1/12/2027

Morning Announcements

Morning Meeting Agenda

Mon · Social Studies Tue · Literacy Wed · Science Thu · Math Fri · ROAR + Houses
Literacy of the Day

Say it again. Say it again.

Yesterday we learned about Dr. King. Today: why his words stuck. One of the oldest tricks in writing is also one of the most powerful — repetition.

Word of the Day: REPEAT. To repeat means to say something again. Your favorite stories and songs are full of repeating parts — that’s why you remember them!

“I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!” The Little Engine “I’ll huff and I’ll puff…” The Three Little Pigs “Row, row, row your boat…” A song you know

Repeating words help your brain remember!

Let’s talk
  • Can you finish any of these? Let’s say them together!
  • What is a song you know that has a repeating part?
  • Why do you think repeating helps you remember?
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When your brain hears something again and again, it says “this must be important!” and holds onto it. That’s why we practice things — and why songs get stuck in your head!
Try it

Echo game! I’ll say a phrase and you repeat it back three times, getting louder each time. Ready? “We are Lions!” Now you — three times!

Writers call this anaphora — starting several sentences in a row with the same words. It’s ancient, it’s everywhere in great speeches, and it does something specific to a listener.

Same idea, two ways to say it WITHOUT “We should be kind, work hard, and help each other.” Fine. Forgettable. WITH “We will be kind.” “We will work hard.” “We will help each other.” You can feel it building.

Repetition creates rhythm — and rhythm creates momentum.

Dr. King built entire passages this way. He repeated “I have a dream” again and again. Later in that same speech, he repeated “let freedom ring” as he named place after place across America.

Let’s talk
  • Read both boxes out loud. Which one sounds like a promise? Why?
  • King was a preacher before he was a movement leader. How might that have shaped the way he wrote?
  • Repetition can be overused. When would it start to feel annoying instead of powerful?
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Repetition works because it creates expectation — once listeners hear the pattern, they lean forward waiting for the next one. That’s why it feels like building. King’s preaching background matters enormously: this technique comes straight out of the Black church tradition, where call-and-response and rhythmic repetition were already the language of the room. And yes, it can be overdone — repetition only lands when what follows each time is different and worth hearing. Repeat the frame, change the content.
Try it

Write three! Pick a starter phrase — “I believe…” or “This year I will…” — and write three sentences that all begin the same way but end differently. Read yours aloud to a partner. Did the third one hit harder than the first?

Additional Notes/Activities

If additional activities are needed for the Morning Meeting, they will be added here.