Carnival of Homeschooling: Welcome to the NerdFamily House!

Hi everyone! Welcome to the NerdFamily House! We are having our first rain of the season out here so I hope you didn't get to wet. Come on in, let me take your jackets and bags. Make yourself at home!

Before we get into anything just a quick a reminder for all those in California. It is once again time for affidavits!! If you file a PSA you only have until October 15th to get over and fill that out online!!

You can grab a cup of coffee or a soda and go join in on the education conversations around the kitchen table. Beverly at Beverly’s Homeschooling Blog (About.com) is talking about Why we love the Charlotte Mason Method. Successful Homeschooling talks about The Hidden Joy of Rote Memorization that is found in classical homeschooling. Special Needs Homeschooling talks about Sexual Education for the Mentally Disabled. They look at both how to educate and how to protect the mentally disabled in the arena of sex. Bur Bur & Friends:Community Park has Resources for Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Minds in Bloom offers questions that parents can ask children to encourage them to think creatively and critically about their work in 8 Questions to Ask Children about their Art Work. The Curriculum Choice looks at Latin for Children vs Latina Christina.

There are some great people over by the piano talking music education. Diamonds in the Rough shares with us a source for Free Sheet Music. Texas Homeschooler asks us about thePurpose for Music.

At the white board there is a little math talk going on. The Homeschooling Physicist has given us Math Interlude: Homeschool Math by Rotating Wheat Thins Boxes. You gotta check it out!Lesson Pathways Blog talks to us about Using On-Line Math Resources.

Over at the writing desk we have some interesting lessons. SmallWorld gives us a creative writing lesson with SmallWorld's WordSmithery Week 7: Writing About the Weather. Then Across the Page gives us Curriculum spotlight: Writing with Ease. Under the Golden Apple Tree offers Spelling Helps for the Spelling Challenged Student.

The kids can go over to the kitchen island where the kids can go their hands dirty for education! Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers goes through step-by-step: Making a Paper Mache Map. The Informed Parent has some great ideas for Costumes for all the upcoming festivities. Quiverfull Family is sharing their Creative Cooking that got them their Jello cell. It is an awfully cool idea!

Check out over by the bookshelves. The Mommy Earth has a book review: The Walrus Warning and the Smithsonian Oceanic Collection. Over at NerdFamily Things I have a litst of books that seemed to help Reading and Learning While Little.

Over on the couches we are having some interesting conversations on the politic of schooling and other profundities. Barbara Frank Online has One Dirty Little Secret about College, I am sure there are more but this one really causes you to think. Home Education Today asks us, "Is my child missing out on the high school experience?" The Thinking Mother tell us about how She Worked Outside the Home for 1 Week and what spoke to her about it. Corn and Oil gives us “Taking Away the Youth”- Perspective of an Illini Graduate Student (homeschooler). It is a poignant piece that talks about the political pushing towards more institutional school time. They wonder what we're doing to our children and how this will affect homeschoolers. Save Money Homeschooling wants to know if (Is) the Recession Increasing Or Decreasing the Number of Homeschoolers? No Fighting No Biting wants to know is More School Better? Mommy's Life reminds us that You CAN Teach Your Kids! She shares her response to 3 common things that are said to her about homeschooling.

Make sure you stop by the tv for a little entertainment. It is hooked up to the laptop (yes, this is the NerdFamily House) for a little entertainment. Why Homeschool asks, "Are you a homeschooler or homeschooled?" It is a hilarious video that Janine found. You have to see it! Speaking of entertainment, Notes From a Homeschooling Mom shares with us a Homeschool must see: Little House on the Prarie, the Musical. Unfortunately it isn't coming to California but I would love to see it!

Looking out the back window and out into the world are some great field trip posts. Percival Blakeney Academy talks about Rice Harvesting they got to go participate in. Practical Homeschooling gives us 40 Free Field Trip Ideas.

Just for fun....Chocolate Kids claims Healthy Chocolate Turns My Son Into 10 Year Old Maths Genius!

I love having you all over and look forward to doing it again. Make sure you get all your coats and bags and try to stay dry out there!

So this was fun, right?!?! So show your love by tweet, digging, blogging and anything else you can do to promote out carnival! Go check out all the awesome articles and comment so the authors know that they are valued! Make sure that you send in your articles for next week's carnival at BlogCarnival. Next week it will be held at No Fighting No Biting.

Carnival of Homeschooling: NerdHouse

Welcome to the NerdHouse. Why don't you come on in and see the Carnival of Homeschooling we have set up? Lot's of people are already here with all kinds of great entries.

As we go in take a look at the family bulletin board. Kim at Kim's Play Place has is announcing Science and Technology Education Blog Carnival. I also have Home Spun Strip (#325) from Home Spun Homeschooling. They are always so cute and refreshing.

Let's take a seat in the living room for a moment to talk about the challenges and joys we face as homeschoolers. There isn't anything like a little community support. Erin at Delighting in His Richness shares I thought I could, I thought I could! She shares how to overcome the afternoon slump with kids. Summer over at Wired For Noise shares the 5 Books That Influenced Me to Homeschool. Susan over at The Expanding Life talks about our ever changing roles as parents and teachers in Serving Punch. Renae at Life Nurturing Education shares a glimpse in Like Mother, Like Daughter. The Crazy Mom over at The Crazy House share a humorous and encouraging look with Testing, Testing, 1-2-3. Timothy at Sometimes I'm Actually Coherent gives us How Times Have Changed. While reading one of the lessons from a McGuffey Reader prompts some thought on the question: What is childhood for? Why Homeschool talks about One of the great things about homeschooling - vacations. Beverly’s Homeschooling Blog (About.com)
has a forum member who wants to know How do you keep your sanity?

