Academic Beginnings for Children (ABC)

"Read 20 minutes every day with your child"

READY! FOR KINDERGARTEN CLASSES

Parents, will your child be ready to be successful when he/she starts Kindergarten? Families in Lake Stevens have a special opportunity to learn fun ways to help their pre-school children be READY for Kindergarten! READY! for Kindergarten is an exciting program for parents of children who will enter Kindergarten in the Fall of 2012 and/or 2013. Classes are in both English and Spanish and offer parents literacy, math and social and emotional development activities through interacting and playing with your child. The classes will meet six times with activities and information designed to support you as you help your child develop a love of learning and be ready to be successful in Kindergarten. Thanks to ABC, the Lake Stevens Education Foundation, Lake Stevens School District, Sno-Isle Library and funding from United Way of Snohomish County, classes are Free for families living in Lake Stevens. For more information, please contact Leslie Elsemore at elsemore.email@frontier.com or 425 334-8081.

About ABC

Academic Beginnings for Children, ABC, is a sub committee of the Lake Stevens Education Foundation that works in partnership with the Lake Stevens School District, Sno-Isle Library and United Way of Snohomish County with the goal of increasing the number of children entering Kindergarten with the necessary skills to be successful.

ABC's mission is to support early learning for children birth to 5 within the Lake Stevens School District to ensure they are equipped with the basic pre literacy, pre-math and social and emotional skills to succeed in school and in life.

ABC sponsors programs, provides materials, activities and events that support and honor parents as their child's first and most important teacher. Reading to and with children 20 minutes a day is one of the most important and effective things we can do to ensure their readiness for school. Each year we sponsor "Read 20 minutes a day" Celebrations at local businesses and the library.

Sponsored Programs

ABC sponsors a Spring Literacy Concert for young families; children receive a book bag, thanks to the generous support of Rotary, a new book and a bookmark as well as literature for parents.

In 2008, through our partnership with United Way of Snohomish County, we were able to bring the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to Lake Stevens. Every child age 0 - 5 living within the Lake Stevens School District boundaries is eligible to receive a new book in the mail each month until his/her 5th birthday. The goal is for every child to have books of their own to inspire their imagination and to be read to 20 minutes every day.

READY for Kindergarten classes in both English and Spanish are available for parents of 3 and 4 year olds. READY for Kindergarten is a research-based program that gives parents the information, materials and tools/toys they need to prepare their children to be primed and eager to learn. The classes focus on age appropriate pre-literacy skills, pre-math skills and social and emotional development. Parents take these tools and activities home to engage in "purposeful play" with their children.

BORN LEARNING TRAILS: ABC, United Way of Snohomish County, the City of Lake Stevens, LS Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions Clubs all worked together to install Born Learning Trails, a series of signs with activity suggestions for families to enhance the fun and learning while playing at both Lundeen Park and The Lake Stevens Community Park.

Our partnership with Volunteers of America Childhood Resource and Referral allows us to offer continuing education classes and credit for childcare providers and preschool teachers in Lake Stevens.

Throughout the school year, "Kaleidoscope Play and Learn" groups for pre-school age children and parents/care-givers meet Tuesday mornings from 9:30-11:00 at the Lake Stevens Community Center (next to the Library).

For more information about any of these activities, please contact Leslie Elsemore at elsemore.email@frontier.com or by mail at PO Box 1495, Lake Stevens, WA 98258