MUNCIE PUBLIC LIBRARY

Education Resources

Library Education Services

  • Sign your child up for 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten! A reading program for parents and caregivers to read 1,000 books to their children before the child starts Kindergarten.
  • Need a test proctored for online or other education? See more information about Test Proctoring.
  • Brush up on your technology skills in a group class or one-on-one appointment. Check our calendar for current class offerings.
  • Our Youth Services department offers many educational programs and opportunities for kids and teens, as well.
  • We offer an assortment of research databases for your own independent study or class research project. 
  • Are you looking for new ways to help the children in your life improve their literacy and reading skills? Learn about our Reading Resources Service.

Custom Collections Service

Muncie Public Library offers a special collection service for preschool, elementary, or home-school teachers, as well as parents and individuals. Librarians prepare thematic or pleasure reading collections for pick up at the location of your choice. This service allows teachers, parents, or individuals to supplement their classroom, school, or home collections with great resources from MPL!

Guidelines to remember when planning your collection:

  • A minimum of one week notice is preferred.

  • Pick up from Kennedy or Maring-Hunt Library.

  • Materials can be renewed in person, by phone, or by using the online catalog.

  • No fines for overdue materials are charged if the materials are checked out with a Muncie Public Library teacher's card. Teacher's cards are available to preschool, Head Start, Day Care, elementary and secondary school teachers who teach in the Library service area.

  • You will be charged for lost or badly damaged materials and teachers may lose their teacher card privileges if materials are not returned or replacement payment is not made.

  • To qualify for a teacher's card, teachers must teach within Center Township. Proof of employment is required of those employed by a school or child care agency.

Interested in taking advantage of this great service? Fill out our Custom Collections Form here or call the Youth Services Department at Maring-Hunt Library 741-5151 or Kennedy Library 741-7333.

Reading Resources Service

Are you looking for new ways to help the children in your life improve their literacy and reading skills? 

Muncie Public Library has a free educational resources service. Contact the Ready Readers Staff at 765-747-8229 or readyreaders@munpl.org with your child’s age, interests, and reading needs. 

Ready Readers staff will assemble learning games and activities for you to use with your child and schedule a time with you to pick them up. The learning kits are free and a library card is not required!

Activity Kits for Adults

Explore a variety of topics, hobbies, and games with our Activity Kits for Adults. These include:

  • Adult Literacy Kits: 4 assorted kits
  • Game Kits: Family Card Game Kit
  • Hobby Kits: Birding Kit
  • Memory Caregiver Kits: 7 assorted kits

To see the full list and items included in these kits, visit www.munciepubliclibrary.org/activity-kits

Activity Kits for Kids

The Can Do! Kits are geared towards Preschool-4. Each kit contains a variety of items to discover fun ways to read and learn science. 

Can Do! Science Kits
Grades Preschool-1
Our ready-to-use kits invite children to discover color, light, magnetism and more! Each kit comes with 6 photo activity cards that let students conduct experiments on their own...plus everything you need for each activity—from ramps and balls to shakers and bells.

  • Can Do! Science Kit: Magnification
  • Can Do! Science Kit: Motion
  • Can Do! Science Kit: Color & Light
  • Can Do! Science Kit: Sink or Float
  • Can Do! Science Kit: Sound
  • Can Do! Science Kit: Magnets


Can Do! Reading Kits
Grades 1-2
Our easy-to-play games provide fun, skill-building practice with shades of meaning, vowel sounds, sight-words and more—with every spin! Each game canister comes with a handy lid that doubles as a spinner, plus 44 game tokens and 60 question cards designed to build foundational skills. Players simply spin to select a question in one of 3 categories, then collect tokens as they decode two-syllable words, identify key details in a text and more! The first player to collect 10 tokens wins!

  • Can Do! Reading Kit: Language Skills
  • Can Do! Reading Kit: Sight-Words
  • Can Do! Reading Kit: Vowel Sounds
  • Can Do! Reading Kit: Vocabulary
  • Can Do! Reading Kit: Phonemic Awareness
  • Can Do! Reading Kit: Phonics
  • Can Do! Reading Kit: Word Families
  • Can Do! Reading Kit: Comprehension


Can Do! Reading Kits
Grades 3-4
Boost reading and writing skills, vocabulary and more with hands-on games students will love to play! Children just spin to select one of three categories…draw a card and answer the question…then collect tokens when they correctly analyze characters, identify root words, use context clues and more—building basic reading skills! Each game comes in a handy can that includes 60 game cards, 44 tokens, an answer card for convenient self-checking—and a game spinner built right into the lid!

  • Can Do! Reading Kit: Informational Text
  • Can Do! Reading Kit: Reading Literature
  • Can Do! Reading Kit: Figurative Language
  • Can Do! Reading Kit: Parts of Speech
  • Can Do! Reading Kit: Writing Skills
  • Can Do! Reading Kit: Vocabulary
  • Can Do! Reading Kit: Conventions
  • Can Do! Reading Kit: Prefixes & Suffixes
     

Can Do! Science Game Kits
Grades 2-4
Kids learn about the planets, matter, muscles and more—as they race to answer skill-building science questions! Each game canister has a spinner built right into the lid…and comes with everything children need to play—including themed game tokens and 60 self-checking question cards written in standardized test format. Players just spin to answer each fascinating science question…and collect game tokens for each correct answer!