Let's go join that group over by the bookshelf. They are sharing some of their learning experiences. Tammy over at Adventures on Beck's Bounty share about her nature study with A Bird Highway? Christine over at Our Curious Home tells us about the First Day of this Late Winter Co-op. Dolfin at Lionden Landing shares her groups initial plans in building their Sunflower House. Dana at Principled Discovery tells us about What My Daughter Learned Through Blogging. Sue over at Homeschooling High School tells us why we should Teach Your Teens Real Life Money Skills. Two Kid Schoolhouse tells us why she reads aloud to her reading children in Reading Up. ChristineMM of The Thinking Mother talks about homeschool lesson task lists in Assignment List Time I Guess. Learned Genius tells us Why You Should Read the Classics: A Bibliophile's Diatribe. Jenny at Home is Where You Start From shares Our First Week with Sonlight's Language Arts.

They group over by the desks are giving each other some resources. Lynn over at Eclectic Education shared Our Lapbooks. We here at the NerdFamily need to get started lapbooking too. HEM Takes A Closer Look gives us a great piece on Hands On Learning. Tracey at Glue on her fingers, dirt on her toes, she makes laughter wherever she goes has a great unit study with Spring Forward, Fall Back. Living By Learning shares some great online resources and tips on Looking at Chinese Paintings with Kids. Shannon at Song of My Heart has a great Colonial Days and The American Revolution unit. HomeschoolBuzz.com Reviews shares their review of Artistic Pursuits Jr. High book one: The Elements of Art and composition. Let's Play Math shares a great Math Warm-Up: Today is February 4 x 3 x 2 x 1. Petticoat Government has a Cuisenaire Rod Suggestion.

Not all lessons have a spot on a report card. Both the joy and burden of being a homeschooling parent is that we are also tasked with the subjects in life. Jennifer at Cage Free Monkeys dealing with a lesson on sorrowing due to pet loss in Breaking Hearts. The Reluctant Homeschooler helps her daughter through friendship issues in I'm Busy Right Now. Becca at Inspiration for Mothers tells us What to tell your kids about suffering and injustice in the world. Dana at A Very Nearly Tea gives us a glimpse at Teaching Understanding.

Over at the kitchen table they are talking a little politics. Brian over at New Hampshire Rocks! tell us about an Attempt to Undermine Home Education in New Hampshire. Alasandra over at Alasandra's Homeschool Blog gives us Why Carol Moore Chose Not to Homeschool that invalidates her argument. Barbara Frank Online asks if Our Parental Rights in Jeopardy? Life Without School Community Blog talks about The Myth of Credentialism.

That brings us to the end of this week's Carnival of Homeschooling. Please submit your entries for next week's carnival that will be hosted over at Life Nuturing Education. Thanks again for joining me! So go read and comment!

Carnival of Homeschooling

Welcome to the Nerd Family House, why don't you come on in to see the great carnival we have going on inside.


Why don't we stop by the playroom so the kids who are done with their work can play. While we are here, let's check out Guilt Free Homeschooling and their post, Preschoolers' Educational School-Time Activities. If you are frustrated with keeping a preschooler occupied while you work with your older students, this list of activities is just what you need! These are simple activities that will teach valuable skills to your preschoolers, while keeping them engaged in their own FUN school-time projects using many materials you may already have available.


Here is the table where the kids are doing their seat work. Speaking of seat work and classes. The Daily Planet talks about Miss Amanda's new Spanish class in Homeschool Memoirs: Something New! Learning at His feet has a great post on Instructions in Teaching Drawing. I know here at the Nerdfamily I can totally use this because I can't draw a straight line much less anything else;). Laura Frantz gives us The Two Shall Meet: An Unschooler Charlotte Mason Narration.

No Fighting, No Biting! shows us how homeschoolers can learn science in the country in Real Life Biology 101. A Ten O'Clock shares lesson plans to accompany Classical Conversations Science memory work for Cycle 3.

Countdown to College shares about the National History Day projects in Making History (and BTW colleges and scholarship committees love these kind of things). Then over at Ms. Julie's Place, she has 2 posts that outline a simple science experiment/demonstration that can become the center of a unit study encompassing science concepts with biology, physics, and ecology, literature, math, theology, and more in An Eggs-traordinary Experiement Part I and Part II.

Greg Laden's Blog talks about a pre-algebra book in X+Y= WHAT??? SmallWorld offer us On the Trail with Lewis and Clark. She offers a review of the resources they used during their study of Lewis and Clark. Successful Homeschooling gives us Homeschool Physical Education. Mrs. Happy Housewife writes Carolus Linnaeus and Taxonomy in which she shares her taxonomy puzzle. Happy to be at Home offers us help in Teaching "d" and "b" differentiation including downloads!



Come sit down for a moment and have a cup of coffee. We can talk about the joys and challenges of our journey (and that includes the political side) and get a little support. Delighting in His Richness has a great post of encouragement, The Wheat Seed. It really can put life in perspective.

The Thinking Mother struggles with different ways to make a 'to do' list of homeschooling assignments for her children in Torn About Homeschool Scheduling. Welcome to My Brain offers what they do in Our School Day. Then Ordinary Time offers us The Art of the Schedule.

Tomorrow is Another Day offers her initial thoughts of homeschooling high school as she starts week 3 in her son's high school career in High School- So Far, So Good. The Family Revised has a great piece on The Expanse of Goals. She reminds us of the fact we are looking at the whole child and what all that entails. Simple Pleasures share her First Day of School. Cage Free Monkeys tells us about their Rainy Days.

Missy ponders the reasons of her decision to homeschool in Life Without School's offering that Sometimes It's Just a Shirt. Save Money Homeschooling reminds us that Homeschooling Has So Many Options. Practical Homeschooling offers us another installment of 101 Reasons to Homeschool Series with #5 Youthful Optomism. Barbara Frank Online talks about homeschooling freedom in The School Buses are Out Again.


