A gentle start to our homeschool day rooted in the life of the Church
When I first began building our homeschool rhythm, I knew I wanted our mornings to be grounded in our Orthodox faith. But finding resources that fit that vision wasn’t easy.
So many Morning Time or memory work plans online are heavily Protestant, and while I could adapt some of them, I always found myself needing to substitute or skip over large parts.
If you’re wondering what ‘Morning Time’ is check out this post by Pam Barnhill.
That’s why I was so excited to try Orthodox Christian Morning Time from St. Irene Press. They were kind enough to gift me a copy in exchange for an honest review—and I’m genuinely happy to share how it’s been working for our family.
For transparency, we have not finished this entire curriculum yet. We are only half-way through it. However, because of the way it is structured, I don’t think it’s necessary for me to finish it before giving my thoughts on it.
What’s Included in Orthodox Christian Morning Time
This curriculum is similar to Classical Conversations and Catholic Schoolhouse, but also inspired by Charlotte Mason.
It is designed to work for ages 6 to 16, which makes it a great fit for families with multiple children or for anyone looking to keep things simple and unified.
My toddler also sits with us during Morning Time, and though she isn’t ready to memorize or fully understand the topics, I feel like she’s picking up little tidbits here and there.
There’s no reason you can’t begin exposing your littles to beautiful poetry and the lives of the saints.
This curriculum is delivered as a PDF, allowing you to print as many copies as you need and reuse it with other children in the future.
Each week includes:
- A Bible verse to memorize
- A poem to memorize
- A saint of the week
- Memory sentences about the saint’s life
- Copywork (usually bible verses or quotes from saints)
- A Journal Prompt
- A weekly hymn
- A short catechism
The catechism portion is a thoughtful addition, offering short explanations of Orthodox beliefs and practices—like the sacraments or other theological concepts. It’s a gentle way to introduce children to deeper truths of the faith in small, manageable pieces.
I’ve found this part especially helpful as we build a foundation of understanding and love for Christ and His Church.
It also comes with a helpful overview sheet explaining how to structure your lesson and use the materials.
A Flexible, Long-Term Resource
The curriculum includes 32 weeks of content, each centered around a different saint.
Depending on your homeschooling pace and whether you take breaks or follow a year-round schedule, this means it can last one to two years.
I really appreciate this flexibility—it gives us the freedom to slow down when needed and truly absorb the material without feeling rushed.
What I Love About Orthodox Christian Morning Time
My favorite part? We get to spend a whole week focused on just one saint. In the past, we would read the saint of the day, which was lovely, but didn’t allow us much time to dig deeper.
Now, with Orthodox Christian Morning Time, my child gets to form a stronger connection with each saint’s life and example.
I also really appreciate the variety of memory work—it keeps our mornings engaging. Some weeks we focus more on the poem or verse; other weeks we really lean into the journaling and discussion.
It gives us a natural flow without being overwhelming.
And most of all: this curriculum is truly Orthodox. No substitutions. No editing. No compromises. That alone makes it a huge blessing.
Related Posts:
- How to Nurture Orthodox Faith Through Your Homeschool Curriculum
- How To Start Homeschooling When You Feel Clueless
- How to Create Your Own Lesson Plan: Unit Studies
- How to Create a Weekly Homeschool Schedule!
A Note on the Hymns
If I could add one thing, it would be video or audio clips of the hymns. I’m not musically inclined (and still learning the tones used in Orthodox chant), so sometimes I struggle to teach the hymns confidently.
There are links to some of the sheet music, but I can’t read sheet music yet. A short recording to help us learn the tunes would make this part of Morning Time even more accessible.
That said, it’s definitely not a deal-breaker. I still include the hymn each week—we just read it aloud rather than sing it. If anyone else can help me with this, please let me know!
Recommended Books: Lives of the Saints
The curriculum recommends The Great Collections of Lives of the Saints series by Chrysostom Press. These books look beautiful and are written at a literary level comparable to classic children’s literature.
I haven’t purchased them yet (they’re a bit out of my price range at the moment), but I hope to eventually. For now, I search online for saint stories and try to find a version that’s engaging for children.
Some saints are easier to find than others, but it’s working well for now.
The curriculum emphasizes that you can use other sources as needed, which I really appreciate.
Other Resources for Saints
Final Thoughts
I wholeheartedly recommend Orthodox Christian Morning Time to any Orthodox homeschooling family. It’s a simple, thoughtful, and faith-filled way to begin your homeschool day.
With minimal prep, I’m able to guide my child through meaningful memory work, introduce beautiful hymns, explore the lives of the saints, and build a foundation of catechism and theology.
If you’ve been looking for a resource that centers your homeschool around the life of the Church, this is a wonderful place to start.
Where to Buy Orthodox Christian Morning Time
You can find the Orthodox Christian Morning Time curriculum on St. Irene Press’s website here.
QUESTION: Have you tried this curriculum? If so, what are your thoughts? Would you recommend it to other Orthodox Christian families?
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Hi – if you type in “english hymn st irene orthodox” or “oca hymn st irene” you are likely to find a version on youtube of the hymns you are looking for. There are often different hymns but you can specify further if needed or type in the first few words of the hymn and see what comes up. Eikona also did a CD (maybe celebrate the saints or something?) with lots and lots of saints hymns in english. Poke around and I bet if you just do a saint a week then you could put together a playlist of ones you like.
Also, you could ask your choir person if they can tell you how to find recordings of the melodies you use at your parish, so when the saints feasts roll around, your kid can recognize the hymn.