Checklist for Together Time

Also Known as Morning Basket Time: Together Time is the creamy center of our homeschooling day. It’s the time we learn together, discuss together, and delight together. If no other formal instruction happens, for the day, together time keeps us on track and focused as a family.

So, how do we run our Together Time? We keep it simple with the following few steps.

1- Start with the Spirit

Bible and/or Devotions come first. They don’t have to include a craft or an object lesson. God’s word is truly all you need. The ultimate open and go curriculum. We’re working through the 90 days through the New Testament Challenge at the moment.

2- Prayer

Ask God to bless the day and bless the learning. Offer a few specific requests and move on. Deep soul searching prayer is best done privately. If your kiddo needs to release something to the Lord, make time for it later- one on one.

3- Memory Work

It’s just like it sounds. Work to memorize. It can be anything. But don’t spend more than a minute or two on each subject. Do it all aloud and together. After all it’s Together Time

Right now at my house memory work is: Multiplication Facts, Spelling Rules, and Latin Vocabulary

4- “School Book” Read Aloud

This is the more academic read of the day. The one your kids pretend to roll their eyes at but secretly love. It can be history or science or whatever. If you stumbled into my living room you’d find us reading Whatever Happened to Penny Candy. (and loving it!) Typically we read 1 to 2 chapters but not for longer than 20 minutes.

5- Discuss

Yup. Talk about what you just read. You can ask questions to get the ball rolling but organic discussion with a slight mom-led bent works best. If you prefer you can have your kiddos journal this part… but please still make time for talk. It doesn’t have to be pretty or insightful. Just talk.

6- “Fun Book” Read Aloud

This is the book your kids are begging you to read. The fiction for fiction’s sake read that doesn’t seem to have any academic value. (The one you giggle about because it’s teaching your kids heaps and they don’t even know it) Little House books are great for this. So are journeys to Middle Earth and Narnia. At the Mo we’re reading Book 4 of the Incorrigibles of Ashton Place Books. Again read for no more than 20 to 25 minutes, if you’re planning to get any other work done. (Sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we read all day.) Key= leave your kids wanting more!

7- Discuss

Yes it’s time to talk, again. Talk or journal and then, get on with it! 😉

Pack up your bag and put it someplace you can find it for tomorrow. Stick with it for a month and you’ll have a habit you love and a part of the day no other can replace.

Bonus Steps:

1- Gather your Supplies

Some people use a basket… in my house it’s a canvas bag. All our Together Time books go inside said bag. If I fill it to capacity and new shiny thing won’t fit… I take it as a sign that we’re already doing enough and either wait to finish the books we’re already on or replace one we’re tired of. Having it all in one place makes Together Time Grab and Go.

2- Fuel Up

Be it coffee, tea, or green smoothie, get your mama fuel ready. Make sure your kids have something, too. A drink and a snack make Together Time much more inviting. But do not get elaborate EVERY TIME! Keep it simple… make it fun.. and be present! You’ve got this, Mama!

Some other posts about Together Time: