Morning Meeting: BY OAN Ovelli

Morning
Meeting
BY J OAN N OVELLI
NEW YORK • TORONTO • LONDON • AUCKLAND • SYDNEY

MEXICO CITY • NEW DELHI • HONG KONG • BUENOS AIRES
Quick Tips: Morning Meeting © Joan Novelli, Scholastic Teaching Resources

My thanks to the talented teachers who contributed ideas for this book:
Lorraine Leo, Sue Lorey, Lyn MacBruce, Donna Mydlowski, Janice Reutter,
Charlotte Sassman, Kimberly Streff, Natalie Vaughan, Wendy Weiner,
Judy Wetzel, Wendy Wise Borg, Janet Worthington-Samo, and Lori Vig.
Special thanks to Connie Leuenberger, kindergarten teacher and

author of The New Kindergarten: Teaching Reading, Writing & More
(Scholastic, 2003), for sharing favorite morning meeting ideas,
reviewing the manuscript, and offering expert feedback.
Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the designated reproducible pages from this book for classroom use. No other part of this
publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to
Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.
Cover design by Maria Lilja

Cover illustration by Dave Clegg
Interior design by Holly Grundon
Interior illustrations by James Graham Hale
ISBN: 0-439-22728-3
Copyright © 2004 by Joan Novelli.

All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc.
Printed in the U.S.A.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 40 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04

Contents
About Morning Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Morning Meeting Pointers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Starting the Morning Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Managing the Morning Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Incorpor ating Daily Routin es

Into the Morning Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Building Literacy
With the Morning Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Encouraging Community
With the Morning Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Enhancing the Morning Meeting

With Songs, Chants, and Poems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Closing the Morning Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

About Morning Meeting
What “
W
hat a day it is, what a beautiful, glorious day it is . . .”
a Beautiful This upbeat song signals children in Connie
Day Leuenberger’s kindergarten classroom that it’s time
“What a Day It Is” for morning meeting! As they head over to their “circle spots,”
appears on the CD children might take a peek at the class calendar to see if a birthday
Jumping on the Bed, celebration is on the day’s agenda. While they settle into their circle
by Eric J. Sundberg
(Eric J. Sundberg,
spots, children might wonder which greeting game they’ll play and
1994). For information, who will be the day’s helper. And as a “magic quiet stick” travels
call (800) 321-0401. around the circle from one child to the next (see page 14), children
will come together as a community of learners, ready for a morning
meeting that sets a positive tone for the day and builds skills in
literacy, math, and more.
4
Building Literacy . . .
F rom exchanging greetings to following directions in a group game,

the activities included in the morning meeting can support
speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in many ways—
for example:
{ Exchanging greetings lets children practice oral
language skills at a level that is just right for them.
Children who are hesitant to speak in class can
start by sharing a smile. Other children might
include a classmate’s name in a verbal greeting
or a compliment.
{ Providing time for children to share something

special, such as a weekend event, offers more
opportunities to build oral language skills, for
both the speaker and the audience. As children
share their news or objects with others, they
sharpen presentation skills, learning how to make
choices about the information they share and how
to organize it. While one child is sharing, the rest
of the children can work on listening skills and
learn from their peers’ presentations.
{ Incorporating the daily news into the morning

meeting addresses numerous reading and writing skills, including
identifying key details, understanding cause and effect, and
organizing and presenting information.
{ Using the morning message as a morning meeting teaching tool

provides opportunities to introduce children to different kinds of
writing and helps them discover meaningful reasons to write; it also
reinforces a range of reading skills.
{ Playing morning meeting games enhances oral language skills,

provides practice in following directions, invites connections, and
encourages critical thinking.
5
{ Teaching with songs, chants, and poems lets children have fun with
language, one of the very best ways to build reading skills. These
chart-based activities offer daily opportunities to increase phonemic
awareness, build vocabulary (including sight words), explore rhyme
and other patterns of language, match spoken word to written word,
develop oral language skills, and more.
Math . . .
T he morning meeting is a natural for making math connections—

starting with the circle in which students gather. Following are
some of the ways in which the morning meeting can support the
math standards:
{ Taking attendance and lunch count provides practice in counting,
problem solving, sorting, and data analysis. For example, as children
find out how many students are present, they explore numbers and
counting. When they compare the number of girls and boys present,
they learn how operations relate to one another. They make similar
connections when comparing the lunch count—for example, looking
What’s Inside? at how many students chose one lunch over another.
This book offers dozens { Graphing data from morning meeting routines, such as attendance
of activities in different and daily temperature/weather, invites children to pose questions,
areas (greetings, daily gather and analyze data, communicate thinking, and make
routines, morning generalizations.
message, games, songs,
{ Calendar activities connect place value and passage of time
chants, poems, and
more) to help keep your (as children count how many days they’ve been in school). These
morning meeting fresh activities also reinforce concepts of odd/even, patterning skills
and fun all year. (extending a pattern with different color/shape date cards), and
understanding of sets (days in a week, weeks in a month, and so on).
{ Using songs, chants, and poems is a wonderful way to bring music,

language arts, and math into the morning meeting. For example,
many children are familiar with traditional counting songs, such as
“The Ants Go Marching.” Reinforce number concepts by writing
the words to such songs on chart paper and highlighting the
6
numbers. Explore other ways to express the
numbers. Use manipulatives to reinforce
counting skills.
{ Taking surveys is a fun way for students

to learn more about one another all year long.
Surveys provide practice in data collection
and analysis and support the following process
standards: communication, connections (for
example, using subtraction skills to compare how many more
students prefer kickball at recess to tag), reasoning and proof
(making generalizations based on survey results), and representation
(contributing to a discussion about the survey results).
. . . And More
A long with making dozens of literacy and math connections, the

morning meeting supports children in many other ways. For
example, as children share greetings each day, they develop confidence,
courtesy, caring, and respect. Throughout the meeting, children have
opportunities to practice cooperating as a group. They learn to take
turns, solve problems, and appreciate different perspectives.
Children gain a better understanding of their classmates
and of what each contributes to the community.
When included in the classroom as part of
the daily schedule, morning meeting provides a
predictable structure for children, giving them a
comfortable and common place from which to
begin their day together. Children quickly learn the
routines of a morning meeting, building success into
each day right from the start with activities that nurture and
celebrate each child as well as the class community.
7
Morning Meeting Pointers
F rom what to include in the meeting to when to end it, consider

the following guidelines when planning the morning meeting:
{ How Long? The length of the meeting will vary according to the
time of year, children’s ages, and other day-to-day considerations. At
the beginning of the year, a five- to ten-minute meeting may be just
right. As the year progresses and children become accustomed to
the routines and expectations, the meeting may last longer—up to
half an hour or so by the middle of the year. As the length of the
meeting increases, it’s important to remember to provide movement
breaks for any age. (See page 22 for suggestions.)
{ How Many Activities? Think about activities you want to include

each time—for example, a “Good Morning” song (to call children
over to the meeting), greeting, sharing, morning message, and
calendar, and then add on from there as time allows. The number of
activities will vary from day to day, depending on what else is going on.
{ Does Activity Order Matter? Some activities, such as the “Good

Morning” song and greeting, naturally make sense as openers.
Sharing might come next. Children who have brought something
from home to share are often very excited. Kindergarten teacher
Connie Leuenberger suggests letting them share near the beginning
of the meeting so they can concentrate on the rest of the activities.
A community-building game or activity is an effective way to wrap
up the meeting and set a cooperative tone for the day.
{ What Are Some Ways to Keep the Meeting Fresh and Fun? One
of the best ways to maintain students’ interest in the meeting all
year is to hand over parts of the meeting to them as soon as they are
ready. For example, children can quickly learn to lead parts of the
calendar routine. They also enjoy using a pointer to lead morning
message activities. Introducing new activities within set routines is
another good way to build variety. So, although you might always
start with a greeting, there are lots of fun ways to change it. (See
page 25 for ideas.) If your meeting includes a community-building
game, introduce new games into the mix to increase the choices.
(Students can choose and lead these, too.)
8
Starting
the Morning Meeting
G
athering a classroom full of children in one big morning
meeting circle might seem like an invitation for confusion.
Some children may have trouble keeping their hands to
themselves, and at least one child is bound to have difficulty sitting
still on a “circle spot.” But when children are called to morning
meeting with a favorite song, and gather knowing the expectations
for behavior in advance, morning meeting becomes a special time
when each child is valued and respected as a member of the learning
community. These feelings are carried with children throughout the
day, setting the tone for the classroom. From setting up a space to
accommodate the meeting to bringing students together and helping
them settle down, this section provides practical tips and strategies
for establishing morning meeting expectations.
9
A Circle Space
T he idea of “circle time,” as morning meeting is often called in

primary grades, paints a warm and comforting picture. Part of what
sets the tone for circle time is the configuration of the meeting space.
Gathering students in a circle makes sense because it allows everyone
to easily see one another. Circles also symbolize unity, an idea that
reinforces the collaborative nature of the meeting. After choosing a
space that will accommodate all students in a circle, mark a spot for
each child so that the circle is easy for children to form each time. See
X Marks the Spot (below) for suggestions on setting up circle spots and
New Neighbors (page 11) for creative seat assignments.
X Marks the Spot

Just Right C hildren love a treasure hunt, and with an X marking their spot
in the morning meeting area, you can be sure they’ll find it. Use
colorful electric tape to make an X on the floor for each child, being
If you want to get the
circle just right, tape a careful to leave enough space between children to promote desired
length of string in the behaviors. Write children’s names on the tape with permanent marker.
center of the meeting Following are other ways to assign spots on the circle:
area. Use the string as { Use “magic carpet” samples to form a circle. (Carpet stores may
a guide to position each donate samples for this.) Provide one for each child. If you have
child’s spot around the assigned seats at the circle, label the carpet square spots with electric
circle. (The string will or masking tape. When you conclude morning meeting, children
serve as a measure of can stack their carpet squares in a designated spot.
the circle’s radius.)
{ Tape colorful laminated name tags (cut in fun shapes, such as stars)
on the floor to identify children’s spots around the circle. Children
will enjoy decorating their name tags before you laminate them.
{ Let children color pictures of themselves on large tagboard squares

