Using the Mississippi Early Learning Guidelines: A Complete Curriculum for Three-Year-Olds

Ask Dr. Darling

Q. Dear Dr. Darling: I don’t have all of the books that are in the curriculum, and my center can’t afford to buy them.  What should I do?
– A Mississippi early childhood teacher.
A. Dear Mississippi Teacher: Reading to children several times a day is crucial to their cognitive, social, and language development. The books in the curriculum relate to the weekly themes. They are tools to introduce a theme at the beginning of the day and can be the inspiration for many activities in the learning centers. However, it is unlikely that any center will own all of the books we recommend. Here are a few ways to round up the books you will need each month:

• Trade books with another teacher.
• Ask parents to organize a book drive or to donate books in honor of their children’s birthdays and other special occasions.
• Borrow books from your local library. When I was teaching in Maryland, teachers could check out 60 books for six weeks! This was how I got all of my books each month. Give the curriculum book list to your local children’s librarian so he or she will know what you need.

Remember, it is important to read to children often: at morning circle time, before nap, in the afternoon, and throughout the day.  Encourage children to look at books in the library center, and to choose a book to read before nap time. If you teach children to value books and reading now, you are paving the way for them to become competent readers as they grow.

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