Blog

Morning Time With High Schoolers

Morning Time has been an important and valuable part of our homeschool for many years.

I need to confess something, though - a successful Morning Time hasn’t always been easy.

There were seasons when it was just hard to keep my children engaged in something TOGETHER for even 30 minutes at the start of the day. Or, there were seasons when I didn’t have the motivation to get up each morning and have an effective Morning Time.

Now, let’s add teen homeschoolers to the mix, and Morning Time was sometimes elusive.

As we are nearing the end of our home education journey, however, I can say with confidence that Morning Time has been the single most important component of our homeschool. It has helped keep the wonder alive.

Morning Time With Homeschoolers: an anchor for relationship, routine, and beauty in the #homeschool years

Let’s reframe Morning Time. It isn’t something “extra”. It is a consistent part of our homeschool - just as consistent as math, reading, and all the other things we require our children to know.

Morning Time is a set-aside time at the beginning of each day for us to focus our hearts on God, each other, and a shared learning experience. Sometimes that shared experience might be a read-aloud. Other times it might be listening to music or doing picture study.

That’s the beauty of it, really - you can designate a time each day to focus on things that are of importance to your family.

And, as our children enter high school, they need this time EVEN MORE! (If they tell you they don’t need it, gently exercise your role as the teacher to encourage their attendance.)

Why Is Morning Time Important For High Schoolers?

Despite their increasing independence and natural pulling away from the rest of the family, our teens still long to be connected with others.

Morning Time sets the tone for their day. It demonstrates to them that we still value their input and companionship. That time at the beginning of the day allows us to check in with our teen and feel the pulse of their life.

Schoolwork in the high school years can become more formal and serious, and I believe our teens still enjoy more child-like things (like a silly read-aloud, thumbprint art, or simple math games) that really have a place during Morning Time.

Morning Time for #Homeschool High Schoolers

How to Make Morning Time Successful With High Schoolers

No child (teen or otherwise) is perfectly compliant. Your high schooler may not be on board with a Morning Time (ask me how I know), so you might have to use some strategies to entice them to join you.

Even if you do have a child who is very willing and compliant, these tips are still helpful:

  • Designate the SAME TIME each morning. All ages of children crave routine and consistency.

  • Create an inviting environment - include favorite foods and comfy pillows and blankets.

  • Give your teens a sense of ownership - let them lead the devotion or decide on a specific activity for your Morning Time.

  • If you have younger children as well, allow your teen to participate in part of Morning Time, and then excuse them so they can begin their schoolwork.

  • If early morning doesn’t work well, find a time that does! Maybe you want to have lunch learning time instead. Just because the buzz words are “Morning Time” doesn’t mean it has to be in the morning!

Morning Time with High Schoolers: an anchor for relationship, routine and beauty in the high school years

What Our Morning Time With A High Schooler Looks Like

This year I am so fortunate to have my husband participating very actively in our homeschool. He joins us for Morning Time, and that has made it a very natural thing for my 16-year-old son. It’s actually an “extended breakfast time” in our house.

A typical Morning Time looks like this:

  • We gather around 8 a.m. with breakfast — my husband is a breakfast cooker, so many days we have a warm breakfast to enjoy during our Morning Time.

  • Devotions are read first - we’ve been using Portals of Prayer for years. I love that it aligns with our faith and has a theme each month.

  • Next, we watch World Watch News - this is new for us this year and we are all LOVING it. It is a 10-minute daily news program from a Christian worldview. The news stories, however, are told without political bias.

  • A read-aloud comes next. (I’ll give a list of books we have enjoyed in the resources section of this post)

  • As we are cleaning up I usually play the piece from the SQUILT listening calendar for the day - because when your mom is the curriculum author that is just what you do!

Morning Time has been something I look forward to each day. I find us joking about something from our read-aloud during the day, or referencing something from the devotion or news program.

The shared learning experiences are of tremendous value to my teen. They are of tremendous value to us as a family.

Ideas for Morning Time with High Schoolers

You don’t need fancy plans or a curriculum. I suggest just a few things (maximum of 3-4) you can share to start your day.

There have been times when I try to coordinate a bit with our curriculum (read alouds in particular), but sometimes what we are doing in Morning Time is completely separate from the curriculum.

Consistency is the key. Including things of beauty is necessary.

Lots of love is always required.

Be creative with your Morning Time. Does your teen have ideas for what to include?


20 Read Alouds for High Schoolers

We’ve read each of these books and I can recommend them without reservation.

Some are classics. Some are humorous. Some are poignant.

I believe it is good to have a variety of books in our read-aloud repertoire. We have wonderful memories of silly voices done in Huckleberry Finn and Pride and Prejudice (we did what it took reading that one with a teen boy!). We have shed a tear or two during books by Michael Morpurgo. And, we’ve had excellent family discussions after reading The Chosen.

Do you have a Morning Time with your High Schooler?

Tell me about it in the comments below.

Morning Time with High Schoolers: an anchor for relationship, routine, and beauty in the teen #homeschool years.

Homeschool High School: Making Hard Decisions

Here we are - 11th grade looming on the horizon for my youngest child.

I remember this being a crucial time in my oldest’s homeschool high school experience. We made a big change in her schooling and never regretted having the courage to recognize something wasn’t working and then making a change.

(That child is now a sophomore in college and wants to be an Occupational Therapist. She’s doing well and I believe she had the preparation she needed for the path she is on.)

