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.
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!