Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is in Mat-Su!
... join Best Beginnings and local sponsors - give the gift of reading.
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It sounds almost too simple to be true, but by reading regularly with your children during their early years – from birth! – you are giving them the biggest boost toward success they will receive. Emilie Buchwald said, “Children become readers on the laps of their parents." So true! Sign up now! If your child is… |
Enroll now: Click here for enrollment form. Change of Address: Donate now: |
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Check out the Best Beginnings Pinterest Board!
Promoting early learning through resources and activities you can use at home,
featuring books from the Imagination Library.
Help your child get ready to read and ready for kindergarten.
During the first three years of a child’s life, the brain develops at an extremely fast rate. This is when children are more receptive to gaining language and literacy skills. It is critical that during this time we promote early literacy. There are five early literacy practices that every child needs to get ready for kindergarten: Read, Sing, Play, Talk and Write. Download examples of things you can do to help your child.
Traveling Safe with Children
It’s that wonderful time of the year when many families are traveling - and many parents are wondering how they can ensure their children’s health, safety and overall well-being on their trips. Explore our travel links.
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Grandma knows best.  |
Reading to the dog!  |
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Your Child's Development:
Age-Based Tips From Birth to 36 Months
This set of nine, age-based handouts includes:
- A chart that helps you know what to expect developmentally from your child and how you can help your child learn at each stage
- Frequently asked questions and answers
- A spotlight section that goes into greater depth on a common issue or challenge for each age
- A research summary specific to each stage of development, and what it means for parents
Birth to 3 Months: Your Baby’s Development
3 to 6 Months: Your Baby’s Development
6 to 9 Months: Your Baby’s Development
The more words children are exposed to in their first few years, the
better they fare in
school and in life. Right from birth, babies both
initiate communication with their parents and respond – through crying,
facial expressions, and arm waving, to name a few. Two-way interaction,
what neuroscientists call “serve-and-return,” is critical to building
neural connections in the baby brain. Talk, sing, read, and play with
your child every day!
- This 30-second video is showing on TV
- Cool refrigerator magnets reinforce the message (limited supply available - contact Best Beginnings)
For more tips on how to add more words and interaction to your child’s life, check out these resources:
Praise the effort
Even if your baby is the smartest person since Einstein, don’t tell her that. It’s much better to praise how hard she works. Research at Stanford University found that children whose efforts are praised (rather than innate smarts) are more motivated and eager to face challenges later. View research.
There’s more the Mat-Su Imagination Library does…
Mat-Su community volunteers organize enrollment events, family fun sessions, coordinate with local agencies, and raise funds to sponsor Mat-Su children in the program. Plus, maintain a current email address with us and receive free activity sheets and reading tips for your Imagination Library books.
Mat-Su families love Imagination Library ...
I would like to say thank you. My son has been receiving books for some time now. He is 4 and these books have truly made him excited about reading. He loves getting a new book and has me read them so many times, he memorizes them and "reads" them back to me word for word.
I am truly grateful. ~ Tina
(Athan turned 5 years old and graduated from the program.)
My son Athan was a little bummed to learn that he no longer gets books in the mail the other day. The good news is, he got to check his first book out at the school library, so that’s opening a whole new world to him. We have so loved being part of the Imagination Library - thank you for all the good work you do. It’s certainly expanded our horizons in terms of offering books that I might not generally pick for our crew of boys to read. “Tea Party Rules” was one of those - it was quite the hit and we read it over and over for a few weeks.
Thank you, and thanks for all you do! ~ Rindi
Thank you, Linda! Your hard work is a tremendous asset to kids in the Valley! Both Ella and Ian (3 1/2 and 23 months) LOVE their books. Ella "reads" to us every day with the books she has memorized. Over in the Meadow and I Am a Rainbow are two current favorites. Going to the mailbox is quite a treat! ~ Laura
"My little guy loves his August gift, A Place called Kindergarten. He goes to kindergarten next year so it really made his day. He even memorized the rainbow song shared in the book!!! Thank you!!" ~ Ashley Kelly
"Thank you so much for coordinating this program. I'm sure you know what a difference this program can make in the lives of children whose parents do not buy them books. My daughter was so surprised when we read her first book, the little engine. I enjoyed it too since I had not seen it since I was a child. She now knows 'I think I can, I think I can' like the little engine that could. The pictures in the book are great for discussion. She enjoys 'reading' the book back to me after I've read it to her and I can tell that she paid attention since she can repeat some of the lines verbatim. Thanks again for participating in this program and for giving kids the gift of reading in the MSB (like I always say, you're never bored if you're a reader)." ~ The Simeroth Family - Elena, Tony, and Skyler Jade
"Dream More, Learn More, Care More, Be More." -- Dolly Parton
