2026-2027 Simple Morning Time Notebook
If you want to simplify your homeschool, but don’t know where to start, you should try using the 2026-2027 Simple Morning Time Notebook! As a homeschool mom to 10 children, this notebook helped me teach the beautiful subjects using a visual tool to keep us all on the same page.
Many years ago, I learned how helpful Morning Time can be when you have multiple children, but it was always random and I didn’t have a great plan. Finally, I decided to make one notebook that included all we were learning that year and print it out for each child so they could have a visual in hand. It was a game-changer!
Video Walk Through of the Simple Morning Time Notebook
Pairs Well With Charlotte Mason & Classical Philosophies
While I love the short lessons, nature study, copywork, living books, and so much more about the Charlotte Mason method, I also appreciate the memory work that a classical education emphasizes. During our Morning Time, I can focus on both with this notebook.
Some sections of our Morning Time Notebook focus on composer study, picture study, and Shakespeare while others focus on memorizing Scripture, famous speeches, and poetry. I love how this notebook helps us naturally blend these two philosophies into our day.
Daily Studies/ Regular Studies
In our homeschool, we have daily subjects and regular studies that we learn on a looped schedule. In our homeschool, after we complete the daily studies, we pick 2-3 regular subjects to do from that section of the notebook. These each take about 5-10 minutes.
We just wrapped up our 16th year of homeschooling and one thing I’ve learned from these years of experience is how important it is to be flexible! When it’s a good morning, we do more. At other times, when the day is going haywire, we do the very basics.
Daily Subjects:
- Bible Reading/ Christian Biography
- Scripture Memory
- Other Memory Work
- Hymn Study
- Current Events
Subjects we do regularly or on a loop schedule: (5 minutes for each)
- Poetry
- Picture Study
- Composer Study
- Folk Songs
- Grammar
- Nature Study
- Shakespeare
- Math Review
- Proverb-A-Day
- Map Work
- Spelling Patterns
- Nature Study
Other Blog Resources for Morning Time
How to Simplify Your Homeschool With Morning Time
7 Tips to a Peaceful Homeschool Morning Time
Teaching Bible In Morning Time
Simple Ideas for Memory Work in Morning Time
3 Christian Resources for Current Events In Morning Time
Simple Ideas for Poetry in Morning Time
Simple Morning Time Notebooks from Previous Years
Simple Morning Time Notebook Volume 1
Daily Subjects
Each day we start here. I begin with the Bible story reading and then go through each of the following subjects except for hymn study which we do at night. These subjects are a regular part of our Morning Time.
Bible Reading/ Christian Biography
I like to read from Catherine Vos’ The Child’s Story Bible every morning. I substitute a Christian biography for the Bible story one day a week. We like the stories from Trial and Triumph or Christian Heroes Then and Now series.
Scripture Memory
This year we have passages from the Old Testament and some from the New Testament. We read the passage once or twice out loud together. I try not to focus on “memorizing,” but rather let the verse soak in as my children hear it over and over.
This year we are learning the following verses:
- Deuteronomy 32:1-4
- Joshua 4:21-24
- Jeremiah 9:23-24
- Psalm 119: 9-16
- Isaiah 55:6-11
- Philippians 4:4-8
- Colossians 1: 15-20
- Colossians 3: 12-17
Other Memory Work
This year, we are reading Patrick Henry’s famous speech The War Inevitable where he quotes his famous line, “Give me liberty or give me death!” We will not be trying to memorize this speech, but as we read it over and over, I expect that the kids will probably learn a lot of it.
We are also learning the 12 tribes of Israel, the 12 judges of Israel, and the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. I taught these to some of my older children years ago, and it really helped scaffold a framework that helped them to understand the stories of the Old Testament as we read through them. Rather than reading the names of kings that they couldn’t pronounce, they understood where that king fit into history.
One of the best parts about learning these was the songs we used to help us. This song about the Kings is especially well done.
Kings of the Bible
Judges of the Bible
12 Tribes of Israel
Hymn Study
We have a set of hymnals in our home library because they are very handy to have when learning the great hymns of the faith. Our family does hymn study at night as part of our bedtime routine, but many people like doing it as part of Morning Time.
During November, December, and March, we use our hymnals to review Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter songs.
Current Events
I highly recommend World Watch News for Current Events study! This is a 10-minute news broadcast from a Christian perspective. Membership is just $6.99/month.
Regular Subjects (Loop Schedule)
After completing our daily studies, we move to the second part of the notebook. We do these regular studies on a loop schedule, usually picking 2-3 subjects.
