Building your Library
The Assignment
Throughout the semester, you have been building a preschool library by choosing and writing about children’s books each week. Each set of books focused on a specific purpose such as social emotional learning, rhyming, family and community, problem solving, and concept development.
This final project asks you to bring all of that work together and explain how your preschool library would be used in a real classroom. The goal is to show that you can think like an early childhood teacher when choosing and using books.
This project is not a list of books. It is an explanation of how your library supports preschool children’s learning and development.
What to Submit
You will submit one document that includes all four sections listed below. Use the exact section titles provided.
Section 1
Your Preschool Library as a Whole | 1.5–2 pages
In this section, explain your preschool library as one complete collection.
Write in paragraphs and answer all of the questions below.
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Explain how your library includes a range of book types that support different learning goals. Examples include social emotional learning, rhyming, family and community, problem solving, concept books, and classic preschool books.
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Explain why it is important for a preschool classroom to include all of these types of books rather than focusing on only one type.
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Explain how your library supports preschool children’s development, including language and vocabulary development early reading skills social emotional growth
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Explain how your library includes books that act as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors for children.
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Do not list or summarize individual books in this section. Focus on how the collection works together.
Section 2
Your Library in the Classroom | 2–2.5 pages
In this section, explain how you would use your books as a preschool teacher.
Choose three different books from your library.
Create a separate subsection for each book.
For each book, clearly explain the following.
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The title of the book and the age group it is intended for.
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When you would use this book during the preschool day.
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Examples include circle time, small group, transitions, or to support emotions or behavior.
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What the main teaching goal of the book is.
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Explain what skill the book supports, such as vocabulary, rhyming, social emotional learning, problem solving, or concept development.
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Explain how this book connects to the science of reading.
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You may connect it to vocabulary development, understanding stories, hearing sounds in language, or building background knowledge.
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Describe how children would participate during or after reading.
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Explain what you would say or do, how children would respond, and how the book could connect to discussion, play, or an activity.
If appropriate, explain whether the book works as a mirror, window, or sliding glass door for children.
Be specific and write as if you are describing a real preschool classroom.
Section 3
How Your Thinking Has Changed | 1–1.5 pages
In this section, explain how this project helped you grow as a future early childhood educator.
Answer the following questions in paragraph form.
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How did you think about children’s books at the beginning of the semester?
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How do you think about children’s books now?
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What do you look for now when choosing high quality books for preschool children?
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Which books in your library feel most meaningful to you and why?
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How this project will help you choose and use books in your future classroom?
Section 4
Complete Preschool Library List Not counted toward page length
At the end of your paper, include a complete list of all 25 books in your preschool library.
For each book, include
Title
Author
Do not rewrite your weekly explanations here.
Grading
This project will be graded using the Building Your Preschool Library Final Project Rubric posted in Brightspace. A copy of that rubric can be seen by clicking here
Your grade will be based on
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Clear and complete explanations
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Strong connections to preschool learning
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Thoughtful use of mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors
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Clear connections to the science of reading
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Organization, effort, and clarity of writing
Student Work
A student's submission from fall 2025 semester.