  • Can Do! Science Kit: Force & Motion
  • Can Do! Science Kit: Solar System
  • Can Do! Science Kit: Earth
  • Can Do! Science Kit: Human Body
  • Can Do! Science Kit: Matter
  • Can Do! Science Kit: Animals

Activity Kits for Kids

The Outdoor Play Kits are geared towards K-5. Each kit contains a variety of items to encourage children to play outside and explore the given theme. Each kit comes in a backpack for convenient transportation.

  • Outdoor Games Kit - Enjoy playing outdoors with a frisbees and a croquet set.
  • Insect Hunting Kit - Learn about local bugs with a book about insects and tools to catch and look at bugs.
  • Outdoor Exploration Kit - Explore the world around you with binoculars, bug nets, and more.
  • Gardening Kit - Learn about native plans and even plant your own.
  • Sand Play Kit -  Have fun at the beach or a nearby sandbox with this set that comes with all you need to make your very own sandcastle.
  • Bird-watching Kit - Learn about local birds and get a closer look!

These kits can be placed on hold or checked out by parents or caregivers with a valid MPL Resident All library card. Kits are available at Maring-Hunt Library, but can be placed on hold and picked up at the location of your choice.

The Science Kits are geared towards K-5 students and contain books as well as activities about various science topics. These kits can be placed on hold or checked out by parents or caregivers with a valid MPL Resident All library card. Kits are available at Kennedy Library and Maring-Hunt Library. 

  • Bridging the Gap - Build your own structures as you learn about the science behind bridges! Kids who love legos and blocks will flip for this kit. 

Book Club Kits for Kids

Need reading material for a crowd? Our book club kits are a great way for homeschoolers, teachers, and other groups to facilitate discussion about literature with kids and teens.

Each book club kit comes ready-packed in a bookbag and generally contains: 

  • 8 copies of book title
  • Teacher guide to the literature

 J Fiction Book Club Kits

Fudge-a-mania by Judy Blume
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary
Sahara Special by Esme Raji Codell
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963: A Novel by Christopher Paul Curtis
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Matilda by Roald Dahl
The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup... by Kate DiCamillo
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos
My Louisiana Sky by Kimberly Willis Holt
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Holes by Louis Sachar
Stuart Little by E. B. White
Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

YA Fiction Book Club Kits

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
Squashed by Joan Bauer
Fair-weather Friends by ReShonda Tate Billingsley
Harsh Pink: Color Me Burned by Melody Carlson
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
Downriver by Will Hobbs
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
Eragon by Christopher Paolini


 

Pre-school & K-12 School Information

Pre-school/Early Childhood Education

K-12 Education

Online K-12 Education

Tutoring & Community Centers

General Homework and Study Help

  • AskRose - If you're struggling with math and science, then check out Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology's Homework Hotline. The hotline provides free math and science help to Indiana students grades 4-12. All you have to do is call 1-877-ASK-ROSE from 7pm-10pm, Sunday-Thursday, or 12pm-3pm Monday-Friday to get connected with a tutor. There are also chat and email options available on their website
  • Purdue's Online Writing Lab - Get advice on research papers and just about anything else you might have to write (especially citations and bibliographies)
  • High School Ace - Interactive study quizzes for High School subjects
  • StudyStack - Search free flashcards shared by students and teachers to help with memorization
Test Prep
  • CollegeBoard's SAT site offers practice tests, testing locations, and online registration options
  • StudyPoint's page of Free Resources lists a number of articles, webinars, and tools like the Practice Tests Scoring Tool which gives students an in-depth diagnostic breakdown of their practice ACT & SAT exams
  • LearningExpress Library provides free eBooks of study guides and interactive practice quizzes for a wide variety of academic and professional certification exams.

High School Equivalency (HSE)

What is HSE?

The Indiana HSE diploma, or High School Equivalency, is an alternative to earning a high school diploma. It is earned by completing a test based on five subject areas including math, reading, writing, science, and social studies. The skills tested are at the same level as those of graduating high school seniors. A person must be at least 16 years old before they may take the test.

The GED and TASC exams are no longer offered in Indiana. Students now take the HiSET exam to get a High School Equivalency diploma.

For the most up-to-date information about HSE in Indiana, contact the Department of Workforce Development by e-mail at adulted@dwd.in.gov, by phone at 1-866-220-6675, or visit the Department of Workforce Development webpage for HSE.

How does a person prepare?

  • The Muncie Area Career Center provides free classes to adults who have not earned a high school diploma or those who need some help preparing to be College and Career Ready. Contact the Adult Education Program by phone at 765-747-5257 or visit the Area Career Center website.
  • For self-guided study online, LearningExpress offers online practice tests and study guides. LearningExpress is free to Hoosiers via INSPIRE, the state's virtual library. From the LearningExpress Homepage go to High School Equivalency Center to find practice tests and study guides.

How does a person take the test?

Find testing centers at https://hiset.ets.org/requirements/test-centers/

How does a person get my HSE Transcript or Diploma?

To obtain an official transcript or your High School Equivalency Diploma, visit DiplomaSender.com.

What is an alternative to HSE?

The Excel Center is a free public school that gives adult students the opportunity to earn an Indiana Core 40 high school diploma. For more information, contact the Muncie Excel Center by phone at 765-283-0916 or visit their website.

Driver's Test and Practice

  • Driving-Tests.org offers practice tests for Indiana Driver's Tests--including learner's permits, standard driver's license, motorcycle, and CDL tests--along with an FAQ about applying for a driver's license in Indiana
  • Indiana's Driver License and Permit FAQ - Find out the ways you can apply for your license or practice with the various practice driving tests provided.

Resources for Parents