When our high schoolers reach the age of 15 or 16 there are new worlds opening to them. Their personalities are continuing to develop. They are thinking about life beyond high school.

Hard decisions need to be made.

Mom and dad are learning to let go.

Making Hard Decision in #Homeschool High School

I’d like to go over some of those hard decisions in this post, and also give you a little update on life in our homeschool right now.

Also - I can’t emphasize enough how different each child is. The path my daughter took isn’t the same one my son will take. Children change, times change (pandemics happen and everything suddenly becomes more tenuous), and opportunities change.

And, at the end of the day, I always remain thankful that we have had the opportunity and blessing to homeschool our children.

How Do We Continue to Honor Our Child’s Interests?

As our children progress through high school it is imperative they do not lose the wonder in learning!

My son has always been interested in design and architecture. This year he took an Intro. to Architecture class that gave him a glimpse into what an architect does. We’re going to follow this up with a Graphic Design class next year. (Check out Excelsior Classes - we had a great experience with them this year!)

Additionally, LEGO bricks have always played a HUGE part in our homeschool. It seems that this interest just continues through high school. I’m trying to encourage Grant in any way I can. He has applied for a job at our local LEGO store, is learning to make YouTube videos (many of them about his LEGO creations), and might even embark on a fun online project with LEGOS next year.

In addition to these things he also plays the piano and loves to play basketball.

All of these things contribute to him being a well-rounded young person.

(And isn’t that a goal for homeschool parents? We want happy, well-rounded young people who love to learn!)

Do We Continue With Classical Conversations?

Each year around this time we always look ahead to the next level of Challenge.

I sit down with Grant and go over each of the strands for the following year. Do they interest him? Does he find value in them? (Believe me, sometimes this takes some prodding from me - of course, it’s hard for a typical teenager to see the value in some of these academics!)

Can we handle the Challenge workload and still pursue his interests?

The answer right now is YES. Grant is looking forward to Challenge III, and I think a lot of this is because of his strong peer group and how this style of learning just WORKS for him. I’ve watched all the pieces click into place the past few years, and it is VERY exciting!

I fully understand, however, that at this point in time some teens will step back from the Challenge program to pursue a more traditional “school” experience, dual enroll or take advantage of a number of other opportunities.

What About Dual Enrollment for Homeschoolers?

To dual enroll or not dual enroll? That is the question.

I like this comprehensive article about dual enrollment from Walking by the Way.

In our state (Georgia) we have access to free dual enrollment classes. As I think about this, I know it isn’t “free” - there. is a cost, and that cost is what could potentially be taught in the class, the bias of the professor, and more. So, if we decide to dual enroll we will go in with eyes wide open and doing research about where and when very carefully.

(As of this writing, we have decided against dual enrollment in Grant’s 11th grade year.)

For our family, I want to use every ounce of time while my child is under my room to maintain the integrity of their Classical Christian education. If a dual enrollment class fits our criteria, that is wonderful. We aren’t however, doing it just because it is “free”.

(My daughter took a couple of Advanced Placement classes and we were happy with that and she earned some college credit. You can read about that here.)

Hard Decision ins #Homeschool High School

Which Standardized Test Should My Homeschool High Schooler Take?

I thought I had this all figured out until a global pandemic happened.

Now, I am wondering if the next couple of years will be test-optional as well?

So, here is my approach right now: continue to do practice problems from the ACT practice book. Take practice tests. Be prepared to take the PSAT and/or SAT or ACT next year if needed.

Grant will also take the Classic Learning Test this year, too.

To be frank, I am going on faith with this right now. At this point in my daughter’s high school career she had taken the PSAT and ACT. Things are different now, and I have to trust that all will be well.

Is College Even Worth It?

Is a 4-year degree the path for success?

(I am also exercising trust in this area - both my husband and I have college and advanced degrees. They were of great benefit to us. I’ve had to adjust my thinking in this area.)

College isn’t what it used to be. We are blessed in the state of Georgia to have the Hope and Zell scholarships, which pay college tuition when you meet certain academic requirements. My oldest is going tuition-free to a Georgia university to pursue her undergraduate that is necessary to get into Occupational Therapy School.

We will NOT allow our children to go into debt for school. They must have a plan that necessitates college if they want to attend college.

Maybe my son wants to work when he graduates high school and figure out what he wants to do. Maybe he would like to earn his two-year degree locally before heading off for his 4-year degree. (I heard yesterday about a young man who went to a local technical school (again, paid for by our state) to get an Electrician’s certificate - working while doing so to save money to then apply to Georgia Tech engineering school. Smart.)

The days of a 4-year degree being the automatic path for so many young people are gone, and I hope that as homeschoolers we have equipped our children to think outside the box to work hard, maybe start their own businesses, and just HUSTLE.



With each of the large areas mentioned above, it strikes me that PRAYER is the answer to each of them.

As I’ve done with my children since before they were born, I pray for them. I pray for their future, that they love Jesus, and that they love their families and love to learn. I pray for their future spouse and I pray for this crazy world we’re living in.

I always come back to this: Homeschooling has been the best thing we could have done for our children. I know of no better way to equip our children for the world they are living in!

I hope this has given you a little homeschool and life update.

I’d love to hear from you and how your high school journey is going.

Leave me a comment below!




You might also like:

Homeschool to College

Stop Telling Me Why You Can’t Homeschool High School

How to Reach Your Teen Homeschooler’s Heart

Making Hard Decision in #Homeschool High School