I've been loving our mornings

I have been loving our mornings lately.  Even before our two week spring break.  I am doing a classical method but I'm not a purist at all so I use things about it that I like.  One thing I like, no love, is reading living books for things instead of textbooks.

In the morning now we have a reading routine.

I bring a bag of books to the kids' room and they play or swing on our Ikea swing while I read and ask questions.

I always start with a Devotion book.  We use the Animal Devotion book that I have talked about before.  It is almost like science and Bible in one.

Then I read a chapter from our current read aloud.  I try to find classic literature for this.  The kids did not like the Little House book I picked (only my children) so I started another one - The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White.  They are really liking this one.

Then I'll read a little "twaddle" as the classical purist like to call it.  But it is books that my kids like that they ask me to read.  Today was a chapter from a Superman book for my oldest and an adaption of the classic Cinderella for my girl (not the Disney book).

Then we pick the flavor of the day book - I try to do a weekly rotation of art, music, science, history, etc.  Monday is usually the art book - I am loving the Come Look With Me series.  We are doing the one about work right now because I found it at Half Price books.  We just finished the Magic School Bus Shark book for science.

And my newest edition - Life of Fred:  Apples!   Shhh, don't tell them it is math.  I have clipboards and pencils and paper in my bag that I pull out.  We sit on the floor or the bed and I read the short chapter and we do the little activity - mostly for my 4 and 6 year old but my 8 year old sometimes joins in.  We have just started it and so far I really like it.

I also do these Q & A for a Day - 3 years journal with the kids.  I have them in my bag also and pull them out and ask them the question of the day.  The answers are ALWAYS interesing!!!




We still watch TV, play Minecraft and use the Ipad/pod but at least we start our morning with reading.  I'll work on the rest later.

What do your mornings look like?