Your Morning Basket

Mom's are natural teachers for a language -- after all moms teach their kids language all the time. Foreign language can work the same way as a first language -- simply start with words and phrases you use everyday and build on one or two at a time. Soon you will know more words in a new language than you ever imagined. Adelaide Olguin is on the show today to tell us about how this natural language learning works and how you can begin to implement this in your home to learn new languages with your kids. It's a fun and encouraging episode, so don't miss it!

Welcome to a brand new season of the Your Morning Basket Podcast. We are kicking off the year with an important but fun conversation with the creator of We Choose Virtues, Heather McMillian. I love Heather's enthusiasm for helping teach kids about virtues. Drawing on her years of experience as a teacher and children's pastor, Heather has created a system that opens a dialogue in families about good character and helps parents go beyond just securing good behavior and really reach the hearts of their kids.

Becky McIntosh can see the beauty and joy in math. She says it comes from practice -- that she makes a special point to look for the beauty of mathematics everyone. Lucky for us, she is on a mission to help other homeschool moms find the same joy in math as well. She is here today on the podcast with an inspiring look at how we can use literature to connect our kids to cool, interesting mathematical concepts. This one is a lot of fun.

Sarita Holzmann was a reluctant homeschooler but soon came to love it. With a heart for missionaries serving overseas and the people they serve, Sarita has always had an eye towards bringing geography to life using literature. On this episode of the podcast she joins us to discuss why geography is important and why literature is the best way to experience that. Get your notebooks handy -- there is more than one great book recommendation in this episode.

Andrea Kirk Assaf homeschools on three continents as her family splits their time between Michigan and Rome as well as spending part of the year visiting her husband's family in Lebanon. Today she joins Pam on this episode of the podcast to talk about Calendar School, her Morning Time variation that includes elements of the Church year and the seasonal cycles. Andrea has a unique take on Morning Time planning that is fascinating and inspiring. We hope you enjoy!

Sarah Mackenzie is on a mission -- a mission to help every family know that the importance of reading aloud goes beyond building bigger test scores and better vocabularies. The importance of reading aloud goes to the very heart of the relationships in your home. Join Pam and Sarah on the podcast as they chat why this is even more relevant to our culture today than it was 20 years ago, practical tips on how to get it done (even with a bunch) of kids, and the books that Sarah and Pam can never agree to like. The gloves are coming off on this episode -- don't miss it.

This week Dawn Garrett and I are on the show with a very special announcement! Better Together is a new book all about Morning Time and it is hitting the bookstores today. Dawn and I dish about the book, other Morning Time resources, and how Morning Time is a great fit for every kind of homeschooler. Check it out!

It's a question we get asked often and it is a good one: How do I do Morning Time when I have just one child? How do I keep it from looking like the rest of my school day? Today Tina Roman, mom of one, is here on the show to talk to us about what Morning Time looks like in her home. Hint: It's not as quiet as you might think it would be. Enjoy!

In addition to your more traditional Morning Time we are hearing from moms more and more about Morning Time variations that they are using to enhance their homeschools. Today on the podcast Mystie Winckler is back talking about her Elementary Lessons. These are a separate, mini-co-op style session her family does with another family a couple of times each week. But it also looks suspiciously like Morning Time. Check it out.

We are kicking off the new season of the Your Morning Basket podcast with a conversation about story. And there is no one better equipped to talk to us about a good story and the impact it can have on our kids than master-story teller S.D. Smith.   Author of the enthralling Green Ember series of books, Sam is here today to chat with us about what makes a good story and how these tales shape our kids. Pulling from his own childhood and what stories have meant to him, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

What is a catechism and why is it important to teach to our children? In this episode of the podcast Dr. Geoffrey Reiter joins me to talk about how catechism and memory shape us along with some practical tips for implementing catechism memorization into our Morning Time. It's a fascinating conversation full of practical advice (including which catechisms to use) and things to ponder.

Listener favorite Cindy Rollins is back on the podcast in this special cross-over episode between Your Morning Basket and the Mason Jar Podcast. Drawing on Cindy's vast experience, we chat about which subjects are best for Morning Time plus a whole lot more. Listen in and then search out The Mason Jar on your favorite podcast app to get the rest of the story.

The Advent and Christmas seasons are almost upon us and homeschool moms are looking for ways to change their pace and do something special for the holiday seasons. Today Pam and Dawn Garrett discuss options for celebrating while still learning until your holiday break. Tons of good ideas in this one! Find links and resources at https://pambarnhill.com/ymbsp2

What is lectio divina and how can we use this ancient monastic practice in leading our students to truth. Ashley Woleben is on the show today to answer that question and so much more.

Angelina Stanford and I started our conversation with a show down. "I'm going to have to limit you to an hour," I told her. "You're going to have a hard time with that," was her reply. Boy was she ever right! I just wanted this conversation about fairy tales to go on and on and on. Fairy tales are a staple of many a childhood -- I know I spent hours as a kid reading from Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson. Thanks to the influence of people like Andrew Pudewa I have been sharing original versions of fairy tales with my own kids for years. But I have never dug this deep or looked at fairy tales in quite this way before -- Angelina and I dig deep into the history, the objections, the importance and so much more. I have a new favorite episode of the podcast. You might too! Enjoy. You can find the show notes for this episode at https://pambarnhill.com/ymb41

All home education begins with self-education -- for mom. In our efforts to learn and grow as the teachers of our children one tool we can use is our own morning basket -- a Mother's Morning Basket. In this episode Jen Mackintosh is back on the program to tell us all about her own Mother's Morning Basket. We discuss how she plans it, what's inside, and the keys to making it an enjoyable practice.

One of the earliest books I purchased on homeschooling -- way back when my oldest was only four-years-old -- was Kendra Fletcher's Circle Time: Plan the Best Part of Your Day. It was my first introduction to what I would later call Morning TIme. That inspiration is why I wanted to have Kendra on the show today to tell her Circle Time story. I think you will be inspired.

We all know that Morning Time works great when you have younger kids in the house, but what does it look like for middle school? Is it even possible? The answer is "Yes!" Middle schoolers can thrive in Morning Time and Kim Devers is here today to tell us about how it works with the middle grade kids in her family.

Learning about loop scheduling five years ago was one of the best things that ever happened to my homeschool. Suddenly I was able to schedule my day in such a way that I never stressed about missing a day in the schedule. Other times, I have used block schedules with much success in my Morning Time to be able to enjoy more subjects in a year. Both types of scheduling are handy and have benefits. Both types also inspire tons of questions from listeners. So today Dawn and I are happy to bring you a podcast all about blocks, loops, and other schedule options for your Morning Time. Enjoy!

We all know that we should read to our children, but there are also benefits to the practice of telling our children stories. On this episode of the podcast Charlotte Mason educator and master storyteller Sheila Carroll is here to talk about the benefits of sharing stories, some techniques to use, and how to enchant your children with wonderful tales.