A Family Runs Through It offers on man's Unfinished Opinion on homeschooling. Beverly's Homeschooling Blog asks, "Does your family support homeschooling?". She talks about how well meaning family members often share their concerns with us when they hear about our homeschooling and sometimes it's hard to know what to say. Bending the Twigs tells us to submit your comments in the debate about the merits of homeschooling between the Homeschool Association of California and the California Teachers' Association in And In This Corner. Alasandra's Homeschool Blog Awards is discussing how Scholastic Blames Homeschoolers for Measles Outbreak.

Principled Discovery has a hilarious piece with What's the matter with kids today? Learning at Home will give you a chuckle with her New Get Rich Quick Scheme. We have the kids at home all day, we might as well make a buck or two;). Life Nurturing Education gives us a quirky look at You Know You're a Homeschooler When....


Did you see my new piano (well new to me;)? Well, that is another story. But music is a great thing! But alas, I have no talent. Or do I? Thomas West Music has a great piece called Pitch Development: Exercising Your "Inner Ear". West says, ""I can't carry a tune in a bucket" is a common expression of those who consider themselves unmusical. Having a "tin ear" is another common description. It is certainly true that individuals possess varying levels of aptitude in regards to their musical intelligence, however, just like mathematic or linguistic intelligence, every person can take their aptitude level as a starting point and work to build stronger skills in that area." So maybe there is hope for me yet!

Let us go check out the group on the couches. They are handing out much needed advice on children and teaching. Henry, at Why Homeschool, reminds us that it is important to teach our children correct principles from the start in "Why is it so important to teach, correctly, the first time". Because if they accept a wrong idea, it can be very hard to unlearn it. Then Concerning Kids has an enlightening piece on Child Obesity.

Chrysalis offers up an insightful Family Life: Secrets of Raising Girls. I have 2 girls and I need this kind of information! Sharp Brain offers a piece on brain health and cognitive fitness in Your Brain at Work. OLIN e-Book e-Publishing Blog offers us the first chapter of an e-book that asks the question, "Just What Does 'Christ First' Mean with Homeschooling?".

Janice Campbell offers an academically-oriented four-year high school plan, with an emphasis on looking forward and preparing for life after high school. The plan is suitable for use whether or not your student plans to go to college.

Stop the Ride! is offering some great Free Educational Downloads. While The Sojourner offers her Favorite Homeschooling Curriculum for Free by download.

I am closing out with a contest from Mom is Teaching, but enter quickly because the deadline is Wednesday.

Thank you for coming by our "home". I hope you have enjoyed yourself, maybe even enough to participate next time. To find out all about that you can go to Why Homeschool to get all the details on how to participate. Next week we will all get together for move carnival fun at A Pondering Heart on Tuesday September 23rd.

Now go and read all these wonderful posts. Also be gracious to all the many article writers and let them know how much they are appreciated by commenting!

Carnival of Homeschooling: Progress Report

If you are here looking for the Carnival of Homeschooling, you are in the right place. I am having some delays and it will be up this afternoon. Stay tuned for your scheduled program;).

Call for Submissions!

For those of you who are afraid I will never blog about anything other than politics again, I am here to give you hope. Tuesday I will be hosting the Carnival of Homeschooling but I need something from all of you. I need your entries. Have an interesting piece on homeschooling? Then pop over to BlogCarnival and fill out a simple form. Then come back and read all the awesome entries we have!

Carnival of Homeschooling

Welcome to the 120th Carnival of Homeschooling and come on into our home. I am sorry I am running late but I had women's retreat this weekend and choir and Bible Study today. So sorry. Let me drop my purse and Bible, just make yourself comfortable and ignore the mess;).

Yes, your kids are more than welcome. They can play here with the others in the playroom. Maybe Sarah's kids from over at Small World can show their wonderful creativity like they did At the Carnival.

Oh did you see the bookshelves and the computer? It is great to have such a learning nook. Kerry over at 10 O'Clock Scholar is sharing a great Geography and Science Combined Unit. Barbara Frank is sharing a great project when she asks, Is There a Young Writer in Your House? Tiffany at the Natural Family Living Blog does a book review on Finding Your Child's Strength. One of my favorite sites, Let's Play Math, is sharing Math Games by Kids that has lots of great Math resources. Homeschool Buzz Reviews asks us if we are looking for a break from your serious reading? Check out our review of the entertaining classic graphic novel Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn. The Reluctant Homeschooler has recently switched from using textbooks to using biographies with her 16 year old so now he is asking, "Why do I have to learn all that?".

Let's go in the kitchen and get a cup of coffee and a snack. Oh, over on the island is the crafting center. ChristineMM at The Thinking Mother is Playing with Needle Felting. sharing how she and her two boys have been enjoying doing daily needle felting which qualifies for 'homeschool art class'.

I love my kitchen too. I am blessed to have so much space in here but it gets messy. Let’s look in at Ship Full O’Pirates. Jenny is sharing some wisdom on Galley Duty.

Take a seat at the kitchen table so we can listen to some of the wonderful people who are willing to give us advice and pointers. Michelle over at Organically Inclined starts the conversation with Attachment Parenting and the Independent Teen. Have you ever asked, My child won’t do craft activities- what now? If so, Melitsa at Play-Activities.com has some answers. Terri at Cricket's Corner shares The Rite of the Hanger for those times that you realize your kids are growing up. Renae at Life Nurturing Education looks at life and the kids with Looking at the Future. A Mountain Homeschool deals with an issue we all deal with in Birthday Parties (and that whole "gift" thing). Life Without School says children need trust .... and they need mentors, guides, and facilitators in Healthy Mentorship. The Upside Down World wants advice on what to do when mom is the one who doesn't want to do school work in Homeschooling Blahs.

