Morning Meeting. Circle Time. It has several different names, but usually the same goal. Start your school day with your child, review a calendar, basic math facts and drills, Bible or other memory versus and such.
We have done it several different ways over the past 17 years of homeschooling, each time tweaking to fit the ages and number of kids participating. These days it is just me and the 3rd grader so we have changed it up again. Here’s how:
I created a Morning Meeting Folder. On the outside I stapled the sheets we would use daily for the month. In the inside left pocket I have two sheets that are updated monthly, like the month’s weather graph and a signature sheet, and then on the right hand side I store copies for the next month.
The first sheet we do is the calendar. My son fills in the month and year each month and then daily adds the date on the calendar. This is also a great place to practice patterns for younger children, coloring each day in a particular color pattern for the month.
Our next page requires him to actually write the day of the week and the date two different ways.
The next page we use is a basic hundreds number cart to practice writing larger numbers. This is the first year we will celebrate the 100th day by doing something exciting. Yes, I am a little behind the Pinterest fun curve. Don’t tell my kids!
The next page is a simple weather chart. Can I just tell you that I cannot wait to see a snow day added!
The last daily page is a simple math fact page based on the number for the day. You do things like identify whether it is an odd or even number, add 1, 10 and 100 to it, write it in expanded form as well as in words, show it in tally marks,and write a number sentence with it. There is also a clock to fill in and a place to count coins.
In addition, we work on memory verses and character traits as a family, so this is a time that we review both of those things.
All in all, if all goes well, it takes us about 15-20 minutes to complete this portion of our day. It allows for some good review time and a little fun along the way. It also establishes a strong routine for my son, something we have found quite beneficial for a successful day.
Again, the two sheets on the inside left cover are completed once a month. The first is a signature page that we will fill in once a month for a record of how his handwriting improves over the course of the year. I think this would be a great addition to a child’s scrapbook if you do that sort of thing, The second page is a monthly weather chart that allows your child to take the daily information gathered for the month and put it into a more condensed monthly graphic. I like the idea of this as it is a skill found on many state tests!
If you have littles you can adjust the morning meeting to better fit their age. We have used this time in the past to also sing songs and do finger puppet plays and poem memory work. Lap time is so important, so use this time to snuggle!
Our morning meeting is a time of learning and review, but more importantly a time of fun and bonding. It is a time to explore together, pray together, and start our day off on the right foot with a smile on our faces. From there, well, we will see.
