Young Children
What's New
Let's Get Cooking!
Early literacy in the kitchen! Use tools, talk about colors, and follow steps with these cookbooks for kids (and their grownups).
Storytimes
Monthly Staff Lists
More >
Let's Get Cooking!
Early literacy in the kitchen! Use tools, talk about colors, and follow steps with these cookbooks for kids (and their grownups).
Picture Books for Grateful Readers
These books have messages of kindness, altruism, and thankfulness to help boost your little one’s understanding of a grateful mindset.
New Kids books at the library
Resources for Little Readers
Staff Picks
Online Resources
Early Childhood Essentials: MiRegistry
Visit the statewide site for professionals, trainers and organizations to verify and track employment, training and educational accomplishments.
Learn how MiRegistry can benefit individuals, trainers and organizations.
Step-by-step instructions on how to create a MiRegistry account, which you'll need to receive credit for continuing education trainings.
Developing your child's literacy skills
Read and discuss stories
- Before you open a book, read the title and look at the pictures. Guess what it might be about.
- Read a story and act out movements to some of the action words.
- Reread your child’s favorite book.
- While reading, describe the pictures, talking about colors, shapes and characters.
- Read books together that are about people who are alike and different from you and your child.
Talk Sing and Point
- Sing a nursery rhyme.
- Make up your own verses for the song, “If You’re Happy and You Know it.”
- As you walk or do errands, talk about what you are doing while do it and what it going on.
- Say and do the motions to one of your favorite rhymes.
Maximize Love and Minimize Stress
- Respond to your child’s feelings and let them know that all feelings are okay.
- Have your child help you prepare dinner.
- For snack, offer limited choices. For example: apples OR grapes.
- Spend time outside together. Spread out a blanket and look at the clouds.
Play - Explore Through Movement and Play
- Put on a puppet show using stuffed animals or make your own sock puppet.
- Play search and find: hide things under a blanket and have your child “find” it or play hide and seek.
- Get out spoons and pots to make a kitchen band.
- Drawing is a good way to exercise little hands and be creative. Put out some crayons and paper. Your child can also experiment with tearing and folding the paper.
Count - Group and Compare
- Help your child clap to the beat as you listen to a song.
- In the bath, fill up and dump out a cup. Talk about “full” vs. “empty” and “in” vs “out.”
- Count a basket of objects together and sort them into related groups.
- Share a counting book together.