Wow that has given us so much to think about but there are so many to talk to we have to keep moving. Let's go sit in the living room and hear all the blood stirring political and insightful philosophical talk. HappyCampers at Reese's View of the World start us off with a poignant Saturday Quote. Then Alasandra of Alasandra's Blog Awards is talking about The Harassment of Homeschoolers Continues At The American Chronicle. Rational Jenn mentions something. Oh, In Case You Haven't Seen This Yet includes some excerpts from an op-ed entitled "Your Child Is Not State Property," and directly challenges the idea that homeschooling parents and children should be monitored by the state. Remember, THEY work for US! :o) Then Findings gives us Socialized Homeschooling in which she discusses the different alternatives available for establishing a social life for my children as homeschoolers. Cristina at Home Spun Juggling continues her series "You can learn a lot from watching animals" with A Tick to Ride. Theresa at Olin gives us another reason to homeschool with Coming to A School Near You. Then Henry Cate at Why Homeschool also gives us Yet Another Reason to Homeschool - Help Stop a Pandemic. Then Learning at Home reminds us that sometimes we are Getting MORE than we paid for in some cases. A Family Runs Through It give us Comment Love where she is seeking advice to jerks who leave her anti-homeschooling comments. Then Dawn Adams presents Day by Day Discoveries: If it Looks Too Good to be True... posted at Day by Day Discoveries talking about K-12 Free.

Oh, that group over in the garage, they are getting ready to take their learning out into the world. Bookworms and Tea Lovers is telling us how to get the most out of Visiting Museums with Children. Brain Blog has provided us with 2 essays that were submitted by homeschoolers in Florida with Brain Health and Alzheimer's Prevention. Jennifer of Diary of 1 shares The Child's Spring Book. It tells us how to make a ziplock-bag-book full of the specimens of spring! My Domestic Church offers us If you build it, they will come! It is all about their homeschool soccer league. Peakmore Academy shares all about Science Fair and more! The Sojourner says Sometimes You Just Gotta Have Fun With Your Kids! She says that sometimes you need to just "play" with your kids like she did at the county fair!

Thanks so much for coming over and hanging out with me! Next week Principled Discovery will be hosting this wonderful carnival. Go over to BlogCarnival and get your entry in before Monday night at 6pm (pacific). If you like this carnival please use what ever social bookmarking (Stumble, Digg, etc) you participate in so we can share this with others. Now go visiting and comment on their blogs about what a great job they all have done!

Technorati Tags: Homeschooling, Carnival of Homeschooling

Call for Entries

This week I have the pleasure of hosting the Carnival of Homeschooling. Entries must be in by Monday night at 6pm (pacific). Go over to BlogCarnival and put in your entry!

Carnivals

Here are a couple of great carnivals. The Carnival of Homeschooling - Acrostic Edition is up over at Beverly's Homeschooling Blog. Then there is a celebratory Carnival of Recipes in honor of Pancake Day at Pancake Recipes. Go check out these great Carnivals!

Homeschooling Carnival: I am Thankful Edition

Welcome everyone to this week's Homeschooling Carnival. In honor of the nearing Thanksgiving holiday I have decided I should go over some of the many nerdy things I am thankful for. We have many delightful entries into this week's carnival so let us jump right in!

I am thankful for Veterans. Without them we wouldn't have any of the freedoms that we enjoy today. The Diary of 1 gives us a great Veterans History Project. Everyday Me has a great project for homeschool kids in writing Medal of Honor winners. They give us directions on how to go about that with True Heroes.

I am thankful that NerdDad and I made the decision to homeschool. We have many reasons (tune in later in the blog for more on that) for homeschooling and how it ties into our overall life priorities. The Joyful Journey shares some of hers in Why Not School?? Key Words is Sharing My Answer to One Adoption Question where they share their educational philosophy. Homeschool 2.0 reviews 2 Million Minutes and talks about how it relates to their own philosophy. All Info About Homeschooling talks about their choices in Living Intentionally. Large Family Mothering gives us a brief description of our philosophy, after 19 years of homeschooling and 14 children, and encouragement to seek the truly important things instead of the expected in The Plans of Mice and Mothering.

I am thankful for the over all freedoms that homeschooling gives me. Life Without School compares a Thanksgiving school free lunch to the freedoms of homeschooling in The Free Lunch. Homeschooling also inherently gives us the freedom to not agree. Notes From A Homeschool Mom voices her opinion in Why I Won't Be HSLDA's Pansy.

I am thankful that I can exert a little control over when and how my kids are exposed to things and how I want to handle them. That is the case with Sometimes I'm Actually Coherent On the Seriousness of Children's Literature. The Educational Life's post So I Made Her Cry on Purpose is in similar vein.

I am thankful that family traditions are just as important to teach as "school" traditions. I feel that this takes the place of rallies, assemblies, parent/teacher conferences. etc. Reese's View of the World gives us a beautiful pancake tradition with A Tradition is Made. Then Chrysalis tells us to Let Grandparent Shine During the Holidays. She gives us 3 ways that they can serve as family storytellers.

I am thankful that I can take a break from our current studies to delve into a subject. Little Fun; Little Learning give us Thanksgiving unit ideas in Fun-Filled Friday. More4Kids Education also has Thanksgiving Projects for Homeschoolers. About Homeschooling gives even more Thanksgiving Activities and Studies. Our Homeschooling Expedition gives us a delightful Christmas unit in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

I am thankful that where I am weak others are strong. The reality is that I don't have to know or enjoy everything that I want me kids to learn. I just need to find the resources to help me equip my children. That was the case for Annette at Homeschooling Journey in the area of music. She found a Music Curriculum For Music Haters. Now I hated handwriting so I am taking the help from Little Blue School who offers Handwriting Help. Life on the Road also discusses handwriting in The Importance of Handwriting.

