Special Projects & Initiatives

Professional Development and Partnership Schools:

Three elementary professional development schools work closely with the department to prepare teacher candidates, raise student achievement, and provide professional development for school and university based faculty. Professional development schools approach their work through an inquiry lens that asks challenging questions about teaching and learning at both the school and university sites.

Modified Alternate Route Program for P-3 Certification:

The Modified Alternate Route Program for early childhood teacher candidates (P-3) is available to individuals with B.A. or B.S. degrees who are currently teaching in a preschool setting. This is a 18 credit program. We also have two satellite campuses at Cumberland County Community College in Vineland and Brookdale Community College in Monmouth County. This program currently enrolls more than 200 students each semester. For more information on these programs, please visit the program web site.

Literacy Enrichment Center:

The Literacy Enrichment Center located in the University Hall, Room 3124, has faculty and facilities to provide reading and study skills help to university students. Consultation, computer assisted instruction, tutoring, and independent activities are available. In addition to campus services, community needs are served by a reading clinic for children between the ages of six and eighteen years. The Literacy Enrichment Center provides clinical and educational experiences for undergraduate and graduate students as well. The Literacy Enrichment Center can be reached by telephone at (973) 655-4247.

Research on Bilingual Preschoolers:

Through a generous grant from the New Jersey Department of Education's Office of Early Childhood, Dr. Freedson is directing a large-scale research study investigating the impact of preschool language and literacy environments on the early literacy development of Spanish-speaking preschool children. The study will track the language- and print-related literacy development in English and Spanish of 200 children in Abbott Districts, and examine how differently organized approaches to bilingual and English-language instruction contribute to children's learning. The grant will also support professional development for Master preschool teachers in the use of a new classroom observation tool designed to encourage teaching practices that support English Language Learners.

The ECELE Summer Science & Mathematics  Enrichment Program is developed and implemented through the Department of Early Childhood, Elementary and Literacy Education. The program provides children in grades 3 through 5 to engage in hands-on, inquiry-based activities in science and mathematics for enrichment and basic skills development. Unique to this program is that it forges a partnership between students enrolled in the program with Early Childhood and Elementary pre-service graduate students. As campers receive one-on-one science and math enrichment, graduate students apply their knowledge of pedagogy to develop activities and assessments for their young partners.