Ages 3-9 · Book 1, Accountability · 4,299 places
Morning Routine
The three-step morning a child can say back from memory, built with them rather than announced at them.
Built on Ellis Abel and the Red Block — “Big feelings. Small choices. Real accountability.” A character series, not a curriculum with a worldview attached.
The five sessions
- Session 1
Pick the one moment in the day that goes wrong most often
- Session 2
Read the story and name what is actually happening in it
- Session 3
Write the routine down in three steps a child can say back
- Session 4
Run it for a week without changing it, even on the bad days
- Session 5
Come back to it and let the child say what got easier
Questions leaders ask
Is morning routine in your area a religious program?
No. Ellis Abel is a character series. Each volume carries one named core value — this one is accountability — and the story does the teaching. There is no doctrine in it, nothing to opt out of, and it is used in public schools, libraries and secular programs as readily as anywhere else.
What ages does this work for?
Ages 3-9. The story is read aloud, so a child who cannot read yet is fully in it, and the discussion prompts are written in two bands so one adult can hold a mixed-age room.
We have tried things like this in your area before and stopped. Why is this different?
Because it is ten minutes and it survives a missed night. There is no streak to break and nothing to catch up on — you pick up at the next chapter.
What if my child will not talk about it?
Then read it anyway and say nothing. Children answer days later, in the car, about something else entirely. The prompts are there when they are ready, not a toll you have to pay to finish the book.
The rules that make it work
This is a character story, not a behaviour plan
Ellis Abel is a core-values series. No child is assessed, scored, diagnosed or labelled anywhere in it. It gives a room shared language, and it stops there.
Big feelings are not misbehaviour
A four-year-old at full volume is not defying anyone. Treating the feeling as an offence teaches a child to hide it, which is the opposite of the skill.
Name first, always
Every attempt to fix a feeling before naming it fails, and it fails loudly. The order in the book is the order in the room.
Ownership is small and specific
"Be responsible" means nothing at four. One job, done alone, every day, means everything, and it generalises on its own.
Adults go first
The adult naming their own feeling out loud in front of the child does more work than any session. Children copy what they see under pressure.
Routines beat reminders
A routine a child can recite is theirs. A reminder an adult repeats is the adult's, and it has to be repeated forever.
Morning Routine by metro area
Northeast
- Morning Routine — New York, NY
- Morning Routine — Philadelphia, PA
- Morning Routine — Boston, MA
- Morning Routine — Pittsburgh, PA
- Morning Routine — Providence, RI
- Morning Routine — Hartford, CT
- Morning Routine — Buffalo, NY
- Morning Routine — Rochester, NY
- Morning Routine — Bridgeport, CT
- Morning Routine — Albany, NY
- Morning Routine — Worcester, MA
- Morning Routine — Allentown, PA
- Morning Routine — Poughkeepsie metro area, NY
- Morning Routine — Syracuse, NY
- Morning Routine — Harrisburg, PA
- Morning Routine — New Haven, CT
- Morning Routine — Portland, ME
- Morning Routine — Scranton, PA
- Morning Routine — Lancaster, PA
- Morning Routine — York, PA
- Morning Routine — Springfield, MA
- Morning Routine — Waterbury, CT
- Morning Routine — Reading, PA
- Morning Routine — Manchester, NH
- Morning Routine — Trenton, NJ
- Morning Routine — Atlantic City, NJ
- Morning Routine — Utica, NY
- Morning Routine — Norwich, CT
- Morning Routine — Erie, PA
- Morning Routine — Binghamton, NY
- Morning Routine — Barnstable, MA
- Morning Routine — Burlington, VT
- Morning Routine — Kingston, NY
- Morning Routine — Amherst, MA
- Morning Routine — Chambersburg, PA
- Morning Routine — Bangor, ME
