This week we have a reminder to keep an eye out for busywork. How Do I Homeschool lists five signs a task is filler, from repetition long after mastery (if the concept clicks by problem five, the next fifteen are optional) to word searches, mindless coloring pages, copywork past the point of diminishing returns, and worksheets that reward scanning for bold words instead of understanding. With new-year planning underway, it is a useful filter for deciding what stays in the schedule. We also highlight a step-by-step plan for what to teach once letter sounds are mastered, a parent's account of a Preply account takeover worth reading before you fund a tutoring balance, and a literary agent on what is rising (graphic novels, narrative nonfiction) and fading (dystopias, clean YA) in children's publishing.