(or glue a photo of each child to an index card). Laminate pictures
and place them in position around the circle.
10
New Neighbors
W hen setting up for morning meeting, you may find it helpful

initially to make seating assignments based on an arrangement
that will encourage children to meet expectations. This will be different
for each classroom. From time to time, try these ideas to let children sit
next to a new neighbor:
{ Put each child’s name in a hat. Let children choose a name and
sit on that child’s spot.
{ Ask children to sit on a name that has something in common with

theirs. As a group activity, children can take turns guessing what
their neighbor’s name has in common with the original child’s
name. Their ideas might range from the obvious (they both start
with the same letter) to the unusual (they are both names of
states—for example, Virginia and Georgia).
{ If children have hall partners, invite them to switch places on

the circle. More Circle
Seating
{ Ask everyone to sit on the spot that is two [three, four, and so on]
Invite children to share
spots to the left [right] of theirs.
their own ideas for
{ Assign each circle spot a number. Write equations that have those morning meeting
numbers as answers on slips of paper (or, write the same numbers seating assignments.
on slips of paper or draw the corresponding number of items for Record their ideas and
children to count). On their way to the meeting, have each child incorporate them
select a slip of paper and sit on the corresponding spot. throughout the year.
Children will gain
{ Invite children to arrange themselves alphabetically by name or a sense of
chronologically by birthday. Mark a spot on the circle to begin. accomplishment
when they see their
ideas used.
11
Come On Over!
A day at school is filled with transitions—children moving from

one classroom activity to another, going to lunch, returning from
recess, and so on. Gathering for a morning meeting is another
transition. How can you encourage each student to quietly join the
circle, ready to participate? Here are some effective transition strategies
to try:
Teaching { Signal With a Song: Play an upbeat song to signal students

that it’s time to gather for the morning meeting. (See Tip, left, for
Tunes suggestions.) Write these songs on chart paper, too. They make
Jean Feldman is a wonderful teaching tools for literacy lessons during the meeting.
favorite for sing-along
songs. For irresistible { Whistle a Tune: Whistle the beginning of a familiar tune to get
songs that also teach students’ attention. Have them whistle (or hum) the remainder of
early reading skills, try the tune together as they move to the meeting area.
the following Teaching
{ Nursery Rhyme Time: Chant the first part of a familiar rhyme
Tunes CD sets. Each
(“Jack and Jill went up the hill . . .”). Let children complete the
includes reproducible
rhyme together on their way to the meeting area.
mini-books with song
lyrics and illustrations { Shhhhhh! The Baby’s
that support the text, Sleeping: After getting
plus extension students’ attention, help
activities. them move quietly to the
Early Phonics meeting area by asking
(CD; Scholastic, 2001) them to imagine they’re
in a room of sleeping
Basic Concepts
babies. Can they get to
(CD; Scholastic, 2001)
the meeting place with-
Nursery Rhymes out waking the babies?
{ Don’t Smush the Marshmallows:
Favorite Songs
Invite students to use their imagination as they gather for
morning meeting. Tell them to pretend the floor is covered with
marshmallows. Say: “Can you get to your morning meeting spot
without smushing any of them?” The floor might also be covered
with eggs, honey, pillows, or other fun things.
12
{ Sing an Echo Song: Sing a phrase from a favorite song to signal that
it’s time for morning meeting. Have students repeat it as they gather
in their circle. “The Alligator Chant,” by Jean Feldman (from Dr.
Jean Sings Silly Songs, Progressive Music, 1998), is a favorite for this.
Wiggle Wax
Out With
C hildren wiggle. If this is a distraction at your morning meeting,
consider this hands-on solution: Give children something to keep
their hands quietly busy while they sit in the morning meeting circle.
the Old
Replace beeswax
Small bits of colorful beeswax work well. Keep them in a basket, and let periodically to provide
children pick up a piece on their way to the meeting. (Or pass around the fresh pieces for children
basket once everyone’s seated.) As the beeswax warms up in children’s to hold.
hands, they can squish it and squeeze it, giving them a chance to wiggle
without distracting others at the meeting. Smooth pebbles work well, too.
I Spy Reminders
G etting an entire class of children to sit quietly in a circle for a

meeting can be a challenge. But if the expected behaviors are
taught and reinforced early on, children will soon apply what they’ve
learned on their own. A little I Spy at morning meeting time helps
remind children of the expectations in a positive way.
As children gather for the meeting, look for those who are
demonstrating expected behaviors. Recognize them by saying “I
spy [child’s name] [desired behavior, such as sitting quietly in his
circle space].”
Try to notice a few different children each day, eventually including
everyone. Keep in mind that even children who have the most difficulty
sitting quietly in the circle will exhibit some, however small, appropriate
behavior—whether that’s walking directly to the meeting or finding the
correct spot.
13
Calm and Quiet
H ere are two favorite tricks for getting

children to settle down for morning meeting:
{ The Quiet Butterfly: Cut out a butterfly
shape, decorate its wings with colorful
markers and glitter, and glue to the end
of a dowel. As children gather
for morning meeting, say something
like “This beautiful butterfly is
looking for very quiet children so he
can land on their shoulder.” Touch
children gently on the shoulder with
the butterfly as they settle down.
Make sure each child is touched before the meeting begins,
thereby communicating the message that cooperation is expected
from everyone.
{ Pass the Magic: To make a magic quiet stick, fill an empty plastic
soda or seltzer bottle (liter or smaller) with glitter, food coloring,
and corn syrup (or water). Add sequins, small animals, or tiny beads
if desired. Screw on the top tightly and reinforce with sturdy tape.
Go Get Pass the magic quiet stick around the circle. Children relax as they
watch this soothing stick travel from one child to the next, and by
a Bottle the time it goes all the way around, they’re usually quiet and ready
The magic quiet stick for the meeting.
bottles also work well
Connie Leuenberger
to calm students as E DGARTOWN E LEMENTARY S CHOOL
necessary during a E DGARTOWN , M ASSACHUSETTS
meeting. Children think
it’s hysterically funny
when the teacher
suggests they
“go get a bottle.”
14
Managing
the Morning Meeting
C
hildren look forward to getting together at their morning
meeting. This is a time for them to make connections with
one another, share news, and start the day as part of a
class community. For this to happen successfully, a morning meeting
needs to run smoothly, with children contributing in ways that
maintain a respectful, collaborative atmosphere. Ideas for managing
the morning meeting follow. You’ll find tips for making sure
everyone has a chance to contribute, strategies for organizing student
shares, activities for strengthening listening and speaking skills (so
everyone can hear and be heard), and suggestions for helping
students stay focused from start to finish.
15
Taking Turns
L earning to take turns is a big part of “getting along.” It’s important

to allow all children to participate and feel part of the group.
Taking turns, which is a form of sharing, is a tough skill to master, and
you may experience frequent interruptions in a class meeting at first.
Here are strategies and gentle reminders to encourage this skill:
{ To give each child a chance
to share, let children use
the morning message to
sign up for sharing at the
morning meeting. For
example, on the Friday
message, provide spaces for
sharing for each day of the
following week (you might
include four lines for each
day). Children can sign up
for any day they like, if
space is available. A rule
that limits signing up to
one turn a week can help
make sure everyone has a
chance. This approach
gives children time to
prepare or rehearse their
shares, too.
{ When children interrupt a speaker, reinforce the desired behavior

with a friendly comment, such as “Whoops, it’s still Holly’s turn
to talk.”
Make a Wand
See page 37 for { Use a sharing “wand” (something suitably special) to encourage turn
easy-to-make taking. Pass the wand around the circle, allowing the child who is
pointers that can holding it to share. Children who are not holding the wand will
double as wands. know that they need to listen quietly.
{ Like a sharing wand, a small plush toy (such as a teddy bear) can
serve to indicate whose turn it is to talk. Children can pass the toy
around the circle, taking a turn to share when they are holding it.
16
Have a Ball
hese “happy face” balls help make
T sure that everyone has a chance to
share. They’re fun to hold, too, and
help relax children who might feel
nervous about speaking. With
permanent marker, color a happy face
on four small, soft balls. Let four
students each take a ball at morning
meeting and share a “happy note”
with the class. Children can talk
about something good that happened
during the week, like a goal at a
soccer game, a new book they read,
or someone special who visited. Keep
a checklist of who gets the ball each day to make sure Share Schedule
that everyone gets a turn to “have a ball.”
To simplify sharing at
Wendy Wise Borg morning meeting, send
RIDER UNIVERSITY home a schedule at the
LAWRENCEVILLE, NEW JERSEY beginning of the year.
Schedule each child to
share one day per week.
Giving children time to
Sharing on a Stick think ahead about their
shares encourages
o ensure that all children get a fair chance to share, try this tip. “quality” share
T Write each child’s name on one end of a craft stick. Let children material. Because the
decorate the other end of their stick. Put the sticks in a jar, decorated number of shares is
ends up. Each day, pull a number of sticks from the jar and invite those limited each day, this
children to share their news. Have these children then return their approach takes up less
sticks to the jar with the name end up. When all of the names are class time.
showing, turn the sticks over and begin again.
Charlotte Sassman
ALICE CARLSON APPLIED LEARNING CENTER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
17
Save It for Sharing
uess what? I taught my puppy how to sit!” “My tooth is loose!”
G “I read a book last night all by myself!” When children have
important news to share with you at the beginning of the day or at any
other time, invite them to save it for sharing time. This communicates
that their news is important and that you want them to have a special
place and time to share it, but limits interruptions to other parts of the
day. You might provide special notepaper for children to record their
news, so that they have a reminder when it’s time to share at the
meeting. Students will be excited to have something ready to go when
it’s their time to share.
Sue Lorey
GROVE AVENUE SCHOOL
BARRINGTON, ILLINOIS
In Summary . . . Ticket to Talk

If the class is having
ere’s a hands-on strategy that encourages children to give everyone
a discussion, choose
one or two students H a chance to contribute to discussions. Laminate slips of ticket-size
whose job it will be at paper with children’s names written on them. Place these along the
the end to summarize chalkboard tray or in another readily accessible place. Have children
the main things that pick up their “tickets” on the way to morning meeting. Explain that
have been said. each child now has a “ticket to talk.” During the meeting, as children
This helps to bring share thoughts, ideas, or feelings, they place their ticket in a red
everyone’s contributions container (red to indicate “stop,” no more sharing for that child today).
into focus and will help If circle time is up before everyone gets to talk, children place their
the group decide what unused tickets in a green container. These students are the first to “go”
to do next if the at the meeting the following day. Once all the tickets are in the red
discussion involves container, redistribute them and start over.
a problem-solving Janet Worthington-Samo
situation. ST. CLEMENT SCHOOL
JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA
18
Two Pennies for Your Thoughts
eachers at all levels know how hard it can be to have all children
T contribute to a discussion and to keep a few children from
dominating the talk. The following strategy helps to bring everyone
into the discussion and develops habits of listening, of thinking before
talking, and of giving everyone a chance to be heard.
1. As children gather for the morning meeting, have each take two
pennies from a jar.
2. When children make a contribution to the discussion, have them

drop one penny into the jar.
3. When both of a child’s pennies have been returned to the jar,

that child needs to let others who still have pennies have a turn.
Not all children may want to contribute, but the discussion is
continued until all pennies are in the jar or until all children
who wish to speak have had a chance.
Hi, Neighbor
hen it’s expected that there will be lots
W of discussion about a topic, try this
strategy to make sure everyone has a chance
to contribute and to keep the discussion
focused. Before the morning meeting
discussion begins, give children a few
moments to turn to their neighbor and have
a quick conversation about the topic. This
exercise offers everyone a chance to make a
comment quickly, and it lets children try out
an idea and clarify their thinking before they
share comments with the group.
19
Are You Listening?
ncourage listening skills with a strategy that is as silly as it is
E effective. Explain to students that at any time during the meeting,
they might hear you say “If you’re listening [wiggle your ear, scratch
your head, yawn, and so on].” Provide a listening prompt regularly the
first time you try it, eventually using just one prompt during a meeting.
When you slip in the prompt during part of morning meeting
(continuing on without a break) look to see how many students
respond. For added incentive, cut out the letters to spell “We Are
Listening.” Give the class a letter each time they all respond to the
Sample listening prompt. When the class collects all the letters, plan a special
Listening treat, such as extra recess. (Involve students in selecting the treat to
increase motivation.)
Prompts
If you’re listening . . .
• wiggle your ears
• scratch your head
• wave
Question Countdown
• yawn istening skills are part of the morning meeting from start to finish.
• make a funny face
• hold up a high five
L How effectively students listen has a lot to do with the meeting’s
success. Incorporate the listening skills strand of the language arts
• reach to the sky standards for oral language with this rewarding game:
• snap your fingers
1. Partway through the meeting (after the class news and student
shares), ask a series of ten questions about information that was
shared. For example, if Elly shared that she and her mom took
their cat to the vet for a vaccination, you might ask, “Who can
remember the word for what Elly’s cat needed?” (vaccination)
2. Keep a tally of the questions children answer correctly. At the end

of the ten questions, count up the number of questions students
answered correctly.
3. Set a class goal to answer more the next day, or if the class gets all
ten, set a goal to see how many days in a row they can repeat their
perfect score.
20
The Important Thing
o share effectively at the morning
T meeting, children need to speak so
On My
Own
X
Name
The Important
Date
Thing
everyone can hear them. They also The imp orta
nt thin g abo
ut
need to be selective in the details they

is
include in order to give listeners helpful 1.
information. To strengthen students’ 2.
Resources
3.
oral communication skills, try this
Scholastic Teaching
But the mos
t imp orta nt
thin g abo ut
The
Meeting
literature-based activity: is
Quick Tips! Morning

