Homeschool Hacks

Carnival of Homeschooling - Surgery Edition

When I agreed months ago to host this week's Carnival of Homeschooling, I had no idea that this would be the week my babysitter went on vacation. Nor did I know that I would be having minor surgery this week (I'm fine - nothing to worry about!). I've managed to complete the Carnival on time, but perhaps not so creatively! Without further ado, here's what's going on around the homeschooling blogosphere...

Bloodwork & Prep

ChristineMM of The Thinking Mother writes about how different state homeschooling laws can impact how a family homeschools.

In her post, "A More In-Depth Look at My KONOS Planning Methods," Sprittibee shares her unit study planning methods that are guaranteed to help an easily distracted mom fight the urge to fall off course on endless rabbit-trails. She also shares links to her homeschool planner binder tips and her weekly schedule.

Stephanie of Adventures in the 100 Acre Wood presents her Homeschooling Tips, while Barbara Frank lists her (extremely practical!) Top Ten Tools for Homeschooling Parents.

The Carnival is full of tips this week! Linda of Independent Homeschooling presents Homeschooling Preschool Children: Twenty-Five Things To Do With Your Young Child.

Mother Crone's Homeschool offers an in-depth discussion of her notes from a seminar by Susan Wise Bauer that will help you teach writing skills.

If you have thought about doing a nature journal, nature walks, or nature drawing on a regular basis, but have been discouraged, please take heart and take the plunge. Jacque of Seeking Rest in the Ancient Paths says it is a fun, invigorating experience to see how many different sides you get from different members of the family when drawing the same object.

Rainbows on a Rainy Day

Another great idea from Family Fun magazine: Drop several drops of food coloring (multiple colors) on a sturdy, rimmed paper plate and send your kids out into the rain (works best when there is a light shower). The colors will splatter and blend, leaving your child with a beautiful work of art, a lesson in color mixing, and a bit of fun on a rainy day.

Current Events are for Kids, Too!

New Flash Five is a new web site where kids can find age-appropriate updates on current events. Their mission is to "encourage young people to take an interest in news and current events." You'll hear and read timely news, framed in a way that children can relate to. Your child can even "become a correspondent" and submit his or her own stories.

For parents/teachers, the site offers a useful News & Current Events Primer as well as three lesson plans: Current Events, Get the Scoop, and Making News. I especially enjoyed the section on "Watching News with a Critical Eye."