IEP’s Early Childhood Education Programs are designed to provide a learning environment in which children can develop intellectually, physically, and emotionally in a manner appropriate to age and developmental stage.

Our state-of-the-art curriculum is carefully developed

IEP professionals have decades of combined experience in developing curriculum. We integrate the important concepts of health, nutrition, social skills, and emotional well-being into our daily educational activities.

We monitor for learning problems

IEP professionals understand how to detect learning problems quickly, and can develop appropriate intervention techniques to help the child quickly adjust and learn.

We offer flexibility

All IEP programs are designed to provide cutting-edge curriculum that can be integrated partially or as a comprehensive program that can be customized based on needs.

We provide a rich learning environment

Providing a rich learning environment for children in their formative years is what we focus on with our Early Education Programs… attention to every detail… program flexibility… and a commitment to care and excellence every step along the way. Our programs include a parenting component and meet the standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). All of our learning is conducted with a crucial eye toward building self-esteem, developing social skills, and promoting emotional well-being.

All children will be treated with respect. Children will not be disciplined in a punitive manner

Our goal is to encourage children to develop respect, self-control, self-confidence, and sensitivity in their social interaction during their time at preschool.

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NAEYC Standards

  • Promote positive relationships. Implement a curriculum that promotes learning and development in the areas of social, emotional, physical, language, and cognitive.
  • Effective teaching approaches.
  • Assessment of child progress.
  • Promote nutrition and health of children.
  • Employing and supporting the teaching staff.
  • Collaborative relationships with families.
  • Community relationships.
  • A safe and healthy environment.
  • Effective leadership and management of the program.

Staff Credentials

All staff members possess the appropriate credentials for their position. A copy of those credentials (certifications, CDA’s, Associate Degree, etc.) are on file in the Main Office. All staff members are required to be certified in Pediatric CPR and First Aid. All staff members have completed a Child Abuse Record Information (CARI) check and a Criminal History Record background check as required by N.J.A.C. 10:122 – 4.9, 4.10.

Discipline Policy

We respect each child and his/her level of development, individual personality and their cultural influences. We create a positive environment so as to influence behavior: educational activities, plenty of toys, space, as well as area boundaries to divide activities. The teachers are fully trained in child development and how it relates to guidance (discipline) and the positive guidance strategies we list below.

The program has a set daily routine but allows for flexibility. Clear guidelines are provided so that children know what is expected of them. Limits that relate to safety protection of self, others, and the environment are clear and are enforced consistently in a positive way. Children are given time to respond to expectations.

Teachers may use a variety of strategies depending on the child and the situation. These strategies include: gaining a child’s attention, staying in a close proximity to the child, reminding, acknowledging feelings before setting limits, redirecting or diverting, age appropriate choices, and natural consequences. Time out is used as a last resort and while in time out they are supervised. A child will not be disciplined for failing to eat, sleep, or for soiling himself/herself. We disallow hitting, shaking, corporal punishment, abusive language, frightening treatment, withholding food or emotional responses and making children silent for lengthy periods.

Early Childhood Centers of Newark and Paterson, New Jersey

Our Mission and Educational Philosophy

The mission of our school is to provide a high-quality pre-school education. In addition, our school is committed to the support and education of all families of young children. We believe strongly that a high-quality; developmentally appropriate early education is the cornerstone to later academic success. We believe public education should begin with high quality pre-Kindergarten programs. IEP Early Childhood Centers provide a learning environment in which children can develop intellectually, physically and emotionally in a manner appropriate to age and developmental stage.

Innovative Educational Programs uses a developmental approach, which has been adopted by the Newark Public Schools and Paterson Public Schools for all Pre-K classes. The framework of our curriculum is based on Creative Curriculum. This is a model which gives each individual child greater learning opportunities and utilizes developmentally appropriate practices.

Educational Goals

Innovative Educational Programs\’ Early Childhood Centers follow these educational goals:

  • Reflect the values of the community.
  • Create an environment that empowers children to learn social skills.
  • Provide all children with the same curriculum opportunities.
  • Offer a balance of goals and objectives from each subject area.
  • Plan meaningful content that links children’s prior learning to the development of more sophisticated knowledge and complex skills.
  • Link content to key concepts necessary for success in kindergarten.
  • Organize the curriculum around themes, units and projects, and the use of technology, with a focus on key concepts and children’s literature.