Important
.
1. Read aloud The Important Book, 23
Thing
by Margaret Wise Brown (Harper, page 23
1949). Follow up by sharing something
that is important to you. Use the book
as a model for your share:
“The important thing about ____________________________
is __________________________________________________.”
Include several details, ending with the most important one.
Variations
2. Invite students to use the book as a model when they share. They For children who are
can use the form on page 23 to help organize their ideas. Have shy about sharing,
them include several details about the event or object they are you might suggest
sharing, ending with the most important piece of information: including just one
“But the most important thing about _____________________ detail. Children who
is ___________________________________________________.” are more comfortable
speaking may wish
3. To extend the activity or for variations, invite students to use to include several
any of the following prompts as they organize information about important details.
their shares:
{ The funny thing about . . .
{ The interesting thing about . . .
{ The unusual thing about . . .
{ The surprising thing about . . .
21
Strrrrrrrretch!
t’s natural for children to have
I trouble sitting still for long periods
of time. In consideration of
this, include in your morning
meeting routine a group activity
that invites children to stretch.
Children will welcome this break,
and will be better able to
concentrate on the remaining
items on the agenda.
{ Fingerplays and action rhymes are a fun way to incorporate literacy-
building skills, simultaneously letting children move around a little
bit. “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” is a favorite, inviting children
to stand up and stretch as they touch the parts named in the song.
More Morning { Pantomime is a fun way to allow a movement break during a

Meeting Breaks meeting while encouraging creativity, expression, and confidence.
For a morning meeting “pantomime time,” ask children to stand.
Juba This and
Then give them a prompt to act out—for example, “You’ve just
Juba That, by Virginia
scored the winning goal in your soccer game!” “You’re cleaning
Tashjian (Little, Brown,
under your bed. What’s that awful smell?” “A light rain has just
1995), provides dozens
turned into a downpour and you don’t have an umbrella!”
of appealing activities
that invite children { A silly movement song is another great way to provide a refreshing
to stretch their break. Try Shake My Sillies Out: Raffi Songs to Read by Raffi (Crown,
bodies and voices. 1990). As children sing along, let them shake, jump, clap, and
“The Shopping Trip” wiggle their way around the circle until their “sillies” are out.
is a favorite.
Have a Laugh
haring a humorous moment is a great way to make a connection
S among children during the morning meeting. It also acts as a
refresher between morning meeting routines, encouraging children to
continue with fresh energy. To incorporate humor into the meeting,
try building in time for a joke break. Children often love telling jokes,
and they will enjoy rehearsing them at home with their families.
22
On My
Own
Name Date
X
The Important Thing
The important thing about
is
But the most important thing about
is .
23
Incorporating
Daily Routines
Into the Morning Meeting
C
hildren begin their day at home in all sorts of ways. Like
us, they are sometimes harried and hurried, and often
have to handle the unexpected (like finding a lost shoe,
missing the bus, or forgetting their lunch). The routine of a morning
meeting helps children restart their day on the right foot. Variations
in this routine will keep morning meetings fresh—so that children
continue to look forward to this important time together all year
long. This section features some fresh approaches to familiar
morning meeting routines, including greetings, attendance, lunch
count, announcements, daily news, and calendar time.
24
Greetings All Around
stablishing expectations for greeting one another in the classroom
E invites new friendships, encourages a cooperative atmosphere,
creates connections among students, and builds community. The
morning meeting is a place to make sure everyone has a chance to greet
and be greeted. Following are suggestions for keeping greetings going
strong from one morning meeting to the next:
{ Send a Smile: At first, young children may be more comfortable
sharing greetings with just a smile. Start by turning to the child
next to you and exchanging a smile. Have that child turn to the
next child and exchange a smile. Continue, until all children in the
circle have received and passed on a smile. As the year progresses,
children can add a verbal greeting, even a compliment. (Encourage
compliments about skills and behaviors, rather than appearance.)
{ Greetings Around the World:

Invite families or school staff
who speak a language other
than English to share greetings
in that language. Write the
greetings on sentence strips
and practice them with
children at the meeting.
To reinforce a greeting in
another language, invite
children to use it as their
morning meeting greeting for
a week. Substitute greetings in other
languages throughout the year.
{ Songs and Chants: Children really enjoy these greetings. Here’s a

favorite, accompanied by hand clapping and leg slapping:
We like [student’s name].

[Name] is our friend.
We like [name].
And here we go again!
(Repeat until everyone has been mentioned.)
25
A Hat Full of Hellos
ry this extension of
T Greetings Around
the World (page 25) to
introduce children to
more languages and
build geography skills.
1. Display a world
map on the
bulletin board
in the morning
meeting area.
2. Print stickers with

the word hello in
various languages, and the name of a country where that
language is spoken. Be sure to include any languages spoken
Review and by children’s families.
Reinforce 3. Place the stickers in a box decorated with flags from around the
Each morning, invite world or cutouts from a world map.
4. Each morning, have one student pick a sticker from the box. Help that
children to review the
stickers on the map
student locate the country where this greeting is spoken and place the
as you point to and
sticker on the map. Briefly discuss information about that country.
pronounce the
greetings with them. Lorraine Leo
JACKSON SCHOOL
NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS
Flashlight Lunch Count

unch is always an interesting topic at school, and discussions about it
L usually take place in the morning, as children check in and indicate
whether they’re having hot or cold lunch. Gather this information at
morning meeting to share some food fun with the entire class. A flashlight
adds to the appeal as children count off hot and cold lunch totals.
26
1. Assign two children to manage the lunch count each day. Place all
the items children will need in a basket at the morning meeting
area. Include lunch count forms, pencils, and a flashlight.
2. Have the first child ask: “Who is getting lunch on a tray?”

Children who are buying lunch at school stand, and the second
lunch count manager points the flashlight beam at the children in
turn as they count off 1, 2, 3, and so on. Once all children have
been counted, the first lunch count manager writes that total on
the form. This procedure gives children an authentic reason to
learn to count and write numerals. It’s also a great way to let Menu
children practice using tallies and graphing data. Mini-Lessons
3. After morning meeting, the lunch count managers take the Use the lunch menu
lunch count to the cafeteria (or other specified location) and for spontaneous
place the lunch card or ticket for each child in the designated spot mini-lessons. For
in the classroom. example, if corn bread
is on the menu, you
Charlotte Sassman
might teach other
words in the -ead
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
family, such as head,
thread, and read.
Students might
suggest other words—
Teaching With Attendance for example, said and
fed—that rhyme but
s a variation on taking attendance, try an approach that lets
A children share information in response to a prompt. It’s more fun,
don’t have the same
spelling pattern, which
and everyone will learn something in the process. presents another
1. Share a question to which you’d like students to respond. For mini-lesson opportunity.
example, if the class is studying oceans, the question might be
“What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned so far about
oceans?” Depending on the time available for this activity, you
might vary the question to invite brief answers. For example,
students can respond with just a word or two to the question
“What is the name of your favorite sea creature?”
2. As you call out each child’s name to take attendance, have the child
respond by answering the question, rather than by saying “here.”
27
Who’s Here?
hese flash cards get children involved in taking attendance, and
T reinforce word recognition in the process. Write each child’s name
on a large index card. Give children their cards and let them decorate
them. Tack the cards to a bulletin board near the morning meeting space.
As children gather for their morning meeting, have them take their name
cards and sit down. To take roll at morning meeting, have children hold
up their cards (helping others to learn to read and spell their names) and
say their names one at a time while you check them off on the class list.
Natalie Vaughan
PHOENIX SCHOOL
ENCINITAS, CALIFORNIA
Magnet Games
agnets with children’s names written on them can serve various
M purposes during a morning meeting. At the start of the daily
meeting, children can move their magnet from one area on a magnetic
white board (“Out”) to another (“In”), thus signaling their presence in
school each day. Expand on this routine with these skill-building games:
{ Daily Graph Game: Set up a graph each day on a magnetic white
More Magnet board. Place children’s names on the graph in such a way as to answer
Games a question—for example, “How many letters in your name?” Don’t
reveal how the names are graphed, but instead let children examine
Use the magnet the data to guess what the graph shows.
names for more class
graphs—for example, { Name Game: Let children take turns identifying something a
graphing favorites classmate’s name has in common with theirs. For example, James
(what’s your favorite might say his name is like Paola’s—they both have five letters.
picture book, breakfast Place those two names at the bottom of the magnet board, and let
food, and so on.), children continue. As fewer names are available for matching, children
number of letters in will have to get creative. For example, Shavani might say her name is
first and last names, like Danny’s—they both have a letter that appears two times.
number of
Natalie Vaughan
siblings, and so on.
PHOENIX SCHOOL
28
And Now for the Announcements
nclude this self-esteem–building extra in the “news and
I announcements” portion of the morning meeting: Announce
congratulations to students for various reasons—for example,
“Congratulations to Jordan for remembering his homework every day
this week!” “Congratulations to Sophie for tying her shoes all by
herself!” This is a good way to start the day with positive recognition
and can easily include more than one student.
Janice Reutter
EDMUNDS ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS
DES MOINES, IOWA Skill-Building
in the News
Weave skills into
the daily newspaper
News of the Day activity—for example,
exploring other words
reating a daily newspaper is an interesting
C
News of the
Day for said, learning to
way to address writing skills. An overhead Day
Month
Date
Year
mention yourself last
projector comes in handy, but chart paper Tod ay’s Ne
ws
We ath er
(“my sister and I” or

works, too.
“my sister and me”),
1. Make an overhead transparency of and using capital
Resourcesg
the newspaper template on page 33.

Scholastic Teachin
letters correctly (for

Morning Meeting
example, I not i).

