The Miriam and Isaac Blech Early Childhood Center
—Nursery, Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten

Judy Wolf-Nevid, Early Childhood Head
Phone: 212-595-7087, ext. 12204

The Heschel School is a nurturing environment where children can experiment, test their views of the world, and develop new ideas. The Early Childhood program begins a child’s school years with strong, positive, age-appropriate activities in a rich Jewish atmosphere. The emotional, social, cognitive, and physical stages of child development are the cornerstones of our curriculum planning. The program integrates Judaic and general studies through thematic units based on the seasons of the year, Shabbat, Jewish and American holidays. These themes are explored through interdisciplinary experiences linking the arts, the physical and social sciences, and the humanities. These experiences foster higher order thinking and problem-solving skills. The goals of the Early Childhood Program include:

• fostering independence
• building self-esteem and a sense of competence
• building a positive attitude towards learning
• learning respect for oneself and others
• encouraging curiosity
• developing a facility for communication in two languages
• developing an interest in literature
• developing problem-solving abilities
• developing readiness skills for higher grades

Learning is best nurtured in a safe and secure environment in which faculty respect and respond to children’s needs. We believe that children acquire knowledge through opportunities to interact with people and materials. We also believe that learning is based on experience and that children respond to their environment and ask questions in an effort to understand the world around them. We choose units of study that help children in their search for understanding, and we provide Jewish experiences that enhance children’s connectedness to Jewish tradition.

At Heschel, learning is viewed as a continuum. Younger children move from awareness, to exploration, to inquiry and then to utilization. Heschel’s integrated curriculum addresses the needs of children at different levels of development. Children have the opportunity to share their discoveries and to learn from one another by working in small groups.

From encouraging positive separation and the development of trust to teaching readiness skills, the Early Childhood Program provides a solid foundation for learning.