I am thankful for math. I just love math, it makes the world go round. It is logical. So of course I enjoy Let's Play Math's How to Read a Fraction. Day by Day Homschooling gives us Great Math Resource - Math Mojo! Wild About Math! tells us How to Get Past "Stupid" Math Mistakes.

I am thankful for reading and literature. It brings life, entertainment, understanding, insight and knowledge. Life Nurturing Education reflects on their study of Pilgrim's Progress in Finding Life in Dry Lessons. Reading also help develop character. SuperAngel discussed her character development as facilitated by a poem in Desiring A Mind To Work.

I am thankful that homeschooling enables me to teach the real world to my kids as a subject all its own. Frugal Fanny voyages into the subject of money management with What You Learned from Your Allowance and Why Kids Still Need Allowance Today. Kathy at the Homeschool Buzz reviews The Lemonade Wars. It teaches the basics of the very important subject of capitalism. To balance that I believe in teaching your kids about service to others. Lunablog gives us a idea on that with Here’s a family project that can really make a difference in someone’s life.

I am thankful that I get to see all growth my kids make. It makes my heart happy that I get the time and exposure to see when my kids are in transitions both academically and socially and not just the results. Domestic Entropy says that there's a transition that happens between preschool-age thinking and school-age thinking, and her daughter is right in the middle of it in Kids Grow Up and Change.

I am thankful that I have a modicum of control over the copious amounts of crafts my kids do. Not that I don't love every art piece but I can decide what kind of crafts they do that might actually fit in around the house. Also, I can ship off all the crafts to loved one as gifts instead of having to keep them around the house (insert evil giggle here;). That is why I love Mental Mosaic's Easy Gift Idea: Make Your Own Refrigerator Magnets. It is something that everyone can find a place for and they are cheap to mail!

I am thankful for the chance to help my children develop their minds through logic, starting very young. Play-Activities.com gives us some tools to Teach young children how to think by the way we talk to our kids, one word at a time.

I extremely thankful that I am blessed to teach my children to start learning as young as birth and not just waiting for kindergarten (not that most non-homeschoolers do, it is just a learning blessing). Lionden Learning gives us tips to stimulate infant brain development with Let's Get Moving. Talk About Speech has a good piece on Early Speech Development.

I am thankful for the ability to personalize education to my children. If I find they learn a different way or need extra work in an area, I am free to change course. A Ten O'Clock Scholar offers us Helping the Older Child Learn to Read. Speaking of reading, The Thinking Mother gives a review of Schooled. It centers around a homeschooled child and is for kids.

I am thankful for church and community support. I personally am blessed by having many people in my life, and especially in my church, that support my homeschooling even if they don't homeschool themselves. Small World knows about this kind of support. In Something Nice Happened Yesterday we find out about a church that volunteered to allow her support group use of their facilities. I am also grateful that homeschoolers come together and both celebrate our victories and support us when we need help. Boy+Academy has given us 45 Days: A Review to share how teacher and student have both grown. Barbara Frank gives us the gentle reminder that Parental Pressure Can Mean Failure. Janine at Why Homeschooling alerts us to the NEA Resolutions and what they really mean.

I am thankful for technology and the ability to use it to further my kids' education. Also I just enjoy the hunt for educational materials. Frugal Panda gives us 17 Ways to Get Free Books. That includes both traditional books and the easy to store e-books. Then Jimmy over at OEDb: Online Education Database gives us 101 Web 2.0 Teaching Tools. I am in love with Principled Discovery's Saturday School: Make Your Own Simple Circuit. We will make these for all the things we need quizzing on.

I am thankful that the more that people learn about kids and education, the more vindicated I am to everyone else about homeschooling. Ragamuffin Studies give us a little more proof in The Red Herring: Social Skills and Schools Today.

I am thankful that I am giving my kids an education that will get them into college (if they choose to go). Bright Kids at Home gives us record keeping tips in Homeschooling Teens-High School Record Keeping. Percieval Blakeney Academy tells us Don't Do This regarding 10 mistakes that are common in applying for college.

I am thankful that homeschooling frees me up to do things when I want. That includes enabling me to use field trips to its fullest ability. Alasandra shares A Gem of a Field Trip. I don't have to do school on anyone else's schedule. I can't let them sleep more and now I am justified by No Fighting, No Biting! with Kids Need Sleep. We can take an afternoon to do a cool activity like the Map and Compass Exercises at Melissa's Idea Garden. Welcome to My Brain shares the fun and delight her homeschool got by doing a float for a parade when she asks an important question. Doesn't everyone have one of these in their yard? I also get to enjoy the season with my kids. Just like My Domestic Church in The Loveliness of Fall Sports.

Life homeschooling can be very crazy and sometimes stressful. That is why I am so thankful for humor. I have been blessed (or did I just choose wisely?;) with a husband with a great sense of humor and that makes my life so much better. Having a sense of humor sometimes means laughing at yourself and sometimes laughing at others. Po Moyemu—In My Opinion gives us a great chuckle with Funny School T-Shirt. Then onto the hilarity at Consent of the Governed with A Wish List from Homeschoolers To Non-Homeschoolers. The list was so nice it was submitted more completely over at Grizzly Mama. But as I said sometimes we have to laugh at ourselves. That is the case for HomeSpun Juggling with A Picture is Worth a Thousand Bricks. I also love sweet childlike humor. Seeking Rest in the Ancient Paths give us kids answers to Why Did God Make Mothers?

I am most thankful for the blessing of having my family and being entrusted with loving and teaching these little, soon to be big people. Our Family Village tells us that apparently the government thinks that is can do a better job in Yikes!. Of course having everyone around all the time emotions can run high. Personal Development gives us some ways to deal in How To Calm Down. As if to assure us that those little ones will grow into a wonderful maturity Jocelyn Dixon offers us Being Thankful Because I Am Homeschooled.

