Are you in the market for a preschool? Are you looking for a good place to start your search? Then you should come to the Preschool Expo on January 27th! What is the Preschool Expo? It’s an event that brings representatives from many area preschools to one location, on one date. That way, it’s easy to gather information on preschools and talk with schools in order to find a good fit for your child! This free event is co-sponsored by the Ann Arbor District Library, Washtenaw Success by Six Great Start Collaborative, Child Care Network, and U-M Work/Life Resource Center. Come explore your options at the Preschool Expo!

Date: Sunday, January 27th
Time: 1:00 – 4:00p.m.
Place: Palmer Commons on the U-M Campus
100 Washtenaw Ave.
(Located at the intersection of Central and Medical Campuses)
Parking: Free parking available in the structure across the street from Palmer Commons

The Downtown library has a shelf in the Youth Department known as the Parent Shelf. On this shelf you’ll find a variety of parent-child related books on a multitude of topics- including everything from language to tantrums to potty training to homework. These books are available for checkout, and can be found in the catalog when searching “parent shelf,” if you’d like to have one sent to a branch of your choice.

The parent shelf features a few helpful books with information on raising a bilingual child. Check out 7 steps to raising a bilingual child, and The bilingual book of rhymes, songs, stories, and fingerplays. We also have a plethora of books on this topic in the regular collection, with titles such as Growing up with two languages : a practical guide for the bilingual family, and Raising a bilingual child : A step-by-step guide for parents.

To go along with this, AADL also has a wonderful collection of books in world languages, including materials on learning other languages. Check out this handy list of languages!

Wednesday January 16, 2013: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

Raising a toddler is hard work! Learn how to build a positive relationship with your toddler through knowledge, preparation and participation.

In this session, Early Childhood Educator Shannon Coon will discuss how to create functional and manageable routines to make days go smoother. She will also address why problems behaviors sometimes come about, how to avoid them and how to work towards solutions. Area resources for toddler needs and play will also be mentioned.

The Downtown library has a shelf in the Youth Department known as the Parent Shelf. On this shelf you’ll find a variety of parent-child related books on a multitude of topics- including everything from language to tantrums to potty training to homework. These books are available for checkout, and can be found in the catalog when searching “parent shelf,” if you’d like to have one sent to a branch of your choice.

The parent shelf features a few helpful books with information on kids and technology, which is a hot topic, as technolgoy is everwhere, with new devices being released constantly. We have a few titles dealing with cyber safety, such as: Cyber-safe kids, cyber-savvy teens: Helping young people learn to use the Internet safely and responsibly. It might also be worth checking out books on social media, such as Talking back to Facebook: A common sense guide to raising kids in the digital age and CyberSafe: Protecting and empowering kids in the digital world of texting, gaming, and social media. See here for additional items on similar topics.

Wednesday December 12, 2012: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

If you have a child who has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), then you understand the many challenges ASD presents and how those challenges evolve as the child grows.

This presentation, featuring Dr. Fiona Miller, will focus on describing the range of challenges that parents report, how those challenges change over time, and strategies for coping with them. Dr. Miller is a licensed clinical psychologist who supervises and practices in the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) program at the University of Michigan Center for the Child and the Family.

Wednesday November 14, 2012: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

Judy Nantau, M.S., CCC-SLP, will review how speech-language pathologists work with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to teach the skills that encompass social and emotional aspects of communicative interaction and that are necessary for maximizing a meaningful social life.

This event is co-sponsored by the UM Institute for Human Adjustment as part of their forum series, Adjustment Matters.

The Downtown library has a shelf in the Youth Department known as the Parent Shelf. On this shelf you’ll find a variety of parent-child related books on a multitude of topics- including everything from phonics to tantrums to potty training to diet. These books are available for checkout, and can be found in the catalog when searching “parent shelf,” if you’d like to have one sent to a branch of your choice.

This also includes some books on nature and the great outdoors, geared towards parents and children. Be sure to check out Sharing Nature With Children, Get Out! 150 Ways For Kids & Grown-Ups to Get Into Nature and Build a Greener Future, Nature’s Playground: Activities, Crafts, and Games to Encourage Children to Get Outdoors, or perhaps I love Dirt!: 52 Activities To Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature. Any time of year is perfect for a nature walk, a chance to stop and smell the fresh air and see what wondrous things are around us.

The Downtown library has a shelf in the Youth Department known as the Parent Shelf. On this shelf you’ll find a variety of parent-child related books on a multitude of topics- including everything from phonics to tantrums to potty training to diet. These books are available for checkout, and can be found in the catalog when searching “parent shelf,” if you’d like to have one sent to a branch of your choice.

An important aspect of childhood is play. It promotes cognitive, social, and emotional development that children need and crave. We have some books in the AADL collection that can help guide parents through some new (and old) play ideas for their little ones. Try these:

The Parent's guide to play

Fifty dangerous things (you should let your children do)

Catch a fish, throw a ball, fly a kite : 21 timeless skills every child should know (and any parent can teach!)

The complete book of rhymes, songs, poems, fingerplays, and chants

What do you do when you don't know the solutions to your teens' math homework? We can help! Join us on Wednesday, September 26 from 6 to 8 pm at the Malletts Creek branch for Homework Resources for Teens, Parents and Caregivers. AADL staff will demonstrate how to take advantage of online skill-building tools, homework help, and other resources, including those available on aadl.org.

Saturday, September 8 | 10:30-11:15 AM | Traverwood Branch | Ages 6 mos. – 2 yrs.

Joins us this Saturday for a morning of sign language for infants and toddlers! Certified instructor Kathy Brady of Signing Smart will be presenting, and sharing her knowledge. She’ll talk about how to add signs into songs and play, and how to make signing easy and fun for both children and their caregivers. This event is designed for hearing infants and toddlers, ages 6 months to 2 years, with an adult. No older siblings, please.

For additional resources on sign language for children, check out this list of materials to get you started.