for your own Morning Time. (Yours can look entirely different from ours; you will include those things that you deem important.)

Our Morning Time for this autumn looks something like this...

BIBLE READING
This year we will be reading through various books in the Bible that correlate with our ancient history studies. Currently we are reading Genesis.

BIBLE MEMORY

First verse of the year: Galatians 2:20. (We will continue to review Romans 8 from time to time.) 

SING A HYMN

We are learning "I Sing the Mighty Power of God" by Isaac Watts.  We aim at memorization which usually takes 6 to 8 weeks per hymn.

POETRY RECITATION

Each of us recites the poem we're memorizing. Bekah has almost mastered “The Mirror” by A. A. Milne. She'll soon be ready to chose another poem. I am learning Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18" and I am by no means ready to move on.  

POETRY EXPOSURE

I choose a poet to study for a time. We read a selected work of our chosen poet two or three days in a row and sometimes read a biography. Our poet for this term is William Shakespeare and we are reading from Poetry for Young People: William Shakespeare.  

LISTEN TO A PIECE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC

This term we are listening to the music of Niccolo Paganini. We are reading Paganini: Master of Strings by Opal Wheeler.

ART APPRECIATION

We began this year (actually during our summer break) to study the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. Kristin was teaching a unit on FLW to her children, and invited Bekah to join in some of the activities. (She was thrilled! One of the activities was to design a house!) She was so interested, we checked out a few books from the library, and watched a Ken Burns documentary on Wright. 

Currently, we are studying the art of Pieter Bruegel the Elder.  Because we have recently read about the Tower of Babel, I have chosen his interpretation of the Tower as our first Bruegel painting. We are also reading What Makes a Bruegel a Bruegel?

The Tower of Babel
Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1563

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

This is day 16 in the series gather.  Click ~here~ to see more.

Morning Time: Autumn 2013

When we are on our summer break from school, I wonder how in the world we have time for "formal" (gentlest use of that word) studies the rest of the year.  And yet, when we slide back into our school routine, it feels so right!

We are nearing the end of our second week of the school year, and all is well. Tea times and read alouds and trips to the library and piano lessons. Math lessons and stories of America and the wonder of the sun.

And morning time.

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 reading through the third chart of the Daily Bible Reading Plan for Children, found ~here~, which features Bible stories and truths that every child should know.  We often expand the reading portions for the day, but this provides a framework.

BIBLE MEMORY

We are continuing to memorize Romans 8.  Does that sound familiar? This is our third year to work on this passage, but we are sooooo close that neither of us wanted to stop!  We'll probably begin another  passage before the year is up.  

SING A HYMN
We are learning “More Love to Thee”, by Elizabeth Prentiss. Oh, the words! Sometimes Bekah plays this on the piano, but our Morning Time focus is to learn to sing and memorize the words, so more often we sing unaccompanied.  

POETRY RECITATION

Bekah:  “Something Told the Wild Geese” by Rachel Field
Mom:  "The Oak" by Alfred Tennyson  

POETRY EXPOSURE
We are reading aloud the poetry of Carl Sandburg.  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: Carl Sandburg, slowly making our way through the biographical section.  In addition to his poetry, we'll read some of Sandburg's  Rootabaga Stories.

LISTEN TO A PIECE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
This term we are listening to the music of Frederic Chopin. We are reading Frederic Chopin, Son of Poland, Early Years by Opal Wheeler, which we will follow by reading Frederic Chopin, Son of Poland, Later Years.  All of Chopin's compositions include piano, many are piano solos...great inspiration for my student/pianist.

ART APPRECIATION

Although our usual approach is to study the works of a single artist, we are beginning this term with an overview of  Impressionist art. We are reading the engaging children's book Charlotte in Giverny, from which we will go on to read Charlotte in Paris, and then Charlotte in New York. These books are written in journal fashion, filled with charming watercolor illustrations and period photographs,  as well as pictures of the works of Impressionist artists. Charlotte's father is an American artist who goes abroad to live in Monet's artist colony, so we are introduced to artists and their works through Charlotte's eyes.

Landscape With Poppies, 1887
William Blair Bruce

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

A Potpourri of Poetry Ideas

Our days have been busy and the blog has been quiet.  But I'm popping in with a post about poetry that I wrote a couple of years ago.   In honor of National Poetry Month...

Teaching poetry to children can begin when they are babies! Learning the joy of words and rhythm and ideas as expressed in poetry can foster a lifelong love.

Our children’s earliest exposure to poetry came through nursery rhymes. It was quite a natural thing for me to teach my children nursery rhymes, as my mother had read them to me, as her grandmother had read them to her. Also in early childhood, we read a wide variety of poetry—from limericks (Edward Lear is a favorite) and nonsense verse (such as poems by Ogden Nash), to the beautiful expressions of childhood by Robert Louis Stevenson found in his A Child’s Garden of Verses. A. A. Milne’s When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six are also delightful collections of poems that appeal to young children (and their parents).

