The Pemberton Early Childhood Education Center (PECEC) provides three and four year olds in Pemberton Township with a free, quality, full-day preschool program. Our early childhood program starts children off on the right foot, providing the skills necessary to succeed in school and in life. In our warm, welcoming atmosphere, children become part of the PECEC family, enjoying an educational experience designed to build a life-long love of learning. 

Our program goals are to increase children's self- regulation and focused attention while developing cognitive skills. Early childhood is the time when practicing self-regulated behavior (the ability to regulate one's emotions, behaviors, and thinking) has the most significant impact on childrens' developing brains. The more that our children develop self-regulation, the better they will perform in school. Our children learn through play as the research indicates that children learn best through play-based experiences that are familiar to them and connect to their individual lives.

Program Goals

Our program follows the High/Scope Educational approach to preschool learning, which is based on active participatory learning. This play-based learning provides hands-on learning experiences with people, materials, events and ideas. That principle - validated by decades of research - is the basis of High/Scope's approach to teaching and learning. Our students become independent, responsible and confident, and ready to continue their success as they progress through school. Our high-quality preschool program supports academic , physical and social-emotional skills with multiple opportunities for our children to develop  their oral language and vocabulary.

The Pemberton Preschool Program supports the Preschool Teaching and Learning State Standards. It is essential to effectively use the preschool standards to support the particular needs of all young children in a high-quality preschool program. The preschool standards along with optimal teaching practices are provided for the following content areas:  Social/Emotional Development, Visual and Performing Arts, Health, Safety, and Physical Education, English Language Arts, Approaches to Learning, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Family, and Life Skills, World Languages, Technology.  

Full Day High-Quality Program

Our high-quality preschool program follows the school calendar year including the same holidays and breaks as the school district. A district calendar is distributed at the beginning of every school year detailing days off, upcoming family events and additional educational opportunities. Instructional hours at PECEC are from 9:10-3:40.

Transportation

All 3 and four year old preschool students are provided with transportation. A busing orientation program is offered at each school site at the start of the year to review proper safety procedures for both child and parent.

For more information about the Pemberton Preschool Program, which includes PECEC and the Fort Dix Preschool, call (609) 893-8141, ext. 1500.