Pre-Kindergarten & UPK
South Shore Children's Center is the exclusive UPK provider for the West Islip Union Free School District, selected by the district to host its full-day Universal Pre-Kindergarten program funded by the New York State Education Department.
Our Pre-K program is built around kindergarten readiness — developing the academic skills, independence, and social confidence children need to walk into kindergarten ready to succeed. It is one of the most comprehensive pre-kindergarten programs on Long Island. South Shore also welcomes Pre-K students from surrounding communities who are looking to join the program.
Qualifying 4-year-olds who are residents of the West Islip school district may be eligible for the UPK program at no cost, funded by the NYS Education Department. Families must register through the West Islip UFSD.
Learn About UPK EnrollmentCurriculum Framework
Our UPK curriculum is aligned with the New York State Pre-K Learning Standards and integrates two nationally recognized, evidence-based frameworks:
- Heggerty Phonemic Awareness — a structured, sequential program that builds the foundational phonemic awareness skills essential for early reading success
- Fundