Youth Thanksgiving DVDs

Sat, 11/19/2011 - 3:02pm by calmesa

Remember the good old fashioned, Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, which was originally broadcasted in 1973? Re-live the magic and check out this DVD to watch with your family for this year's Thanksgiving! The library also has the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving in Blu-Ray format. If you are looking for fun, yet informational DVDs that teach children about the first Thanksgiving, we have those too. Take a look at Rabbit Ears : Squanto & The First Thanksgiving. This DVD tells the story of Pawtuxet Indian who was captured and then escaped and returned to his childhood home. He then helped the Pilgrims establish the colony of Plymouth. Or, check out William Bradford : First Thanksgiving if you and your children want to learn more about the history of the first Thanksgiving. If you are feeling like you just want to warm up to a children's holiday favorite, check out Winnie The Pooh: Seasons of Giving, which includes "A Winnie The Pooh Thanksgiving."

A Strategy for Reading with Preschoolers: Prompt, Evaluate, Expand, Repeat

Mon, 10/31/2011 - 7:32pm by OneillT

Even if you know that reading to your child is most effective if the child and you are both reacting to the book, it can still be difficult to think about how to engage your child. One effective method, explained more fully here, is to use a brief sequence of exchanges to solicit responses of greater depth.

The sequence is called PEER, and stands for Prompt, Evaluate, Expand, and Repeat. In Prompting, the adult asks a child a question about something that they see or have just had read to them. The adult then Evaluates, considering what the child has said. Next, the adult Expands upon the child's statements, adding new information. Repeat the prompt from the beginning to see how the child has adapted the new information.

Through a quick interaction, the child gets to test the edge of their understanding, learn a little bit more, and gain confidence in their abilities. It also gets the adult in the habit of engaging the child in conversation about reading, which is great for the long-term development of the child's reading habits.

Fairy Delight

Wed, 10/26/2011 - 3:08pm by StoryLaura

You can feel the fairy buzz at the AADL fairy door in anticipation of our Halloween Party. The fairies are hoping to see Tinker Bells, Tooth Fairies and more! Join us at 10:30 am or 11:30 am for stories, songs and then head to Main Street for trick-or-treating!

Responsive Reading with Your Preschooler

Sat, 10/15/2011 - 3:17pm by OneillT

When children are learning about books, keeping them actively involved is a good way for them to gain more from their time with you and their reading. One great way to do get them involved is with dialogic reading. Great for use with children just beginning to learn about books, this reading style encourages the child to be an active participant in the reading process, talking with the adult about what they are learning.

There are many ways to engage your child in the story, keeping both of you interested and allowing the child to talk about what they are seeing. Ask them what shapes, colors, and words they see or know. While reading, prompting them with questions is encouraged, as is responding to what the child is saying about the book. After asking a question, following up with more detail also helps the child to grow their understanding.

Dialogic reading helps the child to begin talking about their reading, an important process in improving vocabulary, understanding, and the ability to talk about what they read (oral language skills). It also teaches the child that reading can be a responsive, social activity.

Hot Youth DVDs

Wed, 08/03/2011 - 11:38am by calmesa

Have you been waiting to watch some of the newest youth DVD releases? Has your family been wanting to see Rio and other popular movies that were in theaters recently? Well, the AADL has some great new and popular youth DVDs! Stop in at the downtown youth department or at any of our branch locations to check out or put a hold on some of these awesome titles. Here are just a few of them:

Rango
Tangled
Gnomeo & Juliet
The Chronicles of Narnia. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Check Out Some of Our New Youth DVDs!

Sat, 07/09/2011 - 1:42pm by calmesa

Come take a peak at the some of the new and interesting Youth DVDs at the AADL! We are always getting fun and exciting movies for you and your family to check out. We have the new Sesame Street DVD, Sesame Street. Elmo's Travel Songs and Games, which would be great to watch with your kids before taking your summer vacation this year! We also have other Sesame Street DVDs like, Sesame Street. Elmo's Rainbow And Other Springtime Stories, Elmo's World. People In Your Neighborhood, Sesame Street. Silly Storytime , and Sesame Street. Bedtime With Elmo! Which one(s) will your family be checking out?

PreK Bits - DANCING BABIES

Sat, 06/11/2011 - 11:00am by ryanikoglu

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Are you 0 to 5 years old?
Are you making plans for your parents this weekend?
Bring them to the Dance at Traverwood on Sunday.
DANCING BABIES will be led by Aron Kaufman @ Traverwood Branch, June 12, 2011 from 1-1:40 pm.
Trot-out your toes, and kick-up your knees for the occasion!

DANCING Babies @ PITTSFIELD Sunday, April 17 1-1:40pm.

Fri, 04/08/2011 - 9:44am by ryanikoglu

PITTSFIELD Branch Library will be the location for Dancing Babies on Sunday April 17, 1-1:40 pm.
Please note the location!
It is changed from the Winter/Spring JUMP! brochure.

PITTSFIELD Branch Library will be the location for Dancing Babies on Sunday April 17, 1-1:40 pm. Dianne Dudley, of First Steps Ann Arbor, will lead. This is a music and motion program for families with children under 5 years.

If you want to dance at home, pick some special recordings from the Library Catalog.
Then kick off your shoes!
Push back the coffee table!
And PRANCE!

Rings On Her Fingers and Bells On Her Toes

Mon, 02/28/2011 - 11:16am by StoryLaura

The last time we had Mother Goose to the library we had a big crowd of happy listeners for tiny tales and rhymes. Trudy Bulkley, a longtime favorite at Ann Arbor’s Kerrytown, will grace us with her gander in tow on Wednesday, March 8th at 10 am in the Downtown Youth Department Story Corner.

Meet Colby, the Service Dog

Thu, 02/24/2011 - 7:28pm by StoryLaura

Join us for doggie tails and tales on Wednesday, March 2nd at 11 am in the Downtown Library Youth Story Corner. Our friend, Mary Roderique, who is a dog expert, teacher, literary advocate and mom extraordinaire, will bring the awesome Colby, the service dog. Colby loves to hear stories and get strokes from all the listeners!