Adaptive Library

The Adaptive Library is a growing collection of children’s books designed to make environmental and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) learning accessible to more students. Each title is adapted so learners with diverse communication and support needs, including those who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) or receive special education services, can participate fully.

The goal is straightforward: give more students a way into the content and a way to respond, using tools that are already part of the reading experience. The library builds books that usually need a facilitator or caregiver to assist with, standing on their own as accessible, interactive, and communication-friendly tools.

Why do we need an Adaptive Library?

The Adaptive Library helps fulfill CoSEE’s commitment to making environmental learning open to everyone, grounded in the belief that all learners should have meaningful opportunities to engage with the natural world. It creates a space where all learners are able to foster and explore their passion for the natural world. This means that:

  • Students who use AAC have immediate, meaningful ways to participate in read-alouds that they may not have had before.
  • Educators without specialized training can also facilitate inclusive and interactive learning. It also opens up opportunities for families and community members to engage with the books without needing prior expertise.
  • Lastly, communication equity becomes built into literacy experiences and is not dependent on an individual teacher’s skill or time.
A page out of the adapted book, Over and Under the Pond, showcasing sensory materials and prompts that engage the reader in the book.
A page out of the adapted book, Mushrooms Know, showing interactive features that the reader can engage with to learn more through about mushrooms in the book.

Our adaptive books

Every book in the Adaptive Library has features that are designed to support and engage a wide range of learners and support needs, including:

  • Embedded communication supports that utilize core vocabulary, high frequency words that support everyday language, and fringe vocabulary, specific to context such as words associated with mushrooms, trucks, or sports
  • Verbal prompts to encourage participation and discussion
  • Sensory materials that help students interact with the story in tactile ways
  • Communication boards tailored for each book that include key words students might need throughout the story
  • Opportunities to practice math and literacy skills embedded within the book

Here are a few adaptive books CoSEE interns have been working on:

Mushrooms Know by Kallie George, book cover.

Mushrooms Know by Kallie George

Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner, book cover.

Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner

Friends Beyond Measure by Lalena Fisher, book cover.

Friends Beyond Measure by Lalena Fisher

You are Stardust by Elin Kelsey, book cover.

You are Stardust by Elin Kelsey

Borrow a book or build your own

Our books are available to educators, families, and community organizations for use in classrooms, homes, and outdoor spaces.

We offer two options to fit your needs:

  • Borrow from CoSEE: Request the physical book and all accompanying materials directly from us.
  • Build Your Own: Already own the book or prefer to purchase it yourself? We’ll send you a printable PDF of the communication boards, vocabulary icons, and questions, along with a step-by-step assembly guide.

Ready to get started? Complete the form below and we’ll be in touch!

CoSEE Adaptive Library Book Checkout Request Form

Learn more about the library & history

The project was shaped by CoSEE Program Manager Maddie Iem, whose background in special education informed its direction. Before joining CoSEE, she worked in Chicago Public Schools, teaching preschool through fourth grade and supporting students with a wide range of learning and communication needs. Learn more about Maddie’s journey from Chicago to building CoSEE’s Adaptive Library.

The books are co-curated by Maddie Iem and UW Bothell faculty, Drs. Cynthia Chang and Jennifer Atkinson who teach a course titled Learning Ecology Through Storytelling. The books are designed to connect with existing learning kits, educational materials, or hands-on activities that invite students to connect with the real-world settings through the stories both in the classroom and out in the field.

The Adaptive Library is more than just a collection of books; it can also be a guide for students to engage with environmental learning through storytelling, communication, and exploration.

The library has continued to grow through CoSEE’s undergraduate internship program, particularly the Adaptive Library Initiative, with students from UW’s Seattle and Bothell campuses, along with local high school students, contributing to its development. Through these internships, students get a broader understanding and hands-on experience with inclusive design for environmental education materials that can be applied in broader contexts.

CoSEE recently welcomed a full‑time program assistant who is continuing to build these inclusive learning tools. Kaylin Datwyler, who interned with CoSEE in summer 2025 through the UW Program on the Environment (PoE) Capstone Experience, helped develop the Adaptive Library and now continues that work in her current role. Learn more about Kaylin’s journey from intern to full-time CoSEE employee.