Teaching/Parenting | Bloomfield Township Public Library

Youth Databases

Learn a new language with Little Pim, read & play along with TumbleBooks, learn about the world with PebbleGo, research your next report with National Geographic Virtual Library, and so much more to learn and explore in our collection of premium databases.

Search for Youth Databases

Virtual School Visits

Bloomfield Township preschools, early intervention classrooms, and daycare centers are invited to schedule a special virtual story time. You can provide us with a theme or we can come up with one for your classroom. Please call Youth Services to schedule a story time or sensory story time.

Teaching Collection

Ask a Librarian to show you this wonderful collection of materials designed just for you. Look through the books and magazines for teaching tips, lesson plans, art activities, reading guides, skill building exercises, recommended booklists, science projects, curriculum guides, and more. Check out what’s new in the teaching collection here.

Magazines for Homeschooling

We have one magazine just for Home School families in our Teaching Collection – Practical Homeschooling. You can visit their website Homeschool World for online resources.

Homeschooling Laws and Regulations

Brief Summary of Michigan Legislation, and a legal analysis from HSLDA.

Birmingham-Bloomfield Preschool Directory

Birmingham-Bloomfield Preschool Directory 2020

Poster Collection

The Library has a terrific selection of circulating posters for use in your classroom. Topics include science, social studies, famous people and more. A collection of 40 colorful posters made available through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities in cooperation with the American Library Association, is a part of this group. These “Picturing America” posters will highlight American history lessons and many other subjects across the curriculum. There is a Teachers Resource Book full of information and activities related to the “Picturing America” posters located in the Teaching Collection for use in the library. In addition, there is a brochure listing all 40 titles in the set. Posters may be checked out for three weeks, and may be renewed.

Smart Talk Graphic 15

Smart Talk: Laying the groundwork for your baby’s vocabulary.

Helping your baby with the tools that they will need to read, comprehend, and make sense of the world requires more than just talking, it requires CONVERSATION! It’s about having quality back and forth conversations that are responsive and use new words.

How does one have a conversation with a baby, you might ask? Babies can’t speak at birth but they can still communicate with eye contact, facial expressions, crying, smiling, cooing, touching. Take advantage of everyday moments: bath time, meal time, getting dressed, changing diapers, etc.

Here’s how to do it:

Talk about what you are doing, where you are, or what you see.

Ask open-ended questions (who, what, where, when, why)—even if your child

can’t respond with words.

Be sure to listen and respond to your child. Emphasize the back and forth in everyday activities by reacting to what your child does or says.

A simple way to introduce new and unusual words and build vocabulary is by telling stories or reading books.

Repeat words and/or echo what your child says and shows interest in.

*Find out more here at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.