The Department of Early Childhood Education serves 2700 Early Childhood Educators, both directors and teachers in Synagogue schools under Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist auspices, Yeshiva/Day Schools, JCC's and Y's.

The Department works in cooperation with the Jewish Early Childhood Association (JECA), a professional network of Jewish educators who help in the implementation of JECA and funding of many programs offered by the Department. JECA membership entitles members to attend all programming, to receive our Continuing Education Bulletin and our professional journal, "First School Years."

For specific programming information see our website calendar .

PROGRAMS AND SERVICES:

For Directors:

• Ongoing Director's Networks in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Westchester and Long Island (North and South Shore)
• Greater New York Director Seminars
• Israel Experience

For Teachers and Directors:

• Jewish Early Childhood Association - A professional association of Early Childhood teachers and directors working in schools under Jewish Auspices, JECA works with the Early Childhood department in increasing their professionalism and excellence.
• Regional Professional days in Manhattan, Queens/Long Island, Brooklyn and Westchester.
• Annual Early Childhood Conference
• Basics of Effective Teaching, 16 hour course given in Brooklyn.
• Summer seminars
• Step-Up Program - For teachers preparing to become directors and new directors - 3 full weeks in successive summers - concentrating on: Administrative, Supervision and Curriculum.
• Mentoring Program.
• Project ENGAJE!

For Parents:

• "Orientation to Early Childhood Education" - A program designed for parents who wish to enter the Early Childhood Education profession.
• Video - "All Of Us Together - Helping Families Include Children in the Mourning Process."
• Assistance in locating schools for children.

For the Community:

• "Starting a New School" Kit

Early Childhood Resource Center:

• Books, videos and periodicals
• One-on-one consultations with teachers, directors and principals, by appointment
• Placement services for teachers and directors
• "First School Years," a semi-annual professional publication

Curriculum and Resource Material (for children 3 - 7 years of age)

• First Steps: Learning and Living for Young Jewish Children
  • An experiential curriculum that follows the Jewish calendar with sections devoted to holidays and special events
  • Includes practical suggestions for integrating Jewish living through songs, games, recipes, art and science projects
  • $15.00
• A Supplement intended to be used with First Steps: Learning and Living for Young Jewish Children
  • A supplement
  • $15.00
• First Steps in Learning Torah With Young Jewish Children , Vols. 1 and II (Bereishet and Sh'mot)
  • (See Book Review below)
  • Draws upon a wide range of curriculum areas -- language, science, math, social studies, art and music
  • Reinforces children's understanding that Torah is an integral element of their lives
  • Torah Set: $50.00

To order books and videos, please see the BJE Book Store.

*The Gift of Teaching Torah

*Excerpts of review by Barbara Rosoff as it appeared in Jewish Education News, Summer, 1995

First Steps in Learning Torah with Young Children , Vols. I and II by Rivka Behar, Floreva G. Cohen, and Ruth A. Musnikow, published by Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York , 1993

Jewish educators, have been given a gift in the form of a curriculum: First Steps in Learning Torah with Young Children. First Steps, presented in a developmentally appropriate and psychologically sound way, has as its goal to raise Torah learning for early childhood above the level of Bible stories. It establishes a strong connection between the child's life and the stated objectives of the curriculum.

Behar, Cohen, and Musnikow have created a curriculum that is viable in any Jewish early childhood classroom. It is organized and very "user-friendly." Each lesson is comprised of the text (selected verses from the Torah), narrative (a retelling of the text in language appropriate to young children), concepts (the connection between the text and suggested follow-up activities), including parental participation.

Can children ages four to six study Torah? Eminent psychologist and education Jerome Bruner states that the foundations of any subject may be taught to anybody at any age in some form. Then, as the years pass, there will be a deepening of understanding of the subject if it is pursued.