I am also thankful for all of you and the blogosphere. It gives me an opportunity to meet many more people whom I share viewpoints and can learn from. That is the point of great carnivals like this so keep submitting you articles for upcoming carnivals and make sure you join in the fun.

Now that you have come to the end of my carnival I have a couple of requests. First, comment here and tell me what you are thankful for. Second, go read all these great articles and let the authors know what you think. The only thing better for a blogger than writing a great post is getting great feedback! Have a great Thanksgiving!

Carnival Roundup

I just want to point out that the Carnival of Recipes and the Carnival of Homeschooling are up! Go check them out.

Carnival Time

2 great Carnivals are now up. First is the Carnival of Homeschooling over at About.com:Homeschooling. Her theme this week is autism but that isn't what all the posts are about. The other carnival is Carnival of Recipes: Dieter's Edition. They seem to have some very yummy options and some non-dieting ones too!

Carnival of Homeschooling #84

(I am sorry for the delay on this Carnival but in addition to my previous excuses (my stomach bug) now NerdDad is throwing up and the Newest Nerdling may also have a little bit too. So have mercy on me;)

Welcome to the 84th edition of the Homeschooling Carnival. This week we are going to look at the carnival through the many reasons that the NerdFamily homeschools. We have many great entries so let us get started!

The first reason is academics. We have the control to dig in as deep as we would like in to each subject. In this many homeschoolers seem to have a never ending supply of great ideas but some do need help and that is why they read these blogs. Seeking Rest in the Ancient Paths does ask Why Finding Curriculum is so Difficult. Kathy at My Quivers Full starts our academic journey with Keeping Preschoolers Busy. Barb at Heart of Harmony offers us a Nature Study for Young People with both her and Charlotte Mason's tips for nature studies. Lindafay at Highter Up and Further In tells us How We Organize Apologia Notebooks for her highschooler in science. APMFormulators have a cool article on Gilding:Science Fair Idea for Homeschoolers. Suzanne at Adventures in Daily Living has found some great handwriting worksheet generators in Home-Schooling Resource. Remember that academics can include games. Melitsa at Play-Activities talks about this in Childhood Games. Lynn at HSBiz is taking full advantage of all the great academic resources on the internet with Getting Ready For School. Sue at Homeschooling Your Child shares her newest discovery - an excellent resource that lists free online high school courses (including AP classes) and homeschool curriculum. Alasandra has some online sites to learn about Mesoamerican culture. Denise at Let's Play Math gives us Alex's Puzzling Papyrus where Math + History = Fun! Learn how the ancient Egyptian scribes did multi-digit multiplication problems without knowing the times tables. Mrs. Happy Housewife gives us 12 weeks of South America Lesson Plans. Karen at The Thomas Institute explains how she came to choose Ray's Arithmetic for their math study and gave a brief overview of it. Waldorf Our Way gives us Step-Down Reading show how taking a more relaxed approach to reading is removing frustration and helping a non-reader to develop a more positive attitude toward the magic of reading. The Daily Planet gives us The Jewish Camps Essay as part of a WWII study.

Probably second only to academics is homeschooling allows me to raise my kids the way my husband and I want. This is instead of a)the government and b)the other kids. Tiffany at Life on the Road talks about Modest Dress in the 21st Century. I can say this is already an issue I ponder with my 4 year old girl. Dewey's Treehouse seems to agree with wanting to raise their own kids in their own way in Dr. Friendly Made Us Homeschool.

Another reason I homeschool is I can structure it the way I want. I don't like being held hostage by the public school's calendar or teaching philosophy. It is great that you can find whatever works for you or your child. Public School can't take the needs or goals of the individual into account when deciding on their overall philosophy but we can. It really comes down to finding the structure and timing that works best for your family. For example I have a newborn so I am not homeschooling for any big blocks of time. I also schedule things around church and other kids' nap times. I look to other homeschoolers for ideas, inspiration and just knowing what worked for them and they definitely have come through this week. Little Acorns Treehouse has a great post with Getting the Teacher Organized where she shows her custom made planner. Summer at Mom is Teaching is Planning for the New Year. Just4HomeschoolFamilies is sharing their plans in Our New School Year. With just my 4 kids I feel I am often losing my mind, can you imagine having 17? Barbara Frank talks about the Duggars newest arrival in Homeschooling a Dozen. I guess if the Duggars can do it I can too;). I guess the key is scheduling and flexibility. All Info About Home Schooling talks about your Ideal Schedule vs. Real Schedule.

It also means you choose what ever type of program works for you be it unschooling, Charlotte Mason, Classical or charters. But first, Lothlorien asks What Kind of Homeschooler are You? Nissa at Renaissance Academy gives us Keeping Charlotte Simple for Our Busy Family. It is part 1 in a series about how she is simplifying a classical/CM approach for her 6 children. The Headmistress at The Common Room talks about Good Clean Dirt and how playing ties into the Charlotte Mason theory. Lynn at Homeschool2.0 Blog tells us 5 Reasons Our Kids are in a Public Homeschool Program.

SeaBird Chronicles gives us Favorites: Parenting Books that include books that help homeschoolers in dealing with and understanding our children better so we can educate them better. Going further in that route is HowToMe's How to Teach your Auditory Learner to Study (2 of 4). Kim's Play Place talks about learning styles importance (or lack of) in Learning Styles Panned.

Remember that you are in control of your schedule so if you want to rework it, go for it. That is why a period of reflection each year can be useful. Elisheva at Ragamuffin Studies does just that in Homeschooling Four Seasons. Getting Ahead looks at what they do and tells us Why Homeschooling Works for Them. Unfortunately though, part of doing it your own way means that you have to pay for it. Once you choose That is why I like this post from Dawn at Day by Day Homeschooling on Home Budgeting Help for the Spreadsheet Impaired.

