A Styled by STEM Signature Literacy Program
STEM Story Lab
Where stories spark questions, words become discoveries, and young readers learn to think like scientists.
- VPK–Grade 3
- Literacy + STEM
- Community
- Schools
- On the Go
Read it. Question it. Test it. Tell the story.
Every book opens a door to discovery.
STEM Story Lab is an immersive early-literacy experience that pairs engaging books with oral language, comprehension, writing, phonics, sensory learning, and hands-on STEM investigations.
Children do more than listen. They predict, retell, decode, build, test, draw, explain, and connect the featured story to the real world.
Sessions can be adapted for VPK through Grade 3 and delivered in libraries, schools, community centers, after-school programs, festivals, and family events.
The signature Story Lab routine
A joyful path from language to investigation.
Sensory Welcome
Theme-based materials invite children to explore, talk, and activate prior knowledge.
Featured Story
An expressive read-aloud introduces a science idea, problem, place, or profession.
Comprehension
Children sequence events, recall details, make predictions, and explain character choices.
Writing
Drawing, dictation, sentences, or short responses help children communicate what they learned.
Discover the Code
Playful phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and word-work connect to the book.
Literacy Stations
Small-group games and hands-on practice build language, fluency, and confidence.
STEM Investigation
Children test a question from the story through science, engineering, math, or technology.
Create
An art, craft, or design challenge extends the science and invites personal expression.
Closing Circle
Young scientists share evidence, new vocabulary, and the story of their discovery.
Optional Snack
A theme-related snack may be included when the setting, policies, and allergy procedures allow.
Literacy with an instructional purpose
Playful does not mean unstructured.
Discover the Code
Children notice how words work through sound play, rhyme, syllables, letter-sound relationships, decoding patterns, vocabulary, and age-appropriate word study.
“Ship and shop both start with S and H. Can you teach our puppet what those letters do together?”
Explaining the pattern helps children retrieve and strengthen what they just learned.
Puppets for comprehension
Puppets turn assessment into storytelling. Children use them to show what happened first, what happened next, how a character solved a problem, and what evidence supports their answer.
This strengthens sequencing, recall, oral vocabulary, speaking, character understanding, and comprehension—without a traditional test.
Three recognizable experiences
Consistent enough to feel familiar. Varied enough to stay magical.
Regular Story Lab
Sensory welcome, story, comprehension, writing, phonics, literacy stations, STEM, creating, and closing reflection.
Immersive Story Lab
Costumes, puppets, props, dramatic reading, acting, and retelling make the featured story come alive.
Story Lab Celebration
Multiple readers, literacy games, STEM stations, crafts, character experiences, and family participation.
One curriculum. Three ways to bring it to children.
The STEM Story Lab family
Libraries & Community Spaces
Welcoming programs for libraries, community centers, nonprofits, homeschool groups, and public learning spaces.
Literacy Services for Schools
Standards-conscious, grade-specific Story Lab experiences for classrooms, grade levels, after-school programs, literacy nights, and school-wide events.
Portable Pop-Ups
Mobile Story Lab experiences for festivals, summer programs, special events, and communities without permanent programming.
Ways schools can partner with us
- Classroom Story Lab
- Grade-Level Story Lab
- Weekly Literacy Partnership
- Literacy Intervention Enrichment
- After-School Story Lab
- STEM + Literacy Day
- Family Literacy Night
- Character Literacy Day
- Read Across America / Literacy Week
- Summer and Extended Learning
Literacy Intervention Enrichment is designed to complement—not replace—a school’s required intervention services.
Built for each stage of reading development
The same story can meet children where they are.
Literacy Celebration Days
Special days make stories unforgettable.
A portable Story Lab library
One book kit can reach hundreds of children.
Our long-term vision is a growing library of complete, travel-ready Story Lab Book Kits. Each class set can move between libraries, schools, after-school programs, and community events across the Treasure Coast.
Future themes may include honeybees, butterflies, oceans, space, gardens, animals, weather, and engineering.
Inside a Story Lab Book Kit
- 15–25 copies of the featured book
- Facilitator guide
- Comprehension questions
- Differentiated writing sheets
- Phonics and vocabulary materials
- Sensory-bin pieces
- Literacy station materials
- STEM investigation
- Craft instructions
- Career connection
Future Story Lab friends
Characters children recognize—and learn from.
The Investigator
Always asks thoughtful questions and searches for evidence.
The Reader
Loves discovering new words and making meaning from stories.
The Scientist
Wants to test ideas, observe closely, and explain what happened.
Let a story become the start of something bigger.
Bring STEM Story Lab to your school, library, or community.
We welcome educators, librarians, community partners, authors, publishers, volunteers, and sponsors who want to help young children grow as readers, thinkers, and scientists.
