It was a typical busy Thursday as the Education Library found itself full of students—but these were not typical IU students. Three classes of 50 local kindergarteners and their teachers from Fairview Elementary School filled the WORKshop space in the library, arranging on colorful carpet to hear stories, watch a puppet show, and learn from Early Childhood Education students.

The visit, a collaboration between the library and the Early Childhood Education program, was a chance for juniors Hailey Gonser, Laura Quintero, and Maiya Graham to plan and implement the story time, giving the students a chance to demonstrate their understanding of young children and plan an engaging, playful lesson that supports children’s literacy development, said Clinical Associate Professor Lauren Ray.

“The early childhood preservice teachers were able to see first-hand the ways that community resources, like a library, can support rich learning experiences for children. It was a perfect example of the ways that teaching and learning can happen outside of the four walls of a classroom,” Ray said, adding, “For the kindergarteners that came, it was an exciting visit to a local university. Trips out into the community are central to a quality early childhood curriculum. The children were able to engage with some of the beautiful and intentionally curated picture books in our School of Education collection along with materials that support literacy, including art media and puppets.”

The entire experience was made possible through a generous gift from donor Pat Chase, a strong supporter of the school’s library who not only funded opportunities like this one, but has also provided funds to expand the children’s literature section.