NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University’s College of Education recently partnered with Gaylord Opryland to bring the magic of reading, storytelling and live performance to students at MTSU’s Homer Pittard Campus School through a special holiday-themed literacy event.

The event was designed to spark students’ imaginations, encourage a love of reading and demonstrate how stories can come to life beyond the pages of a book.

Katie Schrodt, a professor in MTSU’s College of Education and one of the event’s organizers, discussed the initiative with WKRN-TV host Stephanie Langston during an appearance on “MTSU on 2” on Friday, Oct. 30. The segment highlighted how the family literacy event used storytelling and live performance to engage young readers.

Held in the Campus School gymnasium, the Oct. 22 event offered students a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of live theater and cirque performance. The program featured a live reading of POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance, the award-winning children’s book by Broadway director Neil Goldberg that inspired the holiday cirque production returning to Gaylord Opryland Resort for its second Nashville residency Nov. 24-Dec. 31.

Students also met cast members from the production, enjoyed a special preview performance showcasing cirque-inspired artistry, participated in a pop quiz with the performers and received complimentary copies of the book to take home.

Schrodt said bringing stories to life through performance can help spark children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for reading. She also emphasized the value of partnerships that connect educational experiences with the broader community.

“Bringing a story to life through a live performance is such a wonderful way to spark that excitement,” Schrodt said. “We are grateful for our partnership with MTSU and Gaylord Opryland and for opportunities like this that help foster a lifelong love of reading.”

Watch the interview below.

The event reflects the College of Education’s ongoing commitment to strengthening family literacy throughout the school year. The college hosts Family Literacy Nights at schools across Rutherford County Schools and Murfreesboro City Schools, often in partnership with local nonprofit organization Read To Succeed.

These events encourage families to read together, reinforce literacy development at home and help children build personal libraries of their own. Providing children with books of their own and opportunities to experience reading as a family remain central to the college’s literacy initiatives. These events also give MTSU pre-service teachers valuable opportunities to engage with students and families while developing the skills needed to support literacy beyond the classroom.

“At MTSU’s College of Education, we believe that developing strong readers extends beyond the classroom,” Schrodt said. “Through our longstanding partnership with local schools, we are committed to creating meaningful literacy experiences that bring children, families and educators together.”

Schrodt also brought books to the “MTSU on 2” segment that she recommends parents, kids, and families read throughout the holidays.   

“Reading is about so much more than words on a page; it is about imagination, storytelling, and making meaningful connections,” Schrodt said. “We were thrilled to partner with Gaylord Opryland to bring this unique experience to Campus School, where children could interact with an author, see a story come to life through performance, and take home their very own copy of the book. These are the kinds of experiences that inspire a lifelong love of reading and remind us that literacy development is a shared effort between schools, families, and communities.”

For tickets and additional information about POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance, visit https://www.christmasatgaylordopryland.com/cirque.

For more information about MTSU’s College of Education, visit education.mtsu.edu.

— Kristen Keene ([email protected])