SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — South Orange area families with children who need a little more time and attention before starting kindergarten can enroll in Explorers, a transitional pre-K offered by Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel’s Iris Family Center for Early Childhood Education. The program is open to all families whose children have completed preschool, and registrations for the 2016-17 school year are now being accepted.
TSTI’s Explorers is a year-long program that offers two options: full day or from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This child-directed program — led by a certified teacher with a master’s degree in early childhood development — combines academics with interactive play and cooperative games. The curriculum, which follows state-mandated guidelines for early childhood education, includes various knowledge areas presented in weekly units, and will be guided by the students’ interests and questions they pose. Knowledge areas include science, technology, engineering and math. Classroom content also covers family and community relationships, literacy and physical education as well as the creative disciplines of art, music and cooking. Teachers guide and facilitate learning as they help the children explore paths of interest on their way to becoming independent learners and problem solvers.
The Iris Family Center also offers an after-school enrichment program that allows students to extend their day until as late as 3 p.m. For more information about these programs or to enroll a child, call Director Carol Paster at 973-763-4600 or visit www.tsti.org.