When I taught unit studies, I often looked for a great poem to go along with our current unit. We read “Paul Revere’s Ride” when learning about the American Revolution. When we did a study of birds, I had each child choose a poem about a bird to memorize and recite. “In Flanders Field” was posted during our study of World War I. The anthology Favorite Poems Old and New is a great resource for finding poems about different subjects—seasons, holidays, famous people, nature, fantasy, etc.  (You can read about some other resources ~here~.)

From time to time, we have also focused on a particular poet. For example, we once read a delightful children’s biography about Emily Dickinson, The Mouse of Amherst, which was told from the perspective of a mouse who lived in her room. That inspired us to read quite a few of Dickinson’s poems. We have also spent time with Robert Frost, A. A. Milne, Walt Whitman, and Shakespeare.  At other times, we have read a "poem of the week."

There are a few things that I’ve discovered through the years that have aided us in our learning and appreciation of poetry.

~  One (don’t laugh!), I keep a poem posted on an antique wooden washboard that I have hanging in my bathroom. (I said not to laugh—it is a place that people visit every day!) My children have memorized lots of poetry over the years by reading the displayed poem day after day. For these particular poems, memory is not required. I have just chosen a poem that has living ideas with which I want my family to become familiar. But memory sometimes follows as they become enamored with a particular poem. I also include hymns in this display, as they are indeed poems and contain rich expressions of faith and doctrine.

~  Two, I take advantage of opportunities for my children to memorize and recite poems, whether it be a poetry recitation sponsored by our local homeschool organization, a recitation night planned for our co-op, or an impromptu recitation at a family party.  (You could do a similar thing within your own family, reciting for grandparents or other extended family or close friends.)

~  Finally, we include poetry in our Morning Time. Each day, we take turns reciting the poems that we’re working on (for co-op or for our own enrichment). We may recite these same poems for several months...and believe me, if you recite a poem three or four days each week, it becomes a part of you! After all have recited, I read aloud a poem by a particular poet on whom we've chosen to focus for a time.  We usually read the same poem for three consecutive days, and then begin reading another by the same poet.  By reading many works of the same poet, we become familiar with his style, and discover the scope of his writing. 

This may sound as if we spend a great deal of time in our homeschool studying poetry, but that is not the case. One of my basic homeschooling philosophies is “slow and steady over time”...and that certainly is the case with our “study” of poetry. 

A little bit here, and a little bit there, and your students will learn to feel at home in the rich world of poetry!

Past poetry posts (shall we talk alliteration?)...

• A Golden Treasure   A wonderful first poetry book.  My mother thought so.

• Our Go-To Poetry Anthology  A poetry book every home with children should have. (In my opinion. ~smile~)

• Mountain Breezes   Treasury of poetry for the soul...by Amy Carmichael.

• And a Few More Poetry Books... Quick reviews of some of our much-loved poetry resources.

And this recent one by Karen Andreola...

• A Poem Can Be Consoling  The author of A Charlotte Mason Companion shares thoughts on poetry.

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

Morning Time: Autumn 2012

A new school year, a new season...and we continue collecting our little grains of sand.  Morning Time is one of the most gratifying parts of our day, a time that has enriched us, one that is well worth the minutes that are sown in exchange for the bounty that is reaped.

(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.)

Morning Time currently looks something like this...

BIBLE READING
This year, we are reading 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 will learn more verses in Romans 8.  Last year's goal was to memorize the entire chapter, but we only learned the first thirteen verses.  We're at it again.  Let's see how far we get this year!  

SING A HYMN
We are learning “Arise, My Soul, Arise”, by Charles Wesley.  I had never heard this hymn until a couple of years ago when my friend gave me  Classic Songs From the Hymnal.  But I love the music of Charles Wesley, and this hymn on the CD is a soul-stirring choral arrangement. (If you'd like to hear a snippet from my CD, click ~here~ and turn up the sound!  If you'd like to hear a different arrangement of the entire hymn, play the youtube video below.)

POETRY RECITATION

Bekah: “Sick” by Shel Silverstein
Mom: Ummm...still deciding...

POETRY EXPOSURE
We're reading Poetry for Young People: Edward Lear.  Each book in this series introduces children to a poet, beginning with a few pages of biography, and quickly proceeding to a plethora of that poet's  works.  We have been surprised to learn that Edward Lear, writer of "The Owl and the Pussycat" and other nonsense verse, made his living as an artist and was a painting teacher to Queen Victoria!

LISTEN TO A PIECE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
This term we will be listening to the amazing music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and we will read Opal Wheeler and Sybil Deucher's Mozart, The Wonder Boy. 

ART APPRECIATION
To accompany our American history studies this year, we are looking at the art of early American portrait and landscape painter, John Singleton Copley.

