Tate and I went out of town last week, and she had a ball spending most of her afternoons playing with friends and running in the sunshine. But in the evenings she’d wind down, and as grown-up as she seems to be lately (she’s 7 going on 17), her one request before slipping on her pajamas was this: “Mom, can you read Charlotte’s Web to me?”

This was important to her, even on a fun vacation. (I mean, don’t get me wrong, the girl also likes Phinneas & Ferb.) But she’s a decent reader for her age, and she enjoys tackling easier chapter books on her own (Magic Treehouse, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, and the like). From her infancy, we’ve ended our days snuggling and reading aloud. It’s her magical time where she can enter a world through her imagination, without having to “practice” her reading skills. All five of us are now often crammed on one bed to hear the evening’s story.

As Tate’s attention span has increased, so have our reading options—this means we often tackle chapter books with minimal pictures. Now, her two younger brothers still mostly listen to these types of books as they do other things, but that’s okay by me. I know at least the 4-year-old is listening. In his own way.

Here are some of our family’s favorite recent chapter books for reading aloud.
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Photo by Peter Harris

Written by Jamie Martin of Simple Homeschool and Steady Mom.

The world is changing. Technology has connected continents like never before. Within seconds, we hear about triumphs or tragedies happening in faraway places. With this amazing knowledge comes a deep responsibility.

This is the world in which our children live. We have the privilege of introducing them to its beauties, its cultures, and even its challenges. Our kids can become the world’s problem solvers, providing they’ve developed a compassionate heart and an international mindset.

It’s easy for all of us – mothers and children alike – to be mostly concerned with ourselves, our needs, and our own countries. But a personal, intentional connection with the world broadens our horizons, keeps our problems in perspective, and supplies us with ideas to positively impact others.

A global perspective eliminates a “them” and “us” mentality – when we realize that those around the planet cherish similar hopes and dreams as our own, it makes the world a smaller place. A place our children can influence and help.

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Last year, Tate went to a (very affordable, wonderfully diverse) private school for kindergarten. I honestly never thought we’d ever do private school. The year before, living overseas, we worked through a simple homeschool curriculum for preschool. If you asked me before we moved, I’d have told you we’d never, ever homeschool.

This year, we’re homeschooling for first grade. Life’s funny that way.

Kyle and I are both public school products, having attended the same local schools from K through 12th. We both had good experiences, and always assumed we’d default to the same public school route for our own children. Quite honestly, we held to a certain stereotype of homeschoolers. You know the stereotype, too: large families wearing matching jumpers and not letting their kids play with other children. Inept social skills.

In my short stint as a parent, I’ve discovered that there IS one right way to educate your child. And it’s true for every family, every child.

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Written by parenting teens contributor Robin Dance of Pensieve.

My first-born will begin her college freshman year later this month.  With over 4,500 colleges and universities in our country, deciding where to attend followed a rigorous, months’ long odyssey that required investigation, perseverance, and sifting through a lot of noise.  Because we didn’t begin sooner, we also had the added pressure of short deadlines.

While information is readily available if you’re willing to invest the energy and time to find it, the college search can be daunting.  I’d like to share some of what we learned with the hope of helping those of you with college in your child(ren)’s future.  These tips are offered to:

• simplify the process of searching for—and determining—the best college for your child
• lessen confusion and frustration
• encourage you to act earlier than we did!
• possibly even save you money!

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Today I’m over at Simple Homeschool, participating in the 2011 Curriculum Fair. Contributors are sharing what tools they’ll be using this next school year, so it’s been a great month of finding resources for this upcoming adventure of ours.

I’m a newbie when it comes to homeschooling. This can’t be overstated enough — those of you who feel completely green at homeschooling, count me among your throngs. I’ve done a lot of reading and research, but that doesn’t replace good ol’ experience.

When Tate was four, we homeschooled for pre-K while we lived overseas, using Five in a Row. I had a great experience with that, but of course, that took about 30 minutes per day, more or less. At four and a half, she asked me to teach her to read. I used The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading, and it worked wonderfully.

These two things were it for any sort of preschool. She didn’t need anything else but this, hours of play, tons of available books at her disposal, and plenty of outside time and sleep.

Then we unexpectedly moved to the U.S. last summer, and we decided to enroll Tate in a Charlotte Mason school here in Austin. Our family had a great experience — it’s not everyday you find a local school that reflects your educational philosophy.

But in a few weeks, we’re moving. Again. We’re going to homeschool for first grade for a variety of reasons, mostly to take advantage of its flexibility. Our lifestyle is so fluid, and homeschooling fits beautifully with that.

While we have a very nomadic lifestyle, I actually thrive quite a bit on structure, so my homeschool plans reflect this. Part of this is preemptive: I also have two other little ones, a business to run, a book to start, speaking engagements, and travel plans. If I don’t somewhat structure our school, I’m afraid it’ll never happen.

So. Here are our plans for first grade this next year.