- Morning Routine — State College, PA
- Morning Routine — Vineland, NJ
- Morning Routine — Lebanon, PA
- Morning Routine — Johnstown, PA
- Morning Routine — Pittsfield, MA
- Morning Routine — Glens Falls, NY
- Morning Routine — Altoona, PA
- Morning Routine — Lewiston, ME
- Morning Routine — Williamsport, PA
- Morning Routine — Watertown, NY
- Morning Routine — Gettysburg, PA
- Morning Routine — Ithaca, NY
- Morning Routine — Elmira, NY
Midwest
- Morning Routine — Chicago, IL
- Morning Routine — Detroit, MI
- Morning Routine — Minneapolis, MN
- Morning Routine — St. Louis, MO
- Morning Routine — Cincinnati, OH
- Morning Routine — Kansas City, MO
- Morning Routine — Columbus, OH
- Morning Routine — Indianapolis, IN
- Morning Routine — Cleveland, OH
- Morning Routine — Milwaukee, WI
- Morning Routine — Grand Rapids, MI
- Morning Routine — Omaha, NE
- Morning Routine — Dayton, OH
- Morning Routine — Des Moines, IA
- Morning Routine — Madison, WI
- Morning Routine — Akron, OH
- Morning Routine — Wichita, KS
- Morning Routine — Toledo, OH
- Morning Routine — Springfield, MO
- Morning Routine — Lansing, MI
- Morning Routine — Fort Wayne, IN
- Morning Routine — Youngstown, OH
- Morning Routine — Flint, MI
- Morning Routine — Canton, OH
- Morning Routine — Davenport, IA
- Morning Routine — Ann Arbor, MI
- Morning Routine — Peoria, IL
- Morning Routine — Lincoln, NE
- Morning Routine — Rockford, IL
- Morning Routine — Green Bay, WI
- Morning Routine — South Bend, IN
- Morning Routine — Sioux Falls, SD
- Morning Routine — Duluth, MN
- Morning Routine — Cedar Rapids, IA
- Morning Routine — Evansville, IN
- Morning Routine — Fargo, ND
- Morning Routine — Kalamazoo, MI
- Morning Routine — Appleton, WI
- Morning Routine — Champaign, IL
- Morning Routine — Topeka, KS
- Morning Routine — Rochester, MN
- Morning Routine — Lafayette, IN
- Morning Routine — Columbia, MO
- Morning Routine — Joplin, MO
- Morning Routine — Elkhart, IN
- Morning Routine — Springfield, IL
- Morning Routine — St. Cloud, MN
- Morning Routine — Racine, WI
- Morning Routine — Saginaw, MI
- Morning Routine — Iowa City, IA
- Morning Routine — Muskegon, MI
- Morning Routine — Eau Claire, WI
- Morning Routine — Oshkosh, WI
- Morning Routine — Bloomington, IL
- Morning Routine — La Crosse, WI
- Morning Routine — Terre Haute, IN
- Morning Routine — Waterloo, IA
- Morning Routine — Kenosha, WI
- Morning Routine — Janesville, WI
- Morning Routine — Bloomington, IN
- Morning Routine — Jackson, MI
- Morning Routine — Traverse City, MI
- Morning Routine — Rapid City, SD
- Morning Routine — Monroe, MI
- Morning Routine — Jefferson City, MO
- Morning Routine — Niles, MI
- Morning Routine — Sioux City, IA
- Morning Routine — Bismarck, ND
- Morning Routine — Wausau, WI
- Morning Routine — Manhattan, KS
- Morning Routine — Springfield, OH
- Morning Routine — Battle Creek, MI
- Morning Routine — Ames, IA
- Morning Routine — Mansfield, OH
- Morning Routine — Lawrence, KS
- Morning Routine — St. Joseph, MO
- Morning Routine — Sheboygan, WI
- Morning Routine — Muncie, IN
- Morning Routine — Sandusky, OH
- Morning Routine — Michigan City, IN
- Morning Routine — Kankakee, IL
- Morning Routine — Grand Forks, ND
- Morning Routine — Mankato, MN
- Morning Routine — Fond du Lac, WI
- Morning Routine — Bay City, MI
- Morning Routine — Lima, OH
- Morning Routine — Dubuque, IA
- Morning Routine — Decatur, IL
- Morning Routine — Cape Girardeau, MO
- Morning Routine — Columbus, IN
- Morning Routine — Kokomo, IN
- Morning Routine — Midland, MI
- Morning Routine — Grand Island, NE
- Morning Routine — Minot, ND
South
- Morning Routine — Dallas, TX
- Morning Routine — Houston, TX
- Morning Routine — Atlanta, GA
- Morning Routine — Washington, DC
- Morning Routine — Miami, FL
- Morning Routine — Tampa, FL
- Morning Routine — Orlando, FL
- Morning Routine — Charlotte, NC
- Morning Routine — Baltimore, MD
- Morning Routine — San Antonio, TX
- Morning Routine — Austin, TX
- Morning Routine — Nashville, TN