Copley's John Hancock, 1765; Paul Revere, 1770; Watson and the Shark, 1778


~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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

Confessions Regarding Morning Time

Yesterday I promised to share some of the reality of our Morning Time, and here it is. 

Morning Time is one of  my favorite parts of our homeschool day.  Over time, I have seen encouraging results of our gathering these little grains of sand.  Life is breathed into our souls as we read His Word, sing the words of the hymns of the church, read beautiful poetry, and soak in the works of the masters of music and art. 

But as I have talked about our "Morning Time" so often here at Thinking About Home, I think it is only fair that I also share with you some of the nitty gritty details. 

Morning Time doesn't usually happen five days per week.
Our ideal is to have Morning Time five days per week.  But I am pleased when we accomplish four (or even three) days.  Every little bit feeds our souls.  Remember, "little grains of sand..."


Morning Time is sometimes abbreviated.
On days when our schedule is tight, we will omit elements of our Morning Time plans.  If we have sore throats, we don't sing.  If someone has finished her poetry memorization but hasn't chosen a new poem, then we'll leave out poetry for a few days.  (We always begin Morning Time with Bible reading though, as that is the most important.) 


Morning Time is sometimes in the afternoon.
Yes, it's true. I am not a morning person, so there are days when the girls (well, this year it is just the girl) begin their independent work before I am ready for Morning Time. So we get to it later in the morning, or even in the afternoon. (Morning Time in the afternoon displeases Bekah for whom names matter. "How can it be Morning Time when it is afternoon?, " she complains.)


Morning Time plans have been altered.
Sometimes, one of us will change a poem because the one we've chosen just doesn't click, or (dare I say?) we've become bored with it.  Or maybe we'll all decide that we have learned enough about a particular artist and move on to one who engages us.  Or we'll decide to hang out with a composer or poet beyond the end of our designated term (as we are currently remaining with Bach for another term).

Now you know the true story of our Morning Times. 

But just because we do not achieve perfection does not mean that the time is wasted!  As I have said many times, our lives are richer because we have made time for the good, the noble, the beautiful. 

Perfect or not, Morning Time is a valuable part of our little homeschool. 

Morning Time: Winter 2012

Wintertime is a great time for collecting our little grains of sand. Life slows down just a bit, and so Morning Time can be more consistent.  It continues to be one of the most gratifying parts of our day, a time that enriches us, one that is well worth the minutes that are sown in exchange for the bounty that is reaped.


Morning Time currently looks something like this...

BIBLE READING
We continue to read through the passages listed in the Daily Bible Reading Plan for Children, found ~here~ , which features Bible stories and truths that every child should know.  Bekah is enjoying this walk through the Bible, and sometimes presses me to read a longer passage, or the next passage...which, of course, I usually do.  Why would I say no to more Bible reading?

BIBLE MEMORY

We will learn more verses in Romans 8.  Our goal is to memorize the entire chapter this year.  We have memorized the first six verses, and we memorized the last five verses last year, but there's a quite a chunk in the middle, so I'm not sure that we'll reach our goal (this year). 

SING A HYMN

We are learning “"Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus”, by Louisa Stead, a lovely hymn for year's beginning.

POETRY RECITATION

Bekah: “The Country Mouse and the Garden Mouse” by Christina Rosetti 

Mom: “Who Shall Deliver Me?” by Christina Rosetti  (Yes.  Again.  The ~ahem~ older brain has difficulty with memorization, but I love this poem and its message, and so I am determined to keep on with it, in lieu of choosing another poem to partly memorize.)

POETRY EXPOSURE

We're taking a somewhat different tack this term, and instead of concentrating on the works of a single poet, we are reading poems with an animal theme.  We are using the book Poetry For Young People: Animal Poems as a springboard, but may also choose some from Favorite Poems Old and New. 

LISTEN TO A PIECE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC

We are continuing to listen to the music of Johannes Sebastian Bach.  Although we typically study three composers each year, this year we may only get to two.  The fact that we often missed Morning Time over the holidays, combined with the fact that there is so much music by Bach, and also combined with the fact that Bekah is serious about music, causes me to think that we will benefit by another term with Bach.  

ART APPRECIATION

We are studying the works of the popular American artist/illustrator Norman Rockwell.  Rockwell was not one of the artists I had selected to cover this year. But we began our December with Norman (we had picked up an advent calendar at an after Christmas sale at Barnes and Noble last January), and then I came across some other resources in ~this post~.  Kati brought out of her thimble collection one with Rockwell's painting of Tiny Tim, and we were reading A Christmas Carol as a family read aloud.  So...Norman Rockwell it is!  We are especially enjoying Norman Rockwell: Storyteller With a Brush, a delightful read. 

 Norman Rockwell's Tiny Tim, 1934

(image from allposters.com)

 Would you like to hear about our Morning Time reality?  Join me tomorrow for Confessions Regarding Morning Time. 

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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"