2. Together, complete the date.
Quick Tips!
33
News of Use pens in contrasting
(Call attention to the spelling of the Day colors to draw
days and months and the placement page
33 children’s attention
of commas in dates.) to vowels, consonant
3. Complete the weather section, perhaps using blends, syllables, and
tricky spellings.
both words and pictures to report the weather.
The class can spell
4. Invite children to be reporters and share their own news items. high-frequency words
Record their comments under Today’s News, discussing conventions together and “report”
of writing, such as capitals and quotation marks. the news as a
choral reading.
Charlotte Sassman
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
29
Morning Message Reporters
ncorporate current events into the curriculum and sharpen students’
I ability to organize and present information with a morning meeting
news program. Assign groups of three students on a rotating basis to report
the news at the morning meeting. (Provide them with age-appropriate
news reports to choose from in advance of the meeting.) Have one
student cover sports, another weather, and a third local, national, or world
news. You may want to set up a “news station” for this part of the
meeting—providing desks and chairs (arranged to make a news desk), a
map, and a pointer. Consider videotaping some of the broadcasts to share
with parents during open house. Your local news reporters may even want
to get in on the excitement and show up as guest reporters.
Web Site Lorraine Leo

JACKSON SCHOOL
Suggestions NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS
For daily summaries of
events in history, check
the following Web sites:
Fact Monster: This Day in History
This Day in History
dd a history component to your morning meeting calendar routine
(www.factmonster.com/
cgi-bin/dayinhistory) A with an interactive time line.
The Library of { Make a simple time line, leaving room to write notations or draw
Congress: Today in pictures. Display the time line at children’s eye level in the morning
History meeting area. In advance of the meeting, find something that
(memory.loc.gov/ammem occurred on that day in history. Share and discuss the event with
/today/today.html) children. Invite a volunteer to find the correct place on the time
line to record the event. Have the volunteer record the date and
event and add a sentence or picture to tell more.
{ Use the event as a springboard for further learning. For example,

calculate how many years ago the event occurred. Discuss the
impact of an event on children today. Or, locate on a map where
the event took place.
Lorraine Leo
JACKSON SCHOOL
30
Calendar Bears
xpand on calendar math connections
E with bears that children can use to
Calendar Bear
s
make discoveries about numbers and

patterns. Make multiple photocopies of
the bear patterns on page 34. Use them
to incorporate any of the following
Resources
calendar activities into the morning
Scholastic Teaching
Meeting
meeting. Rotate the activity each Calendar
Quick Tips! Morning

Bears
34
month to focus on different number

concepts and patterns. page 34
{ To reinforce the concept of odd and even
numbers, and the pattern those numbers create on a
calendar, have children color 16 bears one color and 16 bears
another color. On day one, have them choose a bear in either
color, and place it on the corresponding calendar square. Have them
place a bear in the second color on day two. Continue in this way,
alternating colors each day of the month. Invite children to describe
the emerging pattern (for example, it looks like a checkerboard).
{ Ask children to guess what pattern they might see if they place
bears on the first and last days of each week. (Two vertical lines will
form.) Will the lines be the same size? Why? When the calendar is
complete, let children make a prediction about the following
month. Will the lines for that month be in the same places and the
same size as the previous month?
{ Use the bears to count by twos (fives or tens) on the class calendar.
Can students guess how many bears they will need for each?
{ To reinforce different ways to represent the same number, write a

number sentence on each bear to represent one of the dates on the
calendar (one date per bear). For example, to represent the tenth
day of a month, you could write 4 + 6 or 12 – 2. Display the bears in
random order around the calendar. Each day, challenge children to
find the bear that matches the date. Place that bear on the calendar
on the corresponding square. If you want to include weekend days,
let children search for the correct bears at the meeting on the
Monday following each weekend.
31
Daily Temperature
ooking at the weather along with the
L calendar is often part of a morning
On My
Own
X
Name
Daily Temper
Date
meeting routine. Here’s an approach that ature
invites children to analyze information

and make connections from one day to
Da y
the next. Da te
Resources
1. If possible, place a thermometer
Te mp era tur
g
Scholastic Teachin
e
Morning Meeting
outside a classroom window in a
Daily
Quick Tips!
location students can easily see. Temperature
35
page 35
2. Have someone read the
Extension thermometer each day (children
Activities might sign up on the calendar) and record the day,
Other activities date, and temperature on a copy of page 35. Show children how to
related to tracking record the temperature on the line provided, and to color in the
the temperature over thermometer with red to show the correct temperature.
3. Display the record sheets in order from day to day, using them to
time include:
{ Finding the average note changes and patterns in temperature. Use sentence
temperature for a completion to build vocabulary—for example, “Today is ________
week or a month than yesterday.” or “Yesterday was ________ than today.”
(and comparing it
4. Use the data to create a temperature graph each month. As the
to other weeks months go by, compare graphs. At the end of the year, compile all
and months). the months into one graph and look at the patterns.
{ Finding the highs Natalie Vaughan

PHOENIX SCHOOL
and lows (or the
range) over a
period of time,
and finding the
mode—the
temperature
that occurs
most often.
32
News of the Day
Day Month Date Year
Weather
Today ’s News
Scholastic Teaching Resources
Quick Tips! Morning Meeting
33
Calendar Bears
34
On My
Own
Name Date
X
Daily Temperature
Day
Date
Temperature
35
Building Literacy
With the Morning Meeting
“
G
ood Morning!” A short greeting such as this is big on
building communication skills. As children greet one
another at the morning meeting, they learn to make eye
contact, develop confidence in speaking, strengthen listening skills,
and learn conventions of language. Other morning meeting activities
offer equally effective opportunities for building literacy skills. For
example, the same morning message that children look forward to
reading when they come to class each day is a wonderful tool for
teaching everything from phonological awareness to sight word
vocabulary and sentence structure. Word-of-the-day exercises, daily
news reports, literature-based activities, and language games offer more
opportunities to enhance literacy skills with the morning meeting.
36
Playful Pointers
ointers can enhance a morning message lesson. Use the pointer
P to read the message and demonstrate left-to-right sweep (and
return) as you read. Point out letters, words, spaces between words,
punctuation, and more. A plain pointer will work just fine, but a
playful one is even better. Try these:
{ Give Me a Hand: Children can’t keep their hands out of
those giant foam hands. Keep one handy to use as a pointer
for reading charts. Let children slip it on to point out target words
or letters in mini-lessons.
{ Got It! Cut a piece of

sturdy paper the same
size as a flyswatter More Playful
screen. Glue it to the Pointers
flyswatter. Cut a window Pointers are fun to
in the center. Decorate make. You can purchase
the area around the playful pointers, too,
window with tiny toy from Crystal Springs
flies. Children can use Books. Check out the
this pointer to “swat” glove pointer with the
target letters and words. fancy ringed fingers!
(800-321-0401; www.
{ Pointing Finger: Find
crystalsprings.com)
the fanciest gloves you
can (check thrift
stores)—the longer, the better. Decorate the index finger of each
glove in different ways—for example, cover one in glitter. Sew a
face on another. Let children slip on a glove to point out words and
letters on a chart.
{ Magician’s Wand: Abracadabra! A magician’s wand adds instant

enchantment to a morning message lesson. Let students use it to
dazzle their classmates with their word-finding abilities. To make a
wand, paint a dowel black and add a white tip. For extra appeal,
supply a cape and hat to complete the act.
37
Who Can Find . . .?
honological awareness
P is essential for reading
success. This awareness
includes the ability to
recognize discrete sounds
in a word, words within
sentences, rhyming patterns,
and beginning and ending
sounds. The morning
message provides endless
opportunities for teaching
these skills in a meaningful
context. As part of the
morning meeting, read the
message aloud with students.
Then ask a question that
targets a specific literacy
skill. Let children take turns using a pointer to highlight
corresponding letters or words. For example, ask, “Who can find . . .
{ . . . a word that begins with the same sound as the beginning of

your first [last] name?”
{ . . . a word that starts with [specify sound]?”
{ . . . a word that rhymes with [fill in word]?”
{ . . . a word that has the same ending sound as [fill in word]?”
{ . . . a sentence that has [fill in number] words?”
{ . . . a word that has [fill in number] beats or syllables?”
{ . . . the word [specify] inside a bigger word?”
{ . . . a word that ends with [specify sound]?”
38
What’s Missing?
or a morning meeting mini-lesson that reinforces spelling,
F phonics, and other literacy skills, try this approach. Leave blanks
in the morning message for parts of words or whole words. For example,
you might leave blanks in place of vowels to focus attention on sound-
spelling relationships for those letters. Or you might leave blanks to
fill in for any of the following:
{ beginning consonants { plurals
{ ending consonants { apostrophes
{ blends { punctuation
{ silent letters { capital letters
{ endings, such as -er or -ing { phonograms
At the morning meeting, discuss ideas for completing the blanks. Follow
up with a mini-lesson and writing practice on the particular focus.
Spelling Stars
se morning messages to generate spelling words for a morning
U meeting mini-lesson. You’ll find out what students already know
about spelling rules, and you can use some of their words for the week’s
spelling list.
1. Include a prompt in the message that asks children to record a
word that fits a selected criterion—for example:
{ Write a word that you think ends in -y.
{ Write a word that you think ends in -ing.
{ Write a word that you think has the same ending sound as the
last four letters of vacation.
39
{ Write a word that you think has the letter i followed by e.
{ Write a word that you think ends in a silent e.
2. Draw star shapes beneath the message for students to record their
words. Glitter pens add to the appeal of this exercise.
3. At the morning meeting, teach a mini-lesson that introduces the

spelling rule. Review the words students suggested and make
corrections as needed.
More on
Morning 4. Invite children to look for and share new words around the room
Message that fit the rule.
For more information

on teaching with the
morning message, try
these resources: What’s the Missing Word?
Getting the Most Out
issing words in the morning message provide opportunities for a
of Morning Message
and Other Shared M morning meeting focus on sight words, context clues, features of
Writing Lessons words, and more.
by Carleen DaCruz 1. Choose a word in the morning message to leave blank (each time
Payne and Mary it is used)—for example, the sight word of.
Browning Schulman
(Scholastic, 1998) 2. Outline the shape of the word in a color that is different from the
rest of the morning message. Do this each time the word is used
Quick Tips: Morning
(but leave the actual word out of the message).
Message by Anne
Adams, Diane Farnham, 3. As children read the message in the morning, let them talk with
Carol McQuillan, and each other about what the word might be.
Donna Peabody
(Scholastic, 2003) 4. Read aloud the message at the morning meeting, and invite
children to share their guesses about the missing word as well as
their reasoning. Reveal the correct word.
5. Take a closer look at the target word in a mini-lesson—for

example, noticing features of the word (such as the number of
letters, the shapes of letters, spelling patterns, and small words
within the word).
40
Buzz!
hildren can have a lot of fun with games that help them learn to
C recognize the shape and sound of letters of the alphabet. One game
that gets the whole class involved is Buzz! Begin by introducing a
“letter of the week” to the class and going over its shape and sound. Say
some words that begin with the target letter, and have children repeat
each word. Slip in a word that begins with a different letter. When
children hear this word, they say “Buzz!” A variation is to write a list of
words on chart paper, with all but one starting with the same letter.
Children say each word together until they come to the one that starts
with a different letter, and then together call out “Buzz!”
Donna Mydlowski
LAKEVIEW CHILD CENTER
HAMILTON, NEW JERSEY
Mystery Word Game Reinforcing