- Morning Routine — Virginia Beach, VA
- Morning Routine — Jacksonville, FL
- Morning Routine — Raleigh, NC
- Morning Routine — Oklahoma City, OK
- Morning Routine — Louisville, KY
- Morning Routine — Richmond, VA
- Morning Routine — Memphis, TN
- Morning Routine — Birmingham, AL
- Morning Routine — Tulsa, OK
- Morning Routine — Greenville, SC
- Morning Routine — New Orleans, LA
- Morning Routine — Knoxville, TN
- Morning Routine — Sarasota metro area, FL
- Morning Routine — McAllen, TX
- Morning Routine — Charleston, SC
- Morning Routine — Baton Rouge, LA
- Morning Routine — El Paso, TX
- Morning Routine — Columbia, SC
- Morning Routine — Cape Coral, FL
- Morning Routine — Lakeland, FL
- Morning Routine — Greensboro, NC
- Morning Routine — Little Rock, AR
- Morning Routine — Deltona, FL
- Morning Routine — Winston-Salem, NC
- Morning Routine — Palm Bay, FL
- Morning Routine — Augusta, GA
- Morning Routine — Durham, NC
- Morning Routine — Fayetteville, AR
- Morning Routine — Jackson, MS
- Morning Routine — Chattanooga, TN
- Morning Routine — Port St. Lucie, FL
- Morning Routine — Huntsville, AL
- Morning Routine — Pensacola, FL
- Morning Routine — Lexington, KY
- Morning Routine — Killeen, TX
- Morning Routine — Wilmington, NC
- Morning Routine — Corpus Christi, TX
- Morning Routine — Ocala, FL
- Morning Routine — Savannah, GA
- Morning Routine — Brownsville, TX
- Morning Routine — Gulfport, MS
- Morning Routine — Myrtle Beach, SC
- Morning Routine — Lafayette, LA
- Morning Routine — Asheville, NC
- Morning Routine — Naples, FL
- Morning Routine — Mobile, AL
- Morning Routine — Spartanburg, SC
- Morning Routine — Beaumont, TX
- Morning Routine — Tallahassee, FL
- Morning Routine — Fayetteville, NC
- Morning Routine — Montgomery, AL
- Morning Routine — Shreveport, LA
- Morning Routine — Hickory, NC
- Morning Routine — Lubbock, TX
- Morning Routine — Huntington, WV
- Morning Routine — Gainesville, FL
- Morning Routine — Clarksville, TN
- Morning Routine — Columbus, GA
- Morning Routine — Roanoke, VA
- Morning Routine — Hagerstown, MD
- Morning Routine — Fort Walton Beach metro area, FL
- Morning Routine — Kingsport, TN
- Morning Routine — Waco, TX
- Morning Routine — Longview, TX
- Morning Routine — College Station, TX
- Morning Routine — Tuscaloosa, AL
- Morning Routine — Laredo, TX
- Morning Routine — Slidell, LA
- Morning Routine — Amarillo, TX
- Morning Routine — Lynchburg, VA
- Morning Routine — Daphne, AL
- Morning Routine — Tyler, TX
- Morning Routine — Lake Charles, LA
- Morning Routine — Hilton Head Island, SC
- Morning Routine — Macon, GA
- Morning Routine — Fort Smith, AR
- Morning Routine — Panama City, FL
- Morning Routine — Charlottesville, VA
- Morning Routine — Gainesville, GA
- Morning Routine — Athens, GA
- Morning Routine — Monroe, LA
- Morning Routine — Punta Gorda, FL
- Morning Routine — Jacksonville, NC
- Morning Routine — Johnson City, TN
- Morning Routine — Lexington Park, MD
- Morning Routine — Warner Robins, GA
- Morning Routine — Auburn, AL
- Morning Routine — Florence, SC
- Morning Routine — Charleston, WV
- Morning Routine — Houma, LA
- Morning Routine — Bowling Green, KY
- Morning Routine — Dover, DE
- Morning Routine — Midland, TX
- Morning Routine — Burlington, NC
- Morning Routine — Abilene, TX
- Morning Routine — Jackson, TN
- Morning Routine — Greenville, NC
- Morning Routine — Blacksburg, VA
- Morning Routine — Odessa, TX
- Morning Routine — Vero Beach metro area, FL
- Morning Routine — Homosassa Springs, FL
- Morning Routine — Decatur, AL
- Morning Routine — Hattiesburg, MS
- Morning Routine — The Villages metro area, FL
- Morning Routine — Florence, AL
- Morning Routine — Dothan, AL
- Morning Routine — Sherman, TX
- Morning Routine — Valdosta, GA
- Morning Routine — Winchester, VA
- Morning Routine — Wichita Falls, TX
- Morning Routine — Rocky Mount, NC
- Morning Routine — Alexandria, LA
- Morning Routine — Dalton, GA
- Morning Routine — Texarkana, TX
- Morning Routine — Albany, GA
