Did you “Go Blue” on Friday, April 6th? If you did, you joined hundreds of Alaskans who wore blue to show their support for National Child Abuse Prevention Month. April is National Child Abuse Prevention month, a nationwide effort to raise public awareness about and take a stand against child abuse and neglect. It is Read More
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When 1 in 3 Alaska children live in poverty, quality family time is precious.
Numerous studies corroborate what we know through observation and experience: children growing up in families with limited resources and supports are not always adequately prepared for kindergarten. They are less likely to be good readers by third grade, graduate from high school, stay out of the public assistance system, or avoid going to jail. But Read More
Media and Young Children Today
It wasn’t that long ago when “screen time” meant time spent watching television – parents were advised to set limits on how much time a child spent sitting in front of a TV and not to put a TV in a child’s bedroom. These days it’s far more complicated. TV is still a player, but Read More
Give Great Books to Kids on Your Holiday List
The holiday season is gift-giving time for many families with young children. While we often spend a lot of effort deciding which toy a special child might enjoy, books are also a wonderful gift for that child! Here are some ideas for you about matching books with children’s ages and a fabulous list of suggestions Read More
November 2017 E-Newletter: Talk is Cheap – and Priceless.
People say talk is cheap, but for babies, talk is priceless. Talking with babies has been shown to have an amazing impact on the growth of their brains and development of language, key to their future success in school and in life. And, unlike products that are advertised to parents as critical to making their babies Read More
Talk is Cheap – and Priceless.
People say talk is cheap, but for babies, talk is priceless. Talking with babies has been shown to have an amazing impact on the growth of their brains and development of language, key to their future success in school and in life. And, unlike products that are advertised to parents as critical to making their Read More
October 2017 E-newsletter: Growing Alaska readers
Thousands of parents, a group of generous supporters, and dedicated volunteers have one thing in common: they are on the front line of inspiring young Alaskans to become life-long readers. Statewide survey results are in and Imagination Library is making a big difference for Alaska families. To keep the books coming to those families, the 3rd Annual First Read More
Laying the foundation for school success
About 10,000 Alaska children are entering school this fall, for the first time, as kindergartners. We wish them the very best start to a successful school career! It’s positive interactions between babies and caring adults that help set the foundation for the first day of school. Yes, it starts with babies. In addition to reading Read More
Book Party in the Park 2017
FREE Books and Family Fun Join Best Beginnings for an event that celebrates the importance of literacy and language! We invite you to thread’s 11th Annual Book Party in the Park on August 10th from 4-7 pm. Children of all ages will have access to FREE books, live music, snacks, crafts, multilingual story-time, and other Read More
Good News & Bad
There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that the Legislature has passed an operating budget that includes funding for early childhood — $320,000 for Best Beginnings, $500,000 for Parents as Teachers, and $2 million for PreK grants. A big Thank You! to all those concerned Alaskans who met with, called, and emailed Read More