t’s a lot of fun—and a great way to exercise critical thinking—for Word
I students to figure out a mystery word. On chart paper, write several Recognition
related sentences. Make a word in one of the sentences a “mystery
As a follow-up to
word.” Cover up this word with overlapping sticky notes (which will
mystery word activities,
later be removed one at a time to reveal the word bit by bit). The
let children practice
mystery word might be a theme word from a current or upcoming topic,
writing the word with
or it might be a word that demonstrates a specific phonics focus—for
glitter pens or in fancy
example, happiest (to teach rules for adding endings). Have children
fonts on the computer.
read the sentences and use context clues to identify the word, silently
Challenge them to find
jotting down their guesses. Once everyone has had a chance to write a
the word in print around
guess, let students share their words without arriving at any conclusion.
the room. These sorts
Then peel away the sticky notes one at a time. Students can refine
of activities will
their guesses until the last sticky note has been removed.
reinforce word
Lori Vig recognition and spelling.
VARNUM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS
41
Little Word Finders
eaching children to notice little words within larger words can help
T them read and spell new words. Let children take turns at the
morning message finding and highlighting little words in large words.
For example, in the greeting “Dear Children,” students will see ear in
dear and child in children. Among the little words children highlight,
look for words that present opportunities for further exploration. For
example, if the morning message contains compound words, guide
students to see that the big word is made up of two words. Brainstorm
other compound words and discuss how their meaning relates to the
two smaller words. Or build mini-lessons around phonograms—for
example, using the word day in today to teach the -ay word family.
A Movement
Twist
For a variation on Say
Say It, Sing It
It, Sing It, write sight his musical game gives children a quick break during the morning
words on the cards (or
other vocabulary you
T meeting, and teaches letter recognition and oral language skills at
the same time.
1. Write each letter of the alphabet on an index card. Write “Sing
want children to learn).
Instead of extra cards
the ABCs!” on a couple of additional cards. (For younger children,
that instruct students
include a graphic on these cards, such as music notes.) Shuffle and
to sing the ABCs, write
stack the cards.
a fun movement word
on a few cards— 2. Gather children in a circle. Take the first card from the stack, hold
for example, “Twist!” it up, and say the letter (the sound, too, if children are ready). If
Each time a child gets you select a “Sing the ABCs!” card, everyone sings the alphabet
this card, everyone song together.
jumps up, does the
twist, and then sits 3. Pass the stack of cards to the child next to you, and have that
down to continue child repeat the process. Each time the ABC card is selected,
playing. everyone joins in on the singing.
42
What Does the Survey Say?
urveys make fun morning meeting activities and combine literacy
S and math in meaningful ways. As part of the morning message,
invite children to respond to a survey question. Review the data at the
morning meeting, and use it to generate a table or graph. Let children
take turns communicating something the graphic organizer shows.
Following are sample survey questions:
{ Which book would you like to read

today? Sign your name under the title.
(List book titles beneath the message.)
{ How many buttons on your clothes today?

Use a tally mark to record your answer.
(Chart numbers starting with 0 below
the message.)
{ Which animal would you like to research?

Write your name next to the picture.
(Paste pictures of various animals beneath
the message.)
{ Which day of the week do you like best?

Make a tally mark in the correct column.
(Chart the days of the week beneath the message.)
{ What is your favorite time of the school day? Write your name
under that clock. (Draw pictures of clocks to represent different
parts of the school day, such as literacy, lunch, recess, and library.)
{ Which topic would you like our class to study next? Make a tally
mark under that topic. (Write topic ideas in chart form beneath the
message. Include “Other” to invite students’ ideas.)
{ Which letter does your name start with? Sign your name under the
letter. (Chart letters of the alphabet.)
43
Matching Mittens
lay a morning meeting
P matching game that helps On My
Own
X
Matching Mitten
Scholastic Teaching
s
Resources
Meeting
Quick Tips! Morning
children learn uppercase and

lowercase letters.
1. Using the patterns on page
50
50, make 26 pairs of paper
mittens—one for each
Matching
letter. Write an uppercase Mittens
letter on one mitten, and the
Making the corresponding lowercase letter on
page 50
Mittens the other. Cut out the mittens.

It’s easier to sort the
playing pieces when the 2. Pass the uppercase mittens around the
game is over if the circle and have each child take one.
uppercase mittens are
3. Place mittens with the lowercase letters in the center of the circle.
written in one color
and the lowercase 4. Let children take turns matching their mitten with one in the
mittens in another. center of the circle and saying a word that starts with that letter.
Donna Mydlowski
LAKEVIEW CHILD CENTER
HAMILTON, NEW JERSEY
Story Shares
haring is a favorite part of morning meeting for many students. On
S Fridays, try a twist on the usual routine. As a special share, invite
students to present short book talks. Have them include the title and
author/illustrator, what the story is about (focus on main idea), and if
they would recommend the book and why. Post a story share schedule
(for example, letting three students sign up for each Friday meeting).
Students can write their book talks ahead of time so that they are
prepared when it’s their turn to share.
Janice Reutter
DES MOINES, IOWA
44
The Name Game
his game lets children play with letter sounds and language as it
T reinforces the spelling of names. Each morning, choose a child
whose name will be used to play the Name Game. (This could be the
helper, or a name pulled out of a hat.) Write the child’s name on the
chalkboard or chart paper. Then write it again, leaving off the first
letter(s). For example:
Jessica
__ essica
Now write the remaining letters in the child’s name several times
beneath this, leaving a space at the beginning each time to write in a
new first letter for the name. Let children take turns adding different
consonants to the name to create new and silly names—for example:
Z essica
T essica
Y essica
S essica
After coming up with five or six different names, compose and chant
this name poem for the child:
My name is ____________.
Not ____________.
Not ____________.
Not ____________.
Not ____________.
I am ____________!
Kimberly Streff
VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
VALLEY, NEBRASKA
45
Book Frenzy!
his lively activity adds a literature component to the morning
T meeting, as children share a favorite book with their classmates—
without any talking!
1. Ask children to bring a favorite book to a morning meeting.
(This might be a book from the classroom or school library.)
2. As a break between meeting routines, give children a chance to

share their books with one another. To begin, call out “Book
Frenzy!” and have children pass their book to the child on the left.
Give children time for a quick look at the book, then call out
“Book Frenzy!” again.
3. Continue, until the books have made it all the way around the
circle. Children won’t have time to read the books, or even look at
all the pages. But they will have time to see just enough to make
them want to pick up one of the books later on.
Connie Leuenberger
EDGARTOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
EDGARTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS
How Many Ways?

ncourage expressive language skills and critical thinking with a
Writing E literacy game that invites children to find as many ways as they can
Extension to describe an object in the classroom.
Guide students to 1. Invite a volunteer to choose an object in the classroom. Ask:

make connections “How many different ways do you think we can find to describe
between this activity this object?” Let children share their guesses.
and their writing to
2. Have students go around the circle, taking turns sharing one way
encourage the use of
to describe the object. Record each suggestion.
descriptive language.
3. Make it a goal to go at least once around the circle, and keep
going if students do not run out of ideas. They’ll be surprised at
just how descriptive they can be!
46
Vocabulary Roundup On My
Own
X
Name
Date
ere’s a morning meeting routine that builds word

H
Vocabulary Ro
undup
Word of
recognition and vocabulary skills from week to week: the Day Wri te It
Dra w It
Use It
1. Write a “word of the day” on the easel or chalkboard.
51
Each morning, have a volunteer read the word, point out
any special features (such as double letters), tell what it
means, and use it in a sentence. Scholastic Teaching
Resources
Meeting
Quick Tips! Morning
Vocabulary
2. Record the definition and sentence with the word, along with the Roundup
page 51
child’s name. Revisit each word at the end of the week for a
vocabulary roundup. This time, write sentences on the chalkboard
but leave blanks for the vocabulary words. Let children complete
them with the correct words.
3. To reinforce vocabulary, give each child a copy of page 51. (Fill in

the first column prior to photocopying.) Have children complete the
chart as follows: For “Write It ” have them copy the word and
highlight any special features. For “Draw It” have them make a
picture that represents the meaning. For “Use It” have them use the
word in a sentence.
Natalie Vaughan
PHOENIX SCHOOL
ENCINITAS, CALIFORNIA The Daily
Buzzword
You can subscribe to a
word of the day at
What’s the Word? The Daily Buzzword:
uild vocabulary with a twist on “word of the day.” Start by putting www.wordcentral.com
B together a bank of words (see Tip, right). Introduce a new word For each word, you’ll
find the part of speech,
each day at the morning meeting. Write it on chart paper, discuss its
meaning, use it in a sentence, and invite children to use it in their own definition, usage, and
sentences. Then challenge children to use the word during the day in synonyms.
their conversations and in their writing. When you hear someone use
the word, mention it and recognize the child who used it.
Janice Reutter
DES MOINES, IOWA
47
Class Suggestion Box
orning meeting is a great time for students to share concerns,
M but many students are uneasy about speaking up in a group about
things that are bothering them. A class feedback box lets students share
this kind of information in a way that is more comfortable, gives them
a reason to write about topics and ideas that are real and relevant, and
encourages them to think over what they’d really like to say.
A Caring 1. Cover a shoe box with decorative paper. Tape the lid to the box and
cut a slit in it. Label the box and place it in an accessible place. Add
Community a container of fun writing instruments and a pad of paper.
The class suggestion
box can help encourage 2. Introduce the box to students, explaining that you are interested
an atmosphere in in getting feedback about the class. Ask what kinds of things
which students feel students think you might want to know about. Topics such as
comfortable sharing homework, tests, pace of lessons, and social conflicts will likely
successes and emerge. Explain that you would like to hear about things that
concerns. For more students feel are working well, as well as things they are concerned
practical ways to make or unhappy about.
this happen, see Creating
a Caring Community,
3. Invite students to write about their comments and concerns and
place them in the box. Notes do not have to be signed but can be,
by Nancy Letts
especially if students want the teacher to get in touch with them
(Scholastic, 1997).
privately about the issue.
4. At morning meeting, select a few notes from the box and share them
(without revealing names). Invite students to respond. (Prior to this,
you may want to model responses that reflect a caring community.)
Natalie Vaughan
PHOENIX SCHOOL
48
Good Job!
Good Job! Word:
tart the week with a Monday morning

S
Good job! Tha
t’s terrific! What it mea
Just super! ns:
Really grea
I know mor t.
e ways to say
I think you’re
routine that builds vocabulary and first rate! When I mig

ht say it:
Name
self-esteem. 1
1. Stock a box with positive words Word:
What it mea
Word:
52
ns:
Resources page
What it mea
written on index cards—for example, When I mig

ns:
g
ht say
Scholastic Teachin
it:
When I mig
ht say it:
superb, marvelous, outstanding,
Morning Meeting
3
sensational, and extraordinary. (Try Good Job!
Quick Tips!
4
for alternatives to the more familiar page

good, great, nice job, and so on.) 52
Students will enjoy helping to come
up with these words and phrases.
2. At Monday’s morning meeting,

let a student draw a word from
the box and read it aloud. Discuss
the meaning and invite students Good Job! Word:
to suggest reasons for using such Good job! Th
at s
’ terrific!
t. What
Really grea it means:
a word. Just super! y
e w ays to sa
I know m or
!
re first rate
3. Write the word on the chalkboard
I think you’
When I mig
ht sa y it:
(leave it for the week) and
encourage students to use it Name
1
to compliment each other.

