The following excerpts are from The Morning Meeting Book by Roxanne Kriete and Lynn Bechtel. Please see the bottom of the page for the citation.
Overview of Morning Meetings
-Morning Meeting sets the tone for respectful learning and establishes a climate of trust.
-The tone and climate of Morning Meeting extend beyond the Meeting.
-Morning Meeting motivates children by addressing two human needs: the need to feel a sense of significance and belonging and the need to have fun.
-The repetition of many ordinary moments of respectful interaction in Morning Meeting enables some extraordinary moments.
-Morning Meeting merges social, emotional, and intellectual learning.
-The tone and climate of Morning Meeting extend beyond the Meeting.
-Morning Meeting motivates children by addressing two human needs: the need to feel a sense of significance and belonging and the need to have fun.
-The repetition of many ordinary moments of respectful interaction in Morning Meeting enables some extraordinary moments.
-Morning Meeting merges social, emotional, and intellectual learning.
Purposes of Greeting
-Sets a positive tone
-Provides a sense of recognition and belonging
-Helps children learn names
-Gives practice in offering hospitality
-Provides a sense of recognition and belonging
-Helps children learn names
-Gives practice in offering hospitality
Purposes of Sharing and Self-Reflection
-Helps develop the skills of caring communication and involvement with one another
-Extends the knowing and being known that is essential for the development of community and for individuals' sense of significance
-Encourages habits of inquiry and thought important for cognitive growth
-Provides practice in speaking to a group in a strong and individual voice
-Strengthens vocabulary development and reading success
-Extends the knowing and being known that is essential for the development of community and for individuals' sense of significance
-Encourages habits of inquiry and thought important for cognitive growth
-Provides practice in speaking to a group in a strong and individual voice
-Strengthens vocabulary development and reading success
Purposes of Group Activity
-Contributes to the sense of community culture by building a class repertoire of common material- songs, games, chants, and poems
-Fosters active and engaged participation
-Heightens the class' sense of group identity
-Encourages cooperation and inclusion
-Fosters active and engaged participation
-Heightens the class' sense of group identity
-Encourages cooperation and inclusion
Optional: Morning Message
Purposes of Morning Message
-Eases the transition into the classroom day and makes children feel excited about what they'll be learning
-Develops and reinforces language, math, and other skills in a meaningful and interactive way
-Builds community through shared written information
-Develops and reinforces language, math, and other skills in a meaningful and interactive way
-Builds community through shared written information
Citation
Kriete, Roxann, and Lynn Bechtel. The Morning Meeting Book. Northeast Fndtn for Children, 2002. Print.