ECFE classes are offered for all children age birth-five and their parents. Classes are usually offered two times per month on Thursdays. There will be two sessions each night. One will be from 4:30 to 5:30 and the second session will be from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Classes will be held at Viking Elementary in the preschool room. Watch newsletters and the school web site for ECFE themes.

• Parent/Child Activity Time

• Parent/Child Group Time

• School based Activity

• Literacy Opportunities

• Parenting Education

The Marshall County Early Childhood Initiative is made up of a group of people that include parents, Early Childhood Professionals, Child Care Providers, business professionals, school administrators, and local media. We meet monthly to discuss the needs of birth to five year old children in Marshall County and how the schools can meet these needs. 

Dolly Parton Imagination Library

Through this program, we provide a high quality, hard cover book by mail every month to each registered child birth to age four. It costs the ECI approximately $37 per child per year. In order to continue the Imagination Library, we have to be able to financially support the children in our school district who are enrolled. Currently there are 70 children from MCC School District receiving books at no charge to families because of this program.

If you are a grandparent, business owner, neighbor, parent, or community individual who is willing to support early learning you may sponsor a child enrolled in the program. Your tax deductible donation of $37.00 can be sent to (Make checks payable to The Marshall County Early Childhood Initiative):

Early Childhood Initiative
Viking Elementary School
PO Box 189
Newfolden, MN 56738

Supporting early literacy means more than just reading books aloud to children.

Reading aloud is important for young children, both in the classroom and at home. Good practices that support early literacy development begin with close and dependable relationships with caring adults who are nurturing and responsive to the children’s interests and natural curiosity.

Depending on the children’s ages and developmental characteristics, teachers and parents support children’s language and literacy growth when they engage in daily ongoing, challenging conversations with young children; ensure that there are plenty of books at school and at home; provide children with opportunities to learn rhymes and play with words to help them learn about the sounds; show them that writing goes from left to right and top to bottom so that they can learn about print concepts; and play games with children to help them break words into their individual sounds.