So far in our “Creating A Morning Basket Series” we have covered: Bible Time and Hymn Study. Both of those topics are important in my homeschool because the Bible forms the very foundation of why we chose to homeschool. Hymn Study gives my children an appreciation for older songs that sing of Jesus and His wonderful ways.
The topic for today is Read Aloud Time. Reading to children is extremely important in giving them a love for learning and helping them to use their imaginations (instead of having an electronic device do it for them). This year I have decided to read “series” books. That means, books with more than one in a series. I want them to look forward to the next book.
One great resource that I am using is Honey For A Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt. In this book, she gives lists of read alouds for every age and stage. Over the summer I used her book as a guide for our summer reading program at the library. We read a ton of books from this resource and found that they were all family friendly.
Another wonderful book about reading aloud is Read for the Heart by Sarah Clarkson. Sarah Clarkson is a homeschool grad who now homeschools her children. Since this is from the perspective of a homeschooled person it is a much more reliable book (in my opinion). She gives books lists as well so they are easy to follow along in your own home.
Since we started our school year “officially” last week (although we school all year round, this was the start of a “new year”), we have been reading The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. We will be reading the entire Narnia Series and be done by Christmas. My boys are absolutely enthralled by this book. They BEG me to read more and more and more. Even at bedtime they ask if I will read just one more page.
Incorporating read aloud time gives the children a time to be calm and use thier own imaginations to create a story. As we read aloud I do allow the children to color or draw quietly. They may not talk or walk around or play. I have found that they pay more attention when their hands are busy making a picture or coloring.
No matter where you start in your Morning Basket routine, remember that it is yours to create. Every family’s basket will look different. Getting in Bible time first thing in the morning gives you a joyous perspective for the day. No matter how the day may turn out, you have at least gotten in the most important part of your day: time with the Lord.
