Hattiesburg Public School District educators realize that early childhood literacy is essential to develop reading and writing skills necessary for their students to communicate effectively.
The HPSD Early Childhood Center, located in the Harper-Wallin Early Childhood Center across from Hawkins Elementary, was established in 2017 to help make those skills attainable.
According to Valencia Harris, an Early Childhood Parent Educator, the goal of the center is to work to ensure students gain early literacy skills for success in grade school and beyond.
“The center offers early learning and standards-based activities to help children and parents learn and grow together in a fun way,” Harris said.
The center, a service of HPS, focuses on early literacy education to prepare young children with kindergarten readiness skills.
“It is our goal to help enhance a child's language development, vocabulary skills, number concepts, math literacy, pre-reading skills, social/emotional and physical development to foster better success once they begin school,” Harris said.
The school district also wants to provide support to parents in need of these services, so they can better assist the needs of their children.
A recent open house gave parents the opportunity to see what services were available. Mayor Toby Barker read to students during the event.
Harris hopes to connect with more families this school year by increasing community awareness of the center and its services.
“We look forward to meeting new faces and having children come and enjoy the fun, standards-focused early learning activities available at the center,” she said.
The center is open 8 a.m.-noon for Child Care and Preschools and noon-4:30 p.m. for general public.
The Early Literacy Center is open from 9 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and Thursdays and Monday, Wednesday or Friday by appointment only.
The district also hopes to partner with other community organizations and businesses who are working to improve and support early learning in the Hub City.
Key partners for events at the center include the Hattiesburg Zoo, Public Library of Hattiesburg, Petal and Forrest County, and the United Way.
"Our children are truly the leaders of the future,” Harris said. “We want to begin now creating an environment where they can learn, explore and grow to become the amazing individuals they were created to be.The HPSD Early Childhood Center is a great space for them to do so.”
The center is currently looking for parents with future HPSD Tigers between the ages of 2 and 5 to participate in literacy time from 9 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and Thursdays.