These should take about 5-10 minutes each.
Poetry
I like to learn poetry by memorizing the works of one poet at a time. I pick a poet for the younger kids and one for the older kids. This year, I have chosen Christina Rossetti and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow as the poets we will study. We learn one poem at a time, reading it once a day until it becomes very familiar.
Picture Study
We like to use Simple Charlotte Mason Picture Study Portfolios for our artist study, but if you have a limited budget, it’s not necessary! In other years, we have looked at the portraits online, and it has also worked very well. Both options work!
The artist choices and prints are blank for your child to fill in. When they write the titles themselves, they learn to capitalize the first letter of every word in the title.
Composer Study
Choose two composers you would like to study this year. I like to create a playlist from these on my phone. Have kids hand-write the songs in the blanks as you listen to them. Additionally, you may enjoy reading about the composer from Opal Wheeler’s collection.
Folk Songs
You can choose the folk songs you learn each month. Ambleside Online is a great resource for this or if you want to pass down your family heritage to your children you may pick songs that reflect that. You may want to create a playlist for these as well.
Shakespeare
In the past I have picked the Shakespeare plays for you, but for the first time this year, I have left them blank for you to choose your own.
Because Shakespeare has deep plots with several characters who are disguised as someone else, I like to read Shakespeare through a progression of readings.
This is the method I use to teach Shakespeare. First, I read it from “Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare“ by Edith Nesbit. Secondly, I read the same play from “Tales from Shakespeare” by Charles and Mary Lamb, which fills in more of the details. For high school kids, I recommend Arkangel audio recordings.
Math Review
For Math Review, I have provided a hundred chart with several games to play with your kids. Put your chart into a slipcover and give your child a dry-erase marker to mark the board over and over.
These games are very simple and take little time. For example, circle all the multiples of 3 and notice the pattern or color all the odd numbers.
Spelling Patterns and Rules
Although I use daily COPYWORK as the main method for teaching Spelling, I also like to review spelling patterns and rules to help kids see why words are spelled the way they are. Using a whiteboard, I read one spelling pattern during Morning Time and have list examples of the rule we are learning.
Proverb-A-Day
Since each chapter in Proverbs is full of so many treasures, it can be hard to walk away with one solid application. This Proverb-a-Day page shows the proverbs by category. This year, we are learning about generosity, pride, diligence, prudence, and truth. I read one proverb in Morning Time (there are enough for you to do about one a week) and we discuss the meaning or examples together.
Grammar
Understanding the patterns of our speech helps kids communicate well in both oral and written form. Along with a simple grammar chart, I have provided a mix of sentences containing simple and complex structures, phrases, and clauses. Write the sentence on the board and follow these steps. If you do one sentence a week, you will get through them all in a year.
Steps:
- Label each word with its part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, etc.)
- Write the word’s specific role (subject, direct object, action verb, linking verb, article.)
- Put parentheses around the phrases and clauses. (This can be step 1 if that is easier.)
- Diagram the sentence.
Map Work
Our kids learn geography in 10 minutes a day as part of their checklist assignments. We love using seterra.com, an online resource. It’s also nice, however, to learn parts of the world through Morning Time together.
This year, we will study the countries and physical properties of Europe. Have your kids label the countries and capitals of Europe in the notebook. We use the Kingfisher Student Atlas to help us find them. I usually do 4-5 countries a day. Additionally, on the following pages, kids can write the capitals of each country.
Nature Study
Our kids do their Nature Study Notebook as part of their checklist, but they also like to draw specimens we find on our nature hikes on these pages. Pull out some field guides or have them collect items to copy during Morning Time.
Read Aloud Book List
If you enjoy reading aloud as part of your Morning Time, keep track of all the books you read during the year.
Get your 2026-2027 Simple Morning Time Notebook!
I would love for you to join us in our studies this year! If you would like your own copy of the 2026-2027 Simple Morning Time Notebook that we will use this year, you can purchase a digital download for $9.00 by clicking on the button below.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I have to buy one for each of our kids? The notebook costs $9.00. You are welcome to buy one notebook and print as many copies as you need for your family. I only ask that you do not distribute to others. I’ve tried to make this as affordable as possible for families.
- How often do you do Morning Time? We usually do Morning Time 3-4 days a week, depending on what else we have on our schedule.
- How long should Morning Time take? This will vary family by family, depending on your needs and individual circumstances. Morning Time usually takes us between 20-45 minutes, give or take. Some mornings we like to do more; other mornings we keep it short.
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