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Creating a SIMPLE Homeschool Morning Basket

Starting our homeschool day with  truth, beauty, and goodness is one of my personal goals for this school year. 

I desire to give my children fine arts, Bible, and memory work review during our time together each morning at the breakfast table. 

I created a SIMPLE morning basket for my children -- now 5th and 9th grades. And, to tell you the truth -- the basket is for ME, too. I long to be a more centered, God-focused homeschool mom this year. 

Starting the day with a SIMPLE homeschool morning basket full of goodies!

Picture Study, Music Appreciation, Bible Study, and Memory Work are the focus. I've chosen ONE excellent resource for each area. 

Picture Study

We will be using this book to learn about 13 paintings. 

I love that the book guides me through everything we need to know... because I am not an art expert. We will cover 1 painting each week -- and maybe research other paintings by the same artist during that week, too. 

The book, 13 Artists Children Should Know, may also be used in the second semester of our year.

(I know if you are in Classical Conversations you are wondering why I'm not coordinating the artist study in the Foundations Guide to our morning basket... the short answer is that I want BOTH of my children to take part in this, and I feel a general art appreciation approach is best this year. There may be some artist overlap, and there may not... I'm trusting God in those details!)

Music Appreciation

SQUILT Music Appreciation Volumes 1 & 2 (Baroque & Classical Eras) 

We will learn about pieces of music from 1600-1850 this year, using my SQUILT curriculum. 

Each lesson takes approximately 20-30 minutes and can be extended as little or as much as you want. The curriculum is SCRIPTED, but also allows for flexibility. 

Again, this is not DIRECTLY correlated to CC Cycle 1, but there are lessons about Bach, Handel & Mozart! 

And, my favorite  bluetooth speaker will stay in our morning basket so I can easily play music from my computer or phone a bit louder.  

Devotions

The Once-A-Day devotion book is simple and well done. 

I love the way it offers a scripture reading and thought provoking question. This is perfect for my student who is moving from the Dialectic to Rhetorical stage! 

Memory Work

I created a CC Cycle 1 memory work flip chart (thank you user melodystroud on CC Connected!).

(You can see more about that in Planning & Organization for CC Cycle 1. )

We will go over all areas of the memory work at the breakfast table each day. My son has expressed an interest in becoming a Memory Master this year, so I'm hoping this will help him greatly. 

Morning Time Schedule

I always hesitate to post a SCHEDULE of how things will go, because you and I both know that schedules must always be open to CHANGE.

This is roughly how morning  time will look with a 10 (Foudations & Essentials Student) and 14 year old (Challenge I student) this year:

8:30 a.m. - Breakfast at the kitchen table

  • Devotion
  • Memory Work Review
  • Music Appreciation OR Art Appreciation (we will alternate days)

9:00 or 9:15 a.m. -- Assigned School Work Begins

 

I'm hoping this SIMPLE approach to fine arts, devotions, & memory work will set the tone for and enhance our homeschool days. 

Do you have a morning time in your homeschool?  I'd love to hear about it!

 

 

How to Use Notebooking In Your Homeschool

Throughout our homeschooling journey, there has been one great constant: NOTEBOOKING.

In the beginning, we were Interest Led/Charlotte Mason homeschoolers; we notebooked.

Then, during a year where we just needed to unschool, we continued to notebook.

Now, we have settled on a Classical path; we incorporate notebooking in our days. 

Notebooking is the perfect way to inspire creativity, document learning, organize material, and learn effectively. It brings organization and REST to our homeschool days.

How to Use Notebooking In Your Homeschool

Will Notebooking WORK in My Homeschool?

I often hear people tell me their children don't like to WRITE, or that the physical act of writing is difficult. (Let your children dictate their notebooking pages, or allow them to type their pages.)

I also receive many questions from readers about the supplies you need for homeschooling.  (Really, all you need are basic school supplies and some three ring notebooks.)

Notebooking is so personal, so customizable, and allows your child to express themselves with their schoolwork.   

So, how do you know if notebooking will WORK in your homeschool?

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself. If you answer YES to many of them, then you are probably a good candidate for notebooking!

  • Do you like to document your children's learning?

  • Do you have children who like to be creative, enjoy arts and crafts, and feel the need to dig deeply into a subject?

  • Do you have children who think outside the box?

  • Do you have children who like to organize and admire FACTS and MEMORY WORK?

  • Do you prefer NOT to administer pencil and paper tests, but desire to somehow assess your children's learning?

How To Use Notebooking in Your Homeschool

Getting Started With Notebooking

Notebooking is one of those things that can sound confusing and complicated. In reality, however, it is SO simple and adds an element of predictability and peace to our homeschool days. 

This post, written by my good friend Jimmie, is your one stop for learning all about notebooking and how to get started.  If you know NOTHING about notebooking, read the post and then come back here. 

 

5 Ways to Use Notebooking In Your Homeschool

We've used notebooking in many ways over the years. 

Hopefully this post will give you ideas (no matter WHAT your homeschool method and learners may be) to implement easily in your homeschool this year. 

 

 

 

Helpful Notebooking Posts

You can notebook through all subject areas, all methods, and across all ages.

Notebooking has been that GOOD THING that has STUCK each year.  

The following posts may strike a chord with your homeschool and style:

The BEST Notebooking Resource

Throughout all of the notebooking we have done, there is one resource we have relied on consistently.

Notebooking Pages is a subscription service that allows you to download notebooking pages for virtually ANYTHING you are looking for. 

In addition to being able to download premade pages, children have the opportunity to create their OWN pages using the Notebooking Publisher App. 

 

Hands down, Notebooking Pages is our favorite homeschool resource. 

 

Notebooking Pages FREE Resource Member Program

Let me hear from you!  Do you use Notebooking in your homeschool?  Do you have plans to start this year?  Do you have questions about notebooking?

How to Use Notebooking in Your Homeschool
How to Use Notebooking In Your Homeschool