2
4. As a follow-up, let children use page 52

to make their own thesaurus that
features favorite ways to say “Nice job!”
Have them cut apart the pages, stack
them in order, and staple to bind. Read Word:
Word:
the rhyme on page 1 together. Then let What it mea
ns:
52
What it mea
children complete pages 2–4 with
Resources p
ns:
synonyms, definitions, and examples of When I mig

ht say it:
ching
Scholastic Tea
when they might use those words. When I mig

ht say it:
eting
Morning Me
3
Quick Tips!
49
On My
Own
X
Matching Mittens
50
On My
Own
X
Word of
the Day
Name
Vocabulary Roundup
Write It
Draw It
Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date
Use It
Quick Tips! Morning Meeting
51
Word:
Good Job!
What it means:
Good job! That’s terrific!
Just super! Really great.
I know more ways to say
When I might say it:
I think you’re first rate!
Name
1 2
Word: Word:
What it means: What it means:
page 52
When I might say it: When I might say it:
3 4

Encouraging Community
With the Morning Meeting
B
uilding a class community in which children cooperate,
collaborate, share, problem solve, and appreciate one
another’s unique contributions is crucial to a successful
school year. Morning meeting offers a special opportunity to
encourage these behaviors. As children participate in group
activities, games, and discussions, they not only learn to have fun
together but also begin to build a better understanding of their
classmates, and a regard for what everyone brings to the classroom.
These community-building experiences also lay the groundwork for
success in the academic arena. As children leave the morning
meeting feeling connected to their classmates and teacher, they
possess the confidence that comes from belonging to a group and a
self-reliance that bolsters them throughout their day.
53
Morning Meeting Flag Display
ncourage children to think about what is important in their class
E by making a class flag to decorate the meeting area. Introduce the
activity at a morning meeting, inviting students to share what is
important about their class. Record ideas on chart paper, and discuss
how they could be represented on a flag. Have students work together
to make the flag. Display it in a prominent spot in the meeting area.
Investigate Natalie Vaughan

PHOENIX SCHOOL
Flags ENCINITAS, CALIFORNIA
As students learn
about the American
flag in I Pledge
Allegiance, by Bill
Martin and Michael
What Do You Know About . . .?
Sampson (Candlewick his game is a great way for children to get to know one another at
Press, 2002), they will
be inspired to think
T the start of the year, but it’s fun to play any time to learn more
about classmates and build a sense of belonging.
about what their class
flag will stand for. For 1. Let children take a few minutes during (or before) the morning
more information about meeting to ask each other a couple of questions—for example,
the American flag, go “What’s your favorite cereal?” and “What job would you most like
to www.usflag.org. to have?” (They don’t have to ask each other the same questions.)
2. After children have had time to exchange information, ask the

group “What do you know about [student’s name]?” Let children
take turns responding. Repeat the question for a new child, and
continue in this way until students have shared a little bit of
information about everyone.
Connie Leuenberger
54
Getting to Know You
o assist children in getting to know one
T another, plan for regular morning meeting
Getting to Know
You
interview sessions between partners.

If you coul d
do
anyt hing you
wan ted Wha t is your
on a Satu rday favo rite
morn ing, time of the
wha t wou ld scho ol
it be? day and why
1. Photocopy the set of interview starter

?
Wha t do you
like mos t abo Wha t do you
ut
your frien ds? think your frien
questions on pages 60–61. (Use the blank like mos t abo ds

ut you?
cards to add your own.) Read them to Wha t do you

like best abo
[cur rent seas
ut
on]?
Who do you
wou ld mak e
think
a goo d
Resources
pres iden t?
Why ?
children. Then cut apart the questions
Scholastic Teaching
If you coul d
Getting
have
any job whe
n you’
grow n-up , wha re a Wha t thre e
and place them in a bag. thing s
Meeting
t job do you like
wou ld you choo mos t
se? abo ut our clas
to Know You
Quick Tips! Morning

s?
60
2. Brainstorm additional interview questions pages

60–61
children might ask to learn more about one
another. Write these questions on the blank cards
or slips of paper and add them to the bag.
3. Ask children to turn and face a neighbor at the morning meeting.

Select and read aloud a question from the bag. Let children use it
to interview their partners.
4. Have children introduce their partners to the class and share what
they have learned.
Problem Solvers
ere’s an approach to handling problems that invites children to use
H written and oral communication to help find a solution. Set up a
“problem notebook” for children to write in during the day when
problems arise that they are unable to solve on their own. Bring the
notebook to the next day’s morning meeting and use the entries as
discussion starters. Encourage students to problem solve together for
each situation. Note the group’s solutions in the margin next to each
problem so that students can revisit their ideas if necessary.
Natalie Vaughan
PHOENIX SCHOOL
55
Morning Message Discussion Starters
sk a question in the morning message to pave the way for lively
A morning meeting discussions that encourage children to respect
different opinions and perspectives.
1. Include a question in the morning message that invites children to
think about something—for example, you might ask “Do you think
children should be allowed to wear hats in school?” or “How much
homework do you think is the right amount for children your age?”
Questions might also connect with a topic of study, a current
event, or a classroom problem.
2. Have children record a response below the message.

3. At the morning meeting, reread the question and discuss responses.
Guess Who?
ith this game, children get to show what they know about
W their classmates.
1. On a slip of paper, ask students to write their name and something
about themselves that their classmates probably wouldn’t know.
Have them fold the paper and place it in a hat.
2. At the morning meeting, pull a slip from the hat and read it aloud
(without sharing the name).
3. Let children take turns guessing to whom the comment belongs.

You might put a limit on the number of guesses before the child
who wrote the comment is invited to reveal the answer. Continue
with all the slips of papers.
Natalie Vaughan
PHOENIX SCHOOL
56
Catch and Tell
colorful beach ball invites children to share something about
A themselves with this community-building morning meeting activity.
1. Place strips of masking tape along the stripes of a beach ball. On
each piece of tape, write a question that children can answer to
tell something about themselves—for example, “What is your
favorite book?”
2. Toss the ball to the first child, and let that child answer the
question that is under or closest to either hand. This child tosses
the ball to a classmate, who chooses a question to answer under
either hand. Children continue until everyone has caught the ball
and shared an answer. Keep the
Compliments
Coming
Extend the Compliment
Compliment Circle Circle by letting children
do a body tracing of
iving and accepting compliments is a helpful skill to learn. This
G
themselves. Children
activity gives each child an opportunity to share a compliment can decorate the
with another child, and accept one, too. tracings to look like
1. Begin by modeling plenty of compliments, focusing on specific themselves, leaving
plenty of room for
behaviors and skills rather than more generic praise or appearance.
classmates to write
2. When children are ready to pass a compliment around the circle, compliments. If your
let them choose a name at random from a hat. class has a “student of
the week,” this can be
3. Give them a few minutes to think about what they want to say. done each week just for
Then let them go around the circle, sharing their compliments that person instead of
with the classmate they chose. for everyone at once.
4. Recipients can practice acknowledging the compliments—for

example, with a smile and a “thank you.” Record compliments on
chart paper to focus children’s attention on those behaviors and
improve the class climate. Display the compliment chart all year
to keep these positive comments fresh in children’s minds.
Natalie Vaughan
PHOENIX SCHOOL
57
The Detective
his game is good for problem-solving skills such as observation,
T sorting through facts to gather relevant information, and deciding
when there is enough useful information to reach a conclusion.
Randomly choose a child to be the detective. The detective leaves the
room while you choose the mystery person. The detective returns and
starts asking questions that can be answered only with a “yes” or “no.”
Rather than encourage questions about physical features, have the
detective focus on questions about things the child may be good at or
like—for example, “Does the mystery person like playing on the swings
at recess?” The detective continues around the circle asking questions
until the mystery person is correctly identified.
Lyn MacBruce
RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
RANDOLPH, VERMONT
Mystery Object
It’s a Mystery!
Ideas his simple but challenging game reinforces habits of listening,
Some intriguing
T remembering, and connecting various pieces of information. It also
helps students learn to work together to solve a problem.
objects to try are
• toy car 1. Model the game by placing a mystery object in a bag. (Placing it
• marshmallow in a sock is fun, too.) Pass the closed bag around the circle. Let
• key children take turns exploring the object without looking in the
• eraser bag, and asking yes and no questions about the object’s attributes.
• watch Encourage children to listen carefully to one another’s questions
• clothespin and your responses, and to use them to formulate new questions.
• screw
• roll of tape 2. Go around the circle a second time, letting each child guess the
• bottle cap object before revealing it.
3. Let children take over selecting the mystery object for other
meetings. (You can post a sign-up sheet to make sure everyone
gets a chance.)
58
A Little Bird Told Me
ne of the useful functions of morning meeting is to build students’
O self-esteem. There are many ways to do this, including making a
bird a member of the class! Make or purchase a bird puppet. Place the
bird in a spot where it can “see” students during the day. The following
day during morning circle, help the bird fly on over to the meeting,
stopping to land in front of a child whose behavior the previous day
was notably good. Have the bird chirp a compliment in your ear.
Then share the message with the child. This daily routine helps build
self-esteem and keeps everyone on their best behavior with the hopes
that they will be complimented by the class’s feathered friend.
Judy Wetzel
BULL RUN ELEMENTARY
CENTREVILLE, VIRGINIA
Connect All
lay this game often to strengthen children’s creative thinking skills
P and their ability to make connections. By the end of the game,
children will discover how much they have in common, as they make
connections from one child to the next based on one common thread.
1. Start by making a statement about yourself—for example, “I had
fun playing basketball with my son yesterday.”
2. Have the child next to you make a statement about him- or

herself, making a connection to something in your statement—
for example, “My sister is on her school’s basketball team.”
3. Have the next child make a connection to the last statement—for

example, “I have a new baby sister.” Continue around the circle in
this way, until each child has made a connection to a statement.
Encourage children to be creative if they get stuck. For example, a
connection to the last statement might have been “When I was a
baby, I lived in a different state.”
59
Getting to Know You
If you could do
What is your favorite
anything you wanted
time of the school
on a Saturday morning,
day and why?
what would it be?
What do you What do you

like most about think your friends
your friends? like most about you?
What do you Who do you think

like best about would make a good
[current season]? president? Why?
If you could have

What three things
any job when you’re a
do you like most
grown-up, what job
about our class?
would you choose?
60
Getting to Know You
If you could play the part
Where is your favorite in a play (or movie) of
place to spend time? any storybook character,
who would it be? Why?
What is one way you

How do you feel
would like to make a
about [subject]?
difference in the world?
What is one thing

What are three things
you’re good at that
you’ve accomplished
you could help someone
this year?
in our class with?
61
Enhancing
the Morning Meeting With
Songs, Ch ants, and Poems
Children’s
Choice
Copy the words to
songs, chants, and
poems on a flip chart.
Each day, invite a child
to choose one to share
at the meeting
C
hildren are drawn to music, rhythm, and movement.
(one that’s been
They’re natural hand-clappers, finger-snappers, and
introduced already).
Use a pointer with toe-tappers. Songs, chants, and poems appeal to children
young children to for this reason. When shared on charts at the morning meeting, they
encourage connections help children make meaningful links between oral and written
between oral and
written language and to
language. Many songs, chants, and poems are short, making them
develop left-to-right easy for children to learn and recite on their own. Songs, chants,
sweep and return and poems often rhyme as well, making them splendid tools for
in reading. teaching word families and other skills. But most of all, songs,
chants, and poems are fun. They promote a playful approach to
language and literacy, building stronger readers and writers. Try the
activities and ideas in this section to enhance the use of songs,
chants, and poems at the morning meeting and to make connections
to the many ways children learn.
62
Do Your Ears Hang Low?
his lively sing-along is always a favorite. Invite children to act out
T the words as they sing. Revisit the song throughout the year,
changing some of the words to make new verses.
1. Write the words to “Do Your Ears Hang Low?” on a chart:
Do your ears hang low?

