The first step of the Daily Wonder morning lesson incorporates verses, poetry, songs and intentional movement. It is recommended that you begin the day standing with your child and allow each component to flow together, much like a circle time would.
 
The opening verse acknowledges that the morning lesson is officially beginning. Instead of simply calling your kids to the learning space to begin the day, we build the experience of reverence by using verses, poetry, and songs to signal the start of your lessons. Singing each day enhances connection and offers a lovely balance to individual recitation. By including poems connected to the seasons, your child becomes connected to the cycle of nature through their feelings. Poems and songs connected to the unit theme enliven the topic of study and support our artistically integrated method. Encourage your child to memorize the poems. Recitation builds memory, vocabulary, the strength of individuality, and opportunities to practice oral language features such as intonation, pace, and volume. The goal is that by the end of the unit, your child will share the poem by heart. 
 
The experience of a Daily Wonder lesson is creative and reverent. Just as your opening verse creates a special moment to acknowledge that the morning lesson is beginning, your closing verse marks the closing of this part of the homeschool day. Participating in a closing verse, poem, or song is a meaningful and beautiful way to honour all the work and learning that has just taken place.

All Daily Wonder units include suggested opening and closing verses, unit-themed songs, poetry and intentional movement. As always, Daily Wonder encourages you to teach the child in front of you and change anything that doesn't suit your child's frame of reference. Below are some opening and closing verses to get you started or to use in place of what's suggested.

The Power of Crossing the Midline: Creating New Pathways in the Brain
The brain is an incredible organ, constantly growing and forming new connections, especially in children. One fascinating process that supports brain development is crossing the midline—the ability to reach across the imaginary line that divides the body into left and right halves. When children practice crossing the midline, it helps to create and strengthen neural pathways between the left and right hemispheres of the brain, enhancing coordination, focus, and cognitive development.

Why Crossing the Midline MattersEach hemisphere of the brain controls different functions: the left side typically manages logical tasks like language and problem-solving, while the right side is responsible for creativity and spatial awareness. However, to perform complex tasks effectively, both hemispheres must work together. Crossing the midline allows this integration to occur, facilitating communication between the hemispheres through the corpus callosum, a bundle of nerve fibres that connects the two sides.
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For children, crossing the midline helps with skills such as reading, writing, gross and fine motor coordination, and even social-emotional regulation. It enables them to use both sides of their bodies together more efficiently, an essential part of everyday activities. Lack of midline crossing can hinder these developmental processes, so it is important to provide opportunities for children to engage in activities that encourage this skill.

Here are ten fun and engaging games that can help children practice crossing the midline while simultaneously promoting brain development:

Waldorf meal blessings are a beautiful tradition that can help establish a sense of gratitude, mindfulness, rhythm, and ritual during meal times. In Waldorf education, meal blessings are an opportunity to foster a deep sense of thankfulness for food and community. These blessings often involve a simple verse or prayer that expresses gratitude for the food and the efforts of those who prepared it. Modelling gratitude is such a gift we can give our children, and mealtime blessings are a great way to establish the family rhythm and ritual together.

​Here are three of our favourite mealtime blessings that we used at our Waldorf school.  ​

Daily Wonder lesson plans provide the daily, monthly and yearly rhythm of your school year.  The educational planning is done, and there is minimal preparation awaiting you, the parent.  We all know how hectic the school year can get with all the things that need to happen in one day. The Wonder Squad highly recommends taking the time now to look into your prep needs.  You will be so grateful down the road for taking the time now to get organized. Lazy summer days offer leisurely ways to check things off the "back to homeschool to-do list".

Here are our suggestions:

• It is a great practice to have your child do a daily chore. It is even more fun if that chore is on a chore wheel.  Have fun creating your own beautiful wheel that speaks to the chores needing to be done in your household.  Check out this site for instructions and ideas for appropriate chores for children by age.