Yet another reason to homeschool is so you have the opportunity to teach your kids skills outside the normal academic skill set. In our house that would be cooking, money issues, etc. Mommy Babble has a great article, Knitting Obsession, on bringing in knitting as another skill. Some of what I want to teach them is to be well rounded and happy. Semicolon talks about the things to include in their days to be complete people in The Rule of Six , or Seven, or Eight, or Ten.

Another reason I like homeschooling is that it is equal opportunity. My kids are part of a large diverse group because anyone can homeschool. This isn't just for the wealthy or highly degreed or we wouldn't be able to do it. Deanna at Marcy's Musings discusses public perception of homeschooling vs. the truth about the tremendous variety we really come in with What are Homeschoolers Really Like? Dana at Principled Discovery is also Playing with Some Homeschool Stereotypes. Though homeschoolers inherently have some share goals and this is often played out at conferences. Consent of the Governed shares such a conference with the Love To Learn Conference.

Yet another reason I homeschool is the politics of the matter and the fact the system doesn't work. I believe in small government and fiscal responsibility. I believe that I (and many other parents) do a better job with much less money than the current system. The government seems to be quite happy with the way things are and I am not. I believe that homeschooling is the best way to change the overall system. Why Homeschool has a Response to a Comment that seemed to question that. Bending the Twigs looks at the issues of accountability and efficiency in People in Glass Houses. Around here schooling boundaries are an arbitrary, bureaucratic and a very big deal, Clovis Unified vs. Fresno, which elementary school, etc. Well Life Without School talks about boundaries in public and homeschools in No Boundaries. Po Moyemu--In My Opinion talks about Albemarle's Home Instruction Policy Manual. This is not merely a local issue, but addresses issues of accountability, understanding the law, and defining "educational progress."

All my reasons add up to a theme I want for my children's lives which is a love a learning. Katherine at No Fighting, No Biting! shows this well with School Supplies. Another example of a life of learning is illustrated with Sebastian's at Percival Blakeney Academy offering of Field Trip to Athens.

There are also always more reasons and Just Enough and Nothing More shares some of these in 5 Homeschooling Secrets.

Of course, when you are in charge of your child's academic future it is normal to have some feelings of inadequacy. Annette at Homeschooling Journey shares her experience dealing with the holes in her education in Homeschooling Teens.

But in all this remember, homeschooling is personal choice and shouldn't be forced upon anyone. Not to say marriage isn't a negotiation. Notes From a Homeschooling Mom talks about this in How Do I Get My Wife to Homeschool our Kids?

The final reason to homeschool is to produce productive adults (who might even homeschool their kids;) who are smarter than me. Elizabeth at Little Cottage in the Northwoods appears to be just that in Reflections of a Homeschooled Girl. After reading a Wall Street Journal column about small business and corporate culture and the hiring process, ChristineM at The Thinking Mother wonders if our homeschooled independent thinkers will be able to land a job when they are adults in Adult Workers and Clones. Home Spun Juggling talks about those moments when our goal starts becoming reality and the kids start knowing things we don't in Home Spun Comic Strip #119.

Now, separate from all this, homeschoolers are very generous people and we have a couple of posts that prove it! Summer at Mom is Teaching asks How Many Homeschool Supplies Could You Get For $300? 3 of the people who leave a comment on one of the network sites will win some money to find out. Megan at Imaginif…child protection became Serious Business tells us to Enter to win a set of five Aussie Animal Finger Puppets!

That brings us to an end of this week's Carnival. Next week Dewey's Treehouse will be hosting and you can go here to get all the details on submitting an article. Remember all opinions expressed here are mine and not necessarily an contributers. So go read and comment!

Carnival of Homeschooling is Coming!

Just a quick note to let you know that the Carnival is on its way. Stomach bugs and nursing take a lot of time out of blogging so it isn't going to be up as early as I hoped. It will be up today (Tuesday) just not quite yet!

There are countless great entries. Ok, so I counted them but they are numerous and good so come back and check them out!

Pregnancy Carnival

Hi everyone! Here is the latest edition of the Pregnancy Carnival. I don't have any cute themes but so great articles none the less. Let us jump right in!

As always we are looking for ways to deal with pregnancy, its symptoms and its chaos. Mommin' It Up shares her own chaos and life in Days of Chunder. Patricia Hughes at More4Kids gives us Stress Relief Tips During Pregnancy. Emmahoney.com asks "Why Exercise During Pregnancy?". Busy Bee Mama tells us How to Go from Overwhelmed to Productive. Momat35 shares what she has learned from her experiences in How Pregnancy Influenced My Career and Ambition.

In the preparation for baby category we have some good entries. PotPieGirl at Unusual Baby Boy Names provides us with a list of Baby Naming Tips. I Love the Beach tells us How To Make A Beach Baby Nursery. Biotunes.org asks "Is the triple screen for Down Syndrome right for you?". APMFormulators says that Obstetricans have no Idea what non-medicalized Birth is.

Next we have a couple of post birth issues. Rebuild from Depression gives us Breastfeeding Diet: Vitamin D and Iron in New Moms. BustWithAttitude.com provides us with one of our raciest entries (yet needed for some) with Sexy Plus-Size Nursing Bra.

You have to have a little pregnancy politics to finish your day. Phil for Humanity gives us Abortion: Religion versus Practicality versus Morality. Two Babes and a Brain offer us OH...What the Hell... about NYC hospitals ban on freebie formula.

This wraps up this edition of the Pregnancy Carnival. If you might be interested in hosting the Pregnancy Carnival please email me at mom@nerdfamily.com. If you want to submit a piece for the next edition please go to BlogCarnival and fill out the form!

