I still think of September as the beginning of the year, despite the fact that my children are grown up and I no longer participate in all the rituals around getting ready for the first day of school. It feels a bit like one of those first days of school though, here at Best Beginnings, because we just re-launched our Web site and published new materials in Spanish for parents of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.
We are eager to hear your comments about the new Best Beginnings website and any suggestions you have to make it more useful. It is intended to provide updates about Best Beginnings’ work, resources for parents and early childhood educators, and information about why quality early learning experiences are so critical.
In addition to the website, we have also just completed activity guides in Spanish based on the Early Learning Guidelines developed by the Departments of Education & Early Development and Health & Social Services, and endorsed by the State Board of Education & Early Development. The Guidelines describe what children from birth to age 5 should know, understand, and be able to do. They are aligned with the new Alaska Developmental Profile and the K-2 Standards, ensuring seamless transitions for children. The set of three activity guides, for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, incorporate the way children learn into activities that parents and adults who work with young children can use to support a young child’s development.
These activity guides are the first step in implementing the Ready to Read, Ready to Learn recommendation to “distribute Alaska’s Early Learning Guidelines (ELGs) in family friendly formats.” The Alaska Children’s Trust and the Department of Education & Early Development provided major funding for the project.
You can get a free copy of each activity guide in Spanish by calling our main line at (907) 297-3300.
Best,
Abbe