Do they wobble to and fro?
Can you tie them in a knot?
Can you tie them in a bow?
Can you throw them over your shoulder
Like a Continental soldier;
Do your ears hang low?
2. Sing the song with children, adding movement as suggested by

the words.
Silly Songs
3. Invite children to suggest new parts of their body to sing about—
for example, head, legs, knees, or ankles. Write the new words on Look for other short,
sticky notes and place them over the word ears in both places. fun songs to share at
(Make other changes as necessary—for example, changing do, they, morning meeting.
and them to does and it when replacing ears with a singular noun.) Do Your Ears Hang Low
Sing the song again and again to try out all variations. and Other Silly Songs
(Scholastic, 1995)
features the words to
nine fun sing-along
songs, all good choices
Instant Alphabet Sing-Alongs for morning meeting
song charts.
hen children know the names and shapes of letters and the
W sounds they represent, they can more easily make the sound-
spelling relationships that lead to fluency in reading. With one simple
tune, you can create a song to strengthen alphabet recognition for each
letter. Younger children will enjoy making up the songs to learn each
letter, and older children will have fun creating songs to share with a
kindergarten or first-grade class, making for an unforgettable
collaborative morning meeting activity either way!
63
1. Sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” with children. With this tune
in mind, ask children to think about singing a song about the
letter a (or any other target letter). Invite them to suggest words
that start with that letter, and write them on chart paper.
2. Continue until there are enough words to sing to the tune of

“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Try it out, and reposition the
words as necessary to fine-tune the song. Here’s a sample song for
the letter c:
Especially for
PreK–Grade 1 Caterpillars, cocoons, cars,
ABC Sing-Along Cookies, cobwebs, cupcakes, clouds,
Flip Chart and Tape
Crayons, cactus, crocodiles,
(Scholastic, 2000)
includes 26 skill- Countries, castles, candies, cows,
building songs set to Corners, carrots, coconuts,
favorite tunes, such as Cousins, colors, crickets, cats.
“Down by the Station”
and “Ta Ra Ra Boom
De Ay.”
Sing It Loud, Sing It Soft

ut a playful twist on the songs, chants, and poems children sing and
P recite at morning meeting with these variations. Invite children to
think of other ideas. Write them all on slips of paper, and select one at
random every now and then to try something different.
{ Sing a song two times—once in loud voices, once in whispers.
{ Sing a song three times—once at the regular pace, once very fast,
once very slow.
{ Use classroom objects, such as pencils, as percussion instruments

to highlight the rhythm of a poem or song.
{ Arrange for an “orchestra” to accompany students as they sing. Stock

a box with various things, such as sandpaper, plain paper, cardboard
tubes, a box of paper clips, a binder, and sneakers. Let each child take
something. Give children a chance to practice making a sound with
their object. Then have students play along as they sing.
64
Toot! Toot!
hildren love chanting this old favorite. With just four short lines,
C it’s easy to memorize, and it offers a surprising number of
opportunities for phonics mini-lessons—from vowel sounds to word
families. Look for similarly short rhymes to share at the morning
meeting. The rhythm and rhyme make the words easy for children to
learn, and build success into early reading experiences.
{ Write the
rhyme on
chart paper. Toot! Toot!
Let children
practice A peanut sat on a railroad track, More Word
toot-tooting His heart was all a-flutter; Family Lessons
like a train. The five-fifteen came rushing by—
Then chant Other word families
Toot! Toot! Peanut butter. to teach with the
the rhyme
together. —Anonymous rhyme include
-at (sat),
{ Use the rhyme to teach a mini-lesson on the long-e sound. Ask: -y (by),
“Which words have this sound: [make long-e sound]?” (peanut, -ack (track), and
fifteen) Write the words on chart paper and invite students to name -all (all).
other words with this sound. Record these words, and then let
students sort the words by spelling patterns. Encourage children
to notice that the long-e sound can have different spellings—
including the ea in peanut and the ee in fifteen.
{ Toot is a fun word. Use the rhyme to teach a mini-lesson

on the -oot word family. Brainstorm words that have the
same sound—for example, boot, hoot, scoop, soup, tooth, On My
Own
X
Name
moo, goof, and chew. Write the words on chart paper and Toot! Toot!
Date
A pea nut
let children sort them by spelling patterns (-oot, -oop, His hea rt
sat on a rail
wa s all a-fl
The five -fift
Too t! Too
een cam e
roa d trac k,
utte r;
rus hin g by—
t! Pea nut
but ter.
-oup, and so on). Guide children to notice that the 1.

—A non ymo
us
Make a sound
Fin d
sa me
the wo
rds tha
2.
same sound can have different spellings.
thi ng t me an
the m
like a train. Does it sound he re: as 5 an d the
like the word toot? What other 15 . W
rite
words for sounds do you know?
Write them here:
W rite
wa ys: yo ur ag e
in tw
o dif fer
en t
{ To make more learning connections with this rhyme,

Resources
3. Circle these
words in the
g
Find the little rhyme: pean

Scholastic Teachin
words that ut
up make these and railroad.
give children a copy of page 72. Have children _______________ words:

______ + _____
_______________
_______________ _ = pean
______ + _____ ut
_______________
Morning Meeting
_ = railro
ad
complete the page to explore onomatopoeia, Toot! Toot!

Quick Tips!
72
compound words, and math vocabulary. page72
65
Make and Shake
tudents can make simple instruments to shake as they sing along to
S morning meeting songs.
{ Have children each write their name on and decorate a letter-size
envelope. Give each child a handful of small uncooked pasta shapes
to place in the envelope. Let children seal their envelopes and shake!
{ Place a handful of dried beans or unpopped popcorn on a small

paper plate. Cover with another paper (top side down). Staple to
close. Shake!
{ Cover one end of a bathroom tissue tube with paper and secure with
tape. Fill the tube partway with sand. Cover the other end with
paper and secure with tape. Decorate the tubes to make colorful
shakers that swish.
Give a Cheer!
ere’s an easy-to-learn song students can sing to get the morning
H meeting off to a great start or to close the meeting on a positive
note. Add it to your flip chart of songs, chants, and poems to reinforce
word recognition.
Give a Cheer!
(sing to the tune of “She’ll Be Comin’
‘Round the Mountain”)
Give a cheer; it’s great to be here.
Give a cheer!
Give a cheer!
Give a big grin and let’s begin.
Work together and we’ll all win.
Give a cheer!
66
What’s That Spell?
nvite the daily helper to lead the class in a playful cheer that helps
I children learn to spell one another’s names. Write students’ names
on slips of paper and place them in a bag. Have the helper randomly
select a name and lead the class in a surprise cheer for this child. The
helper calls out one letter at a time for the class to repeat (Give me an
N!—N! Give me an i—i! Give me a c!—c! Give me an o!—o! What’s it
spell? Nico!).
Make a
Megaphone
Students love it
Two, Four, Six, Eight! if the helper gets to
use a megaphone. To
ry a chant to teach skip-counting skills. Each morning, begin a
T chant of counting by twos as students count along: “two, four, six,
make one, just roll
sturdy paper in a cone
eight,” and so on. As children chant, have them place their hands in shape and tape to
the center of the circle (one child at a time) until all hands are secure the edges.
accounted for. To count fingers, have students count by fives (placing
one hand at a time in the circle) or by tens (placing both hands in the
circle at once). For more fun, repeat the activity with feet! Children
may enjoy graphing the final count of hands, fingers, or feet each day
to make connections between the number of children present and the
total number of hands, fingers, or feet.
Lorraine Leo
JACKSON SCHOOL
Magic Word Chant

magic wand gets children chanting—and learning—sight word
A vocabulary. Copy sight words on chart paper in alternating colors
(to make each word stand out). Let students take turns using a wand
(perhaps a brightly colored dowel with a cutout star fastened to one
end) to point to each sight word as the class chants along. Add new
words as students are ready—for example, a new word each day or one
each week.
67
Poems for Rain and Clouds
dd special meaning to morning meeting poems by matching them,
A on occasion, to the weather. Write poems such as the ones that
follow on a flip chart, so that when the weather calls for something
special, there’s a poem ready to go at a moment’s notice.
{ A rainy morning is the right reason for sharing this classic poem by
Robert Louis Stevenson. Children can add sound effects, creating
the patter of rain by tapping fingers on the floor or on their knees.
More Weather
Poems
Rain
Weather Poems, The rain is raining all around,
selected by Lee It falls on field and tree,
Bennett Hopkins It rains on the umbrellas here
(HarperTrophy, 1995),
And on the ships at sea.
features short poems
that are just right for —Robert Louis Stevenson
young children. It
includes “Snowflake
{ What kind of weather brings puffy, white clouds? Let children
Souffle” by X. J.
discuss at the meeting the connection between the kind of clouds
Kennedy, as well as
poems by Aileen Fisher, they see and the weather conditions (sunny, rainy, and so on).
Myra Cohn Livingston, Then chant this lovely poem together to learn more.
and other well-known
poets.
Clouds
White sheep, white sheep,
On a blue hill.
When the wind stops
You all stand still.
When the wind blows
You walk away slow.
White sheep, white sheep,
Where do you go?
—Christina Rossetti
68
Songs, Chants, and Poems on Tape
ecord students as they sing, chant, and chime in at the morning
R meeting. Families will enjoy being able to share in this lively and
musical part of their children’s day, even if they can’t be there.
As students learn new songs, chants, and poems at the morning
meeting, schedule taping sessions to record their finest efforts. When
adding each new song, chant, or poem to the tape, place a copy of the
words in a binder and add the title to a contents page. Let children
take turns signing out the tape and binder to share with families. These
morning meeting tapes also provide a lovely background for open
school nights, when families are invited in to see children’s work. A Year
of Poems
For poems that will
take you from the start
Poetry Puzzle of the year through the
end, try Teaching With
uild community in your morning meeting with a collaborative
B poetry puzzle. When children put the pieces together, it makes a
the Rib-Tickling Poetry
of Douglas Florian, by
poem they’ll enjoy reciting again and again. Douglas Florian and
1. Write a poem about friendship on a large sheet of tagboard. “Two Joan Novelli
Friends,” from Spin a Soft Black Song, by Nikki Giovanni (Farrar, (Scholastic, 2003).
Straus & Giroux, 1971), is a short, playful poem that will inspire This book features
lots of discussion. Cut apart the tagboard to make a puzzle piece for dozens of new poems
each child. by Douglas Florian that
connect the curriculum
2. Give each child a piece of the puzzle to decorate. with the seasons and
school year. From
3. Have students bring their puzzle pieces to the next morning starting the year to
meeting. Does anyone have a guess about what the completed sending students
puzzle will show? Let students share ideas (and their reasoning), off to a safe (and
and then have children put the puzzle pieces together. literature-filled)
4. Recite the poem together. Children will enjoy putting the puzzle
summer, the themes
of these poems are
together again and again to see how much faster they can do it
just right for sharing
each time.
at morning meeting.
69
Hello, Hello
his lively chant welcomes children to the morning meeting and gets
T them working together as they use hand movements to act out the
words. Change hello to goodbye and the chant is ready to send children
off at the end of the day.
1. Write the words to the chant on chart paper:
Hello, Hello, to You

and You and You
Hello, hello, to you and you and you.
(repeat)
A big hello (hands out wide)
A small hello (hands close together)
A high hello (hands up high)
A low hello (hands down low)
Hello, Hello, to you and you and you.
Cha, cha, cha!
(clap three times)
Math 2. Use the rhyme to explore opposites. What opposites are named
Connections in the song? (big/small; high/low) What other opposites do
children know?
This song also lends
itself to math lessons. Wendy Wise Borg
RIDER UNIVERSITY
For example, teach size
LAWRENCEVILLE, NEW JERSEY
order using the words
big and small and
spatial relationships
with high and low.
70
Magic Wand Reading
hildren can read the morning meeting songs, chants, and poems on
C their own to strengthen reading skills. Using pointers to follow
along helps them develop an understanding of the left-to-right
progression of words and the return sweep, as well as one-to-one
correspondence of the written words and the words they’re singing,
chanting, or reciting. Make this sparkly wand to enchant your
young readers:
1. Cut out two same-size stars.
2. Coat one side of each star with glue and glitter.
3. Glue the stars back to back with a dowel in between. Let dry.
Make a Mini-Book
he reproducible mini-book on pages 73–76 features additional
T songs, chants, and poems that are just right for sharing at morning
meetings. My Book of
1. Photocopy pages 73–76 for each child. Ask children to cut apart Songs, Chan
ts, and Poem
s
the pages and stack them in order. Have them add a front and
back cover, and then staple to bind. Name
2. As you use each song, chant, and poem at a morning meeting,

