Morning time has become one of our favorite parts of the homeschool day. It’s cozy, intentional, and a beautiful way to ease into learning while centering our hearts and minds as a family. In this post, I’ll share what morning time is, how we’ve made it bilingual, why it’s so helpful for our homeschool rhythm, and what it looks like for us including a peek inside the bilingual morning binder I created for my son during kindergarten!
What is morning time?
Morning time (also called morning basket or circle time) is a gentle way to start the day together no matter what age your children are. It’s often a mix of shared activities like reading aloud, singing, calendar work, or devotional time. It brings connection, consistency, and calm to the homeschool day.
It doesn’t have to be long even 15–35 minutes of shared focus can work wonders.
How does a bilingual morning time work?
Bilingual morning time in our homeschool means weaving Spanish and English into our daily opening routine. Since Spanish is the minority language where we live, I intentionally use this time to strengthen our son’s Spanish exposure and skills especially through music, interactive materials, and stories.
I don’t stress about making everything perfectly balanced. Some days are heavier in English, but most of the time I prioritize Spanish during our binder work and songs. Read-alouds and devotional stories may alternate depending on what books we’re using.
Why morning time is so helpful?
Bilingual morning time in our homeschool helps us:
- Ease into learning with warmth and connection
- Start the day with God through family devotional time
- Practice routines in both Spanish and English
- Cover foundational skills through hands-on repetition
- Stay grounded in our values and bilingual goals
It also gives me (as the homeschool parent!) a rhythm to return to when the day feels messy.
Elements of our bilingual morning time
Here’s a peek into what we include:
1. Family Devotional at Breakfast
We usually begin our day with breakfast and a simple devotional routine:
- Prayer
- Bible memory verse (often with hand motions or a song)
- Short Bible story (sometimes in Spanish, sometimes in English)
- Simple craft or coloring activity
Resources we love for devotional time:
- Bible storybook: God’s love for you
- The awesome book of bible answers for kids by Josh McDowell & Kevin Johnson – I started this one at the end of kindergarten.
- Spanish children’s devotionals with Trueway kids
- Devotional videos with Minno in Spanish or English
- Printable Bible verse cards by Not consumed
2. Daily Routines Practice (After Devotional)
Right after our devotional, we have a transition time to:
- Get dressed
- Brush teeth
- Brush hair
- Tidy up
This everyday routine is also a perfect time to naturally practice daily routines vocabulary in Spanish. I’ll say things like:
- “¡Vamos a cepillarnos los dientes!”
- “¿Dónde está tu cepillo de peinar?”
- “Es hora de vestirse/peinarse.”
- “Vamos a arreglar tu cama.”
This has been such an easy and effective way to build language through real-life context.
3. Bilingual Morning Binder Activities
After we’re dressed and ready, we sit down with our bilingual morning activity binder. I created this during my son’s kindergarten year.
It includes hands-on, reusable activities like:
- 📅 Calendar practice (days, months, years)
- 🌈 Colors and shapes (in both languages)
- 😊 Emotions check-in/practice
- ✍️ Name writing
- 🕰️ Time and temperature
- ☁️ Weather & seasons
- 🏠 Address and phone number practice (important life skills)
🎶 Music brings it to life!
We pair these activities with songs related to each topic. Here is a list of some of the songs we use:
🌀 Our binder evolves through the year!
I don’t keep the same pages all year long. I add or switch out activities depending on:
- Seasonal topics
- What we’re working on academically
- My child’s interests and needs
✨ Want this binder for your own bilingual morning time?
I offer this Bilingual Morning Binder as a free gift for families and teachers in our community!
👉 Click here to get it for free!
4. Spanish or English ABC Practice
During morning time, we often include alphabet practice:
Letter sounds (Spanish or English)
Tracing and identifying letters
Syllable games or sound matching
This time is especially valuable for reinforcing phonological awareness in Spanish, which is a key skill we prioritize since Spanish is the minority language.
5. Read-Aloud Time (Spanish or English)
We usually end our morning time with a read-aloud. Some days we read in Spanish, and other days in English. I rotate between picture books, seasonal stories, and faith-based books.
Books that work well:
Have rhythm or rhyme
Include rich vocabulary
Encourage participation or discussion
Reflect our values and bilingual life
💡 Tips for a Joyful Bilingual Morning Time
- Keep it simple and doable
- Use music and movement
- Let your child help lead when possible
- Don’t feel like you need to do every element every day
- Be flexible and responsive to your child’s energy and interest
- Focus more on connection than completion
Bilingual morning time in our homeschool has become a cherished anchor . It sets the tone for the day and allows us to nurture both our faith and our languages through gentle, meaningful routines.
If you’re inspired to try your own version of morning time, don’t forget to grab your free Bilingual Morning Binder, it’s the perfect tool to get started and build language-rich routines with your little ones.