Forget to bring your book to a park? Looking to share one of your favorite reads? Best Beginnings, in collaboration with Anchorage Park Foundation, has finished the installation of 10 new Little Free Libraries in 10 parks throughout Anchorage. A Little Free Library is a “take a book, leave a book” free book exchange. Read More
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Wine Women & Shoes
We have something big to celebrate! 15 years ago, from the Ready to Read, Ready to Learn Task Force chaired by former First Lady Nancy Murkowski, came an organization called Best Beginnings. And since then we have helped hundreds of thousands of Alaska families build a better foundation for learning! We invite you to take Read More
Ways to Support Healthy Brain Development
Supporting your child’s brain development is not hard. Like many other things, it’s making the conscious effort to do what you can when you can. Being a loving and patient caregiver is the biggest thing that will aid your child’s development. Remember that you are a guide for your child. Every day interactions are the Read More
Healthy Brain Development
Expecting parents usually talk about how they hope their child is born healthy and happy. There are so many pieces that make children healthy, and for Children’s Health month we are going to focus on early brain development. Believe it or not, our brains develop the most between birth and age three. By the time Read More
Anchorage Imagination Library Service Update
Editor’s Note: As of spring 2023, enrollment in Anchorage Imagination Library is open to ALL zip codes in the Municipality of Anchorage. Thanks in large part to a one-time grant from the city to support the program. Original Article: In August 2021, Anchorage Imagination Library made an important service announcement. Due to limited funding, Best Read More
Fun Books for Practicing How Books Work
Off to See the Sea by Nikki Grimes (Toddler, Preschool) With phenomenal mixed-media illustrations, this story is about a reluctant bath-taker and his mother who weaves a magical and persuasive tale to convince her child to get clean in the tub. The story is simple, but the creative way the words swirl on the page Read More
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
We’re right in the middle of Hispanic Heritage month that runs this year from September 15 to October 15. As you might know, during this month we honor and recognize the achievements and contributions Hispanic and Latinx peoples have made in the United States and around the world. Many of us have experienced Latino cultures Read More
Ways to Teach How Books Work
As you read with your child, take time to point out various features. You don’t need to do it every time you read aloud, but try to add them in when your child is in the reading zone: Book parts: front, back, spine Title of book, name of author/illustrator, where you begin reading Language: a Read More
How Books Work
Do remember learning how a book works? Not how to read the words, but do you remember learning which direction to turn pages, how to know the front from the back, or how to scan the words across a page? These rules are language based and vary. It may sound funny, but we all need Read More
Ways to Build Narrative Skills
What can you do to encourage your child to build their narrative skills? Ask open-ended questions that encourage conversations and have no right/wrong answer Talk about the order things happened during the day (first, then, last) Use a wordless book that your child can use to tell you a story After reading a book, mix Read More