“Hectic” is how many young parents I know describe their everyday lives. Yet they really want to spend time with their young children and help those brains grow. Over the years, as a parent and now a grandparent, I’ve learned a few tricks. Busy times often present wonderful opportunities for your child to explore the Read More
Language gap starts in infancy, study finds
The quality and quantity of verbal interactions between parent and baby show up even earlier than previously thought, according to a new Stanford study. Low-income children show achievement gaps in language development as early as 18 months. Learn more »
Why the 30 million word gap is so important
Our words count. In more ways than many of us ever realized. It’s been 18 years since Betty Hart and Todd Risley published their landmark study on the giant gap – 30 million – in words heard by young children depending on their socio-economic status. In the last six months, we’ve seen an explosion of Read More
Sane voices on a hot topic: digital media and early learning
Television is still a huge part of children’s daily lives. And now digital media poses all sorts of new questions and challenges. How to make sense of it all? A science roundtable organized by the New America Foundation offers great advice on managing digital media for young children. Answers here.
New kindergarten page
There is so much research, data, and advice specifically on the subject of kindergarten readiness that we have organized a new page for easy use. Some of the information is pertinent to parents and families, some relates more to policy and data. We hope you find it helpful.
Build baby brain at grocery store
Dreading a trip to the grocery store with a small child? It’s actually a great opportunity to build a baby brain. 7 Ways to Build Your Baby’s Brain at the Grocery Store | The Urban Child Institute. Check out our Babies on Track for a video – and really cute companion baby books – for Read More
Oasis of calm
The Parents’ Pit Stop was a huge success at last month’s Tanana Valley State Fair in Fairbanks, serving nearly 2,000 people. Parents with infants and toddlers could relax, recharge, and receive local information on family resources and health. Parents’ Pit Stop was organized by the Fairbanks Breastfeeding Coalition in collaboration with Fairbanks Families.
Attendance matters, even in child care
If somebody asks whether showing up for work every day makes a difference in how well someone does his job, you’d probably think, “Of course it does.” We have the same response about students’ attendance at school. To mark September as the first-ever Attendance Awareness Month, Debi Baldwin (a Best Beginnings board member and director Read More
We have wonderful friends
Several businesses and organizations recently donated to our work, helping Alaska’s children become Ready for School. We hope you’ll thank them, too: Northrim Bank, Alaska State Literacy Association, and, for the creation of StoryTRACKS: Anchorage Park Foundation, Blaines Art, Eagle Enterprises, REI, Stake Shop, and Barnes & Noble.
Is your family ready for kindergarten?
We’ve focused a lot on a child’s abilities and skills for kindergarten. What about the family? A kindergarten-ready family has routines to insure good attendance. They have set ground rules explaining the differences between acceptable home behavior and acceptable public behavior. Is your family kindergarten-ready?