- Morning Routine — Morgantown, WV
- Morning Routine — Hammond, LA
- Morning Routine — Harrisonburg, VA
- Morning Routine — Jonesboro, AR
- Morning Routine — Wheeling, WV
- Morning Routine — Cleveland, TN
- Morning Routine — Salisbury, MD
- Morning Routine — Staunton, VA
- Morning Routine — Morristown, TN
- Morning Routine — Elizabethtown, KY
- Morning Routine — Lawton, OK
- Morning Routine — Goldsboro, NC
- Morning Routine — San Angelo, TX
- Morning Routine — Brunswick, GA
- Morning Routine — Anniston, AL
- Morning Routine — Owensboro, KY
- Morning Routine — Steubenville, WV
- Morning Routine — Sebring, FL
- Morning Routine — Pinehurst, NC
- Morning Routine — Beckley, WV
- Morning Routine — Sumter, SC
- Morning Routine — Gadsden, AL
- Morning Routine — Paducah, KY
- Morning Routine — Rome, GA
- Morning Routine — Victoria, TX
- Morning Routine — Hot Springs, AR
- Morning Routine — Hinesville, GA
- Morning Routine — Parkersburg, WV
- Morning Routine — Enid, OK
- Morning Routine — Eagle Pass, TX
West
- Morning Routine — Los Angeles, CA
- Morning Routine — Phoenix, AZ
- Morning Routine — Riverside, CA
- Morning Routine — San Francisco, CA
- Morning Routine — Seattle, WA
- Morning Routine — San Diego, CA
- Morning Routine — Denver, CO
- Morning Routine — Portland, OR
- Morning Routine — Sacramento, CA
- Morning Routine — Las Vegas, NV
- Morning Routine — San Jose, CA
- Morning Routine — Salt Lake City, UT
- Morning Routine — Fresno, CA
- Morning Routine — Tucson, AZ
- Morning Routine — Honolulu, HI
- Morning Routine — Bakersfield, CA
- Morning Routine — Albuquerque, NM
- Morning Routine — Boise, ID
- Morning Routine — Oxnard, CA
- Morning Routine — Stockton, CA
- Morning Routine — Colorado Springs, CO
- Morning Routine — Provo, UT
- Morning Routine — Ogden, UT
- Morning Routine — Spokane, WA
- Morning Routine — Reno, NV
- Morning Routine — Modesto, CA
- Morning Routine — Santa Rosa, CA
- Morning Routine — Visalia, CA
- Morning Routine — Vallejo, CA
- Morning Routine — Salem, OR
- Morning Routine — Santa Maria, CA
- Morning Routine — Salinas, CA
- Morning Routine — Anchorage, AK
- Morning Routine — Eugene, OR
- Morning Routine — Greeley, CO
- Morning Routine — Fort Collins, CO
- Morning Routine — Boulder, CO
- Morning Routine — Kennewick, WA
- Morning Routine — Olympia, WA
- Morning Routine — Merced, CA
- Morning Routine — Bremerton, WA
- Morning Routine — San Luis Obispo, CA
- Morning Routine — Bend, OR
- Morning Routine — Yakima, WA
- Morning Routine — Santa Cruz, CA
- Morning Routine — Prescott metro area, AZ
- Morning Routine — Bellingham, WA
- Morning Routine — Las Cruces, NM
- Morning Routine — Lake Havasu City, AZ
- Morning Routine — Yuma, AZ
- Morning Routine — Medford, OR
- Morning Routine — St. George, UT
- Morning Routine — Chico, CA
- Morning Routine — Billings, MT
- Morning Routine — Coeur d'Alene, ID
- Morning Routine — Yuba City, CA
- Morning Routine — Redding, CA
- Morning Routine — El Centro, CA
- Morning Routine — Idaho Falls, ID
- Morning Routine — Pueblo, CO
- Morning Routine — Grand Junction, CO
- Morning Routine — Logan, UT
- Morning Routine — Maui, HI
- Morning Routine — Santa Fe, NM
- Morning Routine — Hanford, CA
- Morning Routine — Flagstaff, AZ
- Morning Routine — Mount Vernon, WA
- Morning Routine — Napa, CA
- Morning Routine — Albany, OR
- Morning Routine — Bozeman, MT
- Morning Routine — Missoula, MT
- Morning Routine — Wenatchee, WA
- Morning Routine — Sierra Vista, AZ
- Morning Routine — Twin Falls, ID
- Morning Routine — Farmington, NM
- Morning Routine — Longview, WA
- Morning Routine — Cheyenne, WY
- Morning Routine — Corvallis, OR
- Morning Routine — Helena, MT
- Morning Routine — Fairbanks, AK
- Morning Routine — Pocatello, ID
- Morning Routine — Grants Pass, OR
- Morning Routine — Great Falls, MT
- Morning Routine — Casper, WY
- Morning Routine — Lewiston, ID
- Morning Routine — Walla Walla, WA
- Morning Routine — Carson City, NV
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