This qualitative, descriptive, naturalistic study investigated literacy activities, instructional assistance, and pre-service teacher's learning engagement within a project-based learning program. The study lasted six months and totaled 100 minutes (about one and a half hours) a week for two credit hours in the fourth semester of the Early Childhood Education program at the State Islamic University (UIN Ar-Raniry) Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The primary objective of this research is to describe how the various types of literacy tasks, instructional assistance, and pre-service teachers' learning engagement occurred in the natural setting of instruction via online learning methods in a minimally connected environment during the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. Results of the data analysis pointed to several conclusions. Self-drawn picture book class projects motivate students to read and broaden their literary perspectives. Early childhood pre-service teachers must adapt their methods for instructing literacy. Online teaching and learning worked well for this study. The instructor successfully demonstrated how to use visuals, audio, and voice recordings. This study also shows that pre-service teachers wrote and showed reader reaction through written response, extending Rosenblatt's theory. Moreover, students can acquire an awareness that they are an integrated component of the reading process through activities such as reading aloud with a friend, starting a book club, or playing reading-related games. Instructors at the university level must be able to improve the critical thinking of pre-service teachers, particularly in terms of the development of instructional practices that adhere to curriculum, government, and federal rules. Before pre-service teachers enter local schools for teaching practicums, university administrators as well as faculty members must be prepared to comprehend those requirements. Next, administrators the Department of Education level must be trained so that they can deal with the reality of teaching and learning at the school level. Through these supplementary teaching activities, pre-service teachers can learn about a range of cultures, values, and beliefs within various literary works. By utilizing these methods, pre-service teachers can build empathy and a deeper understanding of different perspectives. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]