Call for Entries

Hey everyone! The long awaited Pregnancy Carnival will be up this Friday so send in your entries! I am also looking for guest hosts so if you are interested just email me at mom@nerdfamily.com.

Pregnancy Carnival

Welcome to the June 12, 2007 edition of carnival of pregnancy. Sorry that is it is so late in coming but I forgot to post it before I went to the hospital. I am proud to announce that we have made our final Nerdling addition. She was born Weds the 13 and was 8lbs 8oz and 21 inches long! We are happy but tired.

Pamm presents Homebirth Twilight Zone posted at We Survived The Teens.

Kate Baggott presents Unassisted Childbirth Considered More “Normal” posted at Babylune, saying, "Reclaiming nature or reintroducing danger to childbirth."

Kendra presents Curious About Episiotomy Recovery? posted at vbacadventure.com, saying, "Scared of an episiotomy? Me too! Here are some tips for taking care of rips, tears, and cuts in your most private place."

Kendra Dahlstrom presents Failure to Progress in Labor to Protect Your Baby posted at vbacadventure.com, saying, "If you felt like your c-section was a failure on your part, read this article to gain a new perspective!"

Hueina Su presents Practice Detached Involvement posted at Intensive Care for the Nurturer's Soul, saying, "Parenting is one "risky business" with very unpredictable ROI. Sometimes things just don't work out the way you want it, despite your best intention & efforts. What can you do to save your sanity and inner peace?"

Fun Facts Other

Christian Bachmann presents Dental hygiene even more important when pregnant posted at Med Journal Watch, saying, "News from a scientific study that every mother-to-be should know."

Sheppard Salter presents Breast Feeding posted at salterblog.com.

Csara presents Amazing Pregnant Bellies! posted at Baby Talkers.

Julie Heath - More4kids Inc. presents Tips for Traveling During Pregnancy posted at Julie Heath - More4kids Inc..

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
carnival of pregnancy
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags:

carnival of pregnancy, blog carnival.

Carnival of Pregnancy

Welcome to the May 4, 2007 edition of carnival of pregnancy. I admit it, I am once again using a template but we have so many great entries I think it is east to over look;). For those of you that have been tracking me, I am now 32 weeks and on bed rest (when I can get it). Just a little over 6 weeks until my scheduled C-Section and I can't wait.

Hala O'Keeffe presents Cherchez la femme posted at Retired Waif.

Dana presents Welcome to the world, little Peanut! posted at Principled Discovery.

Kendra Dahlstrom presents Finding the Right VBAC Physician or Birthing Professional posted at vbacadventure.com, saying, "This article is designed to assist women who are attempting a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) find a birthing professional. However, all pregnant women can take away some valuable information in reguards to physicians."

Kristen Munson presents Help For Hypertension In Pregnancy posted at Love Shak, Baby.

Fun Facts Other

Leisa presents Yoghurt DVD posted at downwiththekids.net.

Julie Heath - More4kids Inc. presents Pregnancy: Early Signs Of Labor posted at Julie Heath - More4kids Inc..

Kristen Munson presents Love Shak, Baby: Taking Sudafed PE While Pregnant posted at Love Shak, Baby, saying, "A must read about the safety of certain over the counter meds while pregnant."

Julie Heath - More4kids Inc. presents Changes in the Eighth Month of Pregnancy posted at Julie Heath - More4kids Inc..

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of pregnancy using our carnival submission form. The next carnival is on May 25th with the dealdline on the 23rd. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags:

carnival of pregnancy, blog carnival.

Call for Entries

Just a reminder that Wednesday is the deadline for the next Pregnancy Carnival. Just pop over to BlogCarnival to submit a post!

Pregnancy Carnival

Welcome to the April 13, 2007 edition of carnival of pregnancy. Due to my exhaustion with my own pregnancy I am taking help where I can get it with the template. Next time I will put a little more of myself into it;).

Hueina Su presents Take Time for Friendships posted at Intensive Care for the Nurturer's Soul, saying, "Remember that story of a mom telling her soon-to-be-married daughter to never let go of her girlfriends? In our super-busy society, it's easy to neglect the important relationships in our life. As I navigated through school, career, marriage, and motherhood, I became more and more appreciative and grateful for my old friends. No matter how busy you are, I hope you take time to nurture the significant friendships in your life."

Stacie Turner presents Things Not to Say to a Very Pregnant Woman posted at The Twinkies.

Kate Baggott presents Postpartum Painkillers You Shouldn’t Take posted at Babylune, saying, "Just a reminder, when you deal with post-birth pain, your pain killer should not include codeine!"

Kate Baggott presents A Sensual Birth posted at Babylune, saying, "Second submission: If you plan to give birth without pain relief, you might want to consider a sensual birth."

H.S. Ayoub presents biotech stocks, news, commentary - BioHealth Investor posted at BioHealth Investor.

OurBlogs presents The Perfect Play-Day posted at A Guide to Raising Great Kids.

isabella mori presents granny post number 4: waiting, waiting posted at change therapy, saying, "a post on pregnancy from the point of view of a terribly excited grandmother-to-be"

Wixx presents 10 Baby Items You Think You Need, But Really Don’t posted at Personal Finance Advice, saying, "10 things that most parents assume they need when they have a baby, but really don't."

Fun Facts Other

Niki Anders presents Let?s talk cloth posted at The-A-TEAM.

Leisa presents Out of the mouths of strangers posted at downwiththekids.net.

Julie Heath - More4kids Inc. presents Pregnancy: Choosing Baby Names posted at Julie Heath - More4kids Inc..

Andrea presents What is Physiotherapy? posted at Travel Vaccinations, saying, "Physiotherapy can be of great benefit to expectant mothers."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
carnival of pregnancy
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags:

carnival of pregnancy, blog carnival.