Morning Work

Morning work is a bit of a holdover from my teaching days and something we started when my oldest, C1, was about 8 years old and youngest, C3, was a toddler — meaning I had to find ways to fit school in wherever I could because there were a lot of interruptions. For me, the idea behind morning work is to give some light review work that would normally happen during our school day and get it out of the way while the kids wake up and wait for breakfast.

What is Morning Work?

Morning Work is independent work that my kids complete first thing in the morning while The Husband makes breakfast and I try to get ready for the day. It’s mostly review-based, reinforcing skills they’ve already learned, and it gives them a gentle way to transition into the school day.

What Does Our Morning Work Include?

Each of my kids has a slightly different set of tasks based on their age and needs. These tasks change based on everyone’s needs.

• C1 (10 years old):

  • Math review sheet (Math With Confidence review page — MWC grades 3 and up include a review page as part of the lesson; I push that to the next day’s morning work)

  • Fix It! Grammar

  • Spelling Connections workbook

  • Word Study: Critical Thinking Co’s Word Roots

  • Nancy Larson Science Review Sheet (~2-3x/week)

• C2 (8 years old):

  • Math review (worksheets pulled from K5 Learning or other free resources)

  • Explode the Code (~2 pages/day)

  • Sentence writing in a Schoolnest Primary Spelling Notebook using review words from her All About Reading program (I save the little word cards from the activities and stick them in a bag. She picks 3 words each day to use in sentences. She can use the words all in one sentence or in separate sentences).

• C3 (5 years old):

  • Handwriting practice (I just make little tracing activities for him using a highlighter)

  • Coloring (I love the My First Big Book of Coloring series for kids working on coloring skills)

  • Letter activities from All About Reading Pre-Reading program

  • Cutting practice activity pages (sometimes I alternate this with coloring)

Why Morning Work?

1. It Builds Independence – My kids know what to do when they wake up and can complete their work without me hovering.

2. It Starts the Day on the Right Foot – They ease into learning with familiar tasks instead of jumping straight into a lesson.

3. It Keeps the Day Flowing – When they finish morning work, we transition smoothly into breakfast and then reading time.

Common Challenges & How We Handle Them

• Resistance? Some mornings, my kids don’t feel like doing morning work. The deal is that it gets pushed to the beginning of Quiet Time instead if it doesn't get done before reading time. Usually, they’d rather knock it out early and have more playtime.

• Keeping It Fresh? I tweak what they’re working on seasonally to keep it from feeling stale.

• Finding the Right Balance? Morning work is review, not busy work. If something isn't helping them, we adjust.

Final Thoughts

Morning work isn’t magical but helps create a rhythm to our homeschool mornings. It’s one of those small routines that makes a big difference. If you’re looking for a way to ease into your homeschool day, a short morning work routine might be worth trying!