1
have children follow up in their mini-books, completing the Make a

various activities on their own. Mini-Book
pages
3. For more wonderful songs, chants, and poems, have children 73–76
complete page 8 of their books. This page invites children to write
their own song, chant, or poem. Children might enjoy having
their work added to the class flip chart of songs, chants, and poems
you share at the morning meeting.
4. Encourage children to share their mini-books with their families

to reinforce literacy skills and make important home-school
connections. Families will enjoy seeing their children’s work
included in this book, too!
71
On My
Own
Name Date
X
Toot! Toot!
A peanut sat on a railroad track,
His heart was all a-flutter;
The five-fifteen came rushing by—
Toot! Toot! Peanut butter.
2.
—Anonymous
1.
F in d th e w
o r d s th a t
s a m e th in m e a n th e
g as 5 an
nd th e m h e r e d 15. Wr
Make a sou sound : it e
. Does it
like a train t? What other
o rd to o
like the w d s do you kn
ow?
fo r s o u n
words here:
Write them
W r it e y o u
r a g e in tw
ways: o d if fe r e n
t
3. Circle these words in the rhyme: peanut and railroad.

Find the little words that up make these words:
_____________________ + _____________________ = peanut
_____________________ + _____________________ = railroad
72
My Book of
Songs, Chants, and Poems
Name
If You’re Happy and You Know It

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it,
Then the whole wide world should know it.
page 73
Make up a new verse to sing. Instead of “clap your hands,”

try singing “wave your arms,” “shout hooray,” or something else.
Sing both versions with someone in your family.

Playmate
Say, say, oh, playmate,
Come out and play with me. What are your favorite things to
And bring your dollies three. do with a friend?
Climb up my apple tree.
Shout down my rain barrel.
Slide down my cellar door.
And we’ll be jolly friends, Change some words in the
Forever more, more, more, song to tell what you like to do
more, more! together.
Right Hand, Left Hand

This is my right hand;
I’ll raise it up high.
This is my left hand;
I’ll touch the sky. Make up hand
Right hand, left hand, movements to go with
page 74
Roll them around. this rhyme.

Left hand, right hand, Teach them to someone
Pound, pound, pound. in your family!
— Author Unknown

Something About Me
There’s something about me Find three words in the poem

That I’m knowing. that rhyme. Write them here.
There’s something about me
That isn’t showing.
I’m growing!
— Anonymous
Write two more words that
rhyme with these words.
Chook, chook, chook, chook, chook,

Good morning, Mrs. Hen.
How many chickens have you got?
Chook, Madam, I’ve got ten.
Four of them are yellow,
Chook And four of them are brown,
And two of them are speckled red,
The nicest in the town.
page 75
— Anonymous
Complete the number sentence to show how many chickens there are.
_________ yellow + _________ brown + _________ red = _________ chickens

I have ten little fingers
And they all belong to me.
I can make them do things. Can you make your
Would you like to see? hands do everything in
I can shut them up tight the poem? What else can
Or open them wide. your hands do?
I can put them together
Or make them all hide.
I can make them jump high,
I can make them jump low,
I can fold them quietly
And hold them just so.
— Anonymous
Make up your own song, chant, or poem.

Write it here. Then illustrate it!
page 76

Closing
the Morning Meeting
H
ow a meeting ends is just as important as how it begins.
The climate that a morning meeting helps create—one of
collaboration, cooperation, respect, and belonging—can
carry over into children’s day and have a profoundly positive impact
on learning. This section shares strategies for moving from the
meeting to the next part of the day, and for helping children take
with them the resources they’ll need to be competent, compassionate,
and contributing members of their learning community.
77
Motivating Messages
n inspirational saying is a motivating way to wrap up a morning
A meeting. Students will broaden their appreciation for language and
continue their day with a thought they can apply in a positive way.
1. Have a list of age-appropriate motivational sayings on hand for the
morning meeting. (Invite families to share some favorites with you.)
2. As part of the meeting routine, select a saying to share—for

example, “The sky is the limit” and “Pull out all the stops.” Discuss
the meaning of the saying, and invite students to tell how they
Send-Home might apply it to their day.
Sayings
3. Write the message on the chalkboard to help students keep it in
Add these inspirational
mind throughout the day.
messages to weekly
newsletters so that Janice Reutter
families can enjoy EDMUNDS ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS
using them at home. DES MOINES, IOWA
Daily Goals
he morning meeting is a good time to have students share goals
T they might have for the day (or week or beyond). Plan this routine
for the end of the meeting to help encourage children to support one
another throughout the day and to recognize their successes. To
prepare, have students write about a goal in their journals before
morning meeting. (This might be included as one of students’ morning
routines, along with unpacking their backpacks and reading the
morning message.) Have students bring their journals to the morning
meeting and take turns sharing a goal as they prepare to leave the
meeting for the next part of their day.
Wendy Wise Borg
RIDER UNIVERSITY
LAWRENCEVILLE, NEW JERSEY
78
Imagine That!
isualization techniques can help shape the rest of the day. Invite
V students to close their eyes if they’re comfortable, and then take
them on an imaginary trip through the day ahead of them. Guide
students in moving through each part of the day’s schedule—leaving
the morning meeting, proceeding to the next part of their day, and so
on. Include lunch, recess, and other activities. As students imagine
themselves in each part of their day, ask them to think about all the
positive behaviors they can use to make this day even better than the
day before. After a few minutes, invite children to share some of the
behaviors they see themselves using.
Judy Wetzel
BULL RUN ELEMENTARY
CENTREVILLE, VIRGINIA
One by One
o help children move forward with the rest of their
T day, try these morning meeting closing activities:
{ Have children leave the meeting one by one, with

each child saying something that reinforces a skill,
concept, or idea learned at the morning meeting.
{ Ask children, one at a time, to pantomime what

they’ll be working on or where they’ll be working as they leave
the meeting.
{ Invite a child to make an unusual facial expression (discuss ground

rules!), and “pass the mask” to the next child in the circle. This
child passes it to the next child, and so on around the group.
Children will move on from the meeting with a lighthearted and
more creative approach to the next item on the day’s agenda.
Connie Leuenberger
79
What a Day It Is!
hat a day it is, what a beautiful, glorious day it is . . .” To
“
W complete the meeting and send students off to start the
rest of their day, sing the song that brought them together. Whether
it’s the upbeat “What a Day It Is” (see page 4) or something else,
children will be tapping, clapping, and drumming their way to a
great day! Try these suggestions for closing the meeting with a song
and a little something extra.
{ Invite the day’s helper to lead students in a line from the circle,
singing their way to the next activity.
{ Choose a different accompaniment each day for the song—

hand-clapping, finger-snapping, hand-swaying (above the head),
feet-marching, and so on.
{ Choose an animal for the day. Invite children to move to the music
like that animal, as they leave the circle and go on to what’s next.
(Possible animal movements include flapping like a bird, waddling
like a duck, hopping like a frog, galloping like a horse, and strutting
like a peacock.)
{ Invite students to play imaginary instruments while they sing.
{ Celebrate the glorious day

to come by passing out
colorful streamers before
the closing song. Have
children hold their
streamers up high as they
leave the circle singing.
80

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Morning

NEW YORK • TORONTO • LONDON • AUCKLAND • SYDNEY

Quick Tips: Morning Meeting © Joan Novelli, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Special thanks to Connie Leuenberger, kindergarten teacher and

Cover design by Maria Lilja

Copyright © 2004 by Joan Novelli.

Quick Tips: Morning Meeting © Joan Novelli, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Starting the Morning Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Managing the Morning Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Incorpor ating Daily Routin es

Enhancing the Morning Meeting

Closing the Morning Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Quick Tips: Morning Meeting © Joan Novelli, Scholastic Teaching Resources

F rom exchanging greetings to following directions in a group game,

{ Providing time for children to share something

{ Incorporating the daily news into the morning

{ Using the morning message as a morning meeting teaching tool

{ Playing morning meeting games enhances oral language skills,

T he morning meeting is a natural for making math connections—

{ Using songs, chants, and poems is a wonderful way to bring music,

{ Taking surveys is a fun way for students

A long with making dozens of literacy and math connections, the

F rom what to include in the meeting to when to end it, consider

{ How Many Activities? Think about activities you want to include

{ Does Activity Order Matter? Some activities, such as the “Good

T he idea of “circle time,” as morning meeting is often called in

X Marks the Spot

{ Let children color pictures of themselves on large tagboard squares

W hen setting up for morning meeting, you may find it helpful

{ Ask children to sit on a name that has something in common with

{ If children have hall partners, invite them to switch places on

A day at school is filled with transitions—children moving from

Teaching { Signal With a Song: Play an upbeat song to signal students

G etting an entire class of children to sit quietly in a circle for a

H ere are two favorite tricks for getting

L earning to take turns is a big part of “getting along.” It’s important

{ When children interrupt a speaker, reinforce the desired behavior

In Summary . . . Ticket to Talk

2. When children make a contribution to the discussion, have them

3. When both of a child’s pennies have been returned to the jar,

2. Keep a tally of the questions children answer correctly. At the end

need to be selective in the details they

include in order to give listeners helpful 1.

information. To strengthen students’ 2.

oral communication skills, try this

Quick Tips! Morning

1. Read aloud The Important Book, 23

{ The funny thing about . . .

{ The interesting thing about . . .

{ The unusual thing about . . .

{ The surprising thing about . . .

More Morning { Pantomime is a fun way to allow a movement break during a

But the most important thing about

{ Greetings Around the World:

{ Songs and Chants: Children really enjoy these greetings. Here’s a

We like [student’s name].

2. Print stickers with

Flashlight Lunch Count

2. Have the first child ask: “Who is getting lunch on a tray?”

(“my sister and I” or

the newspaper template on page 33.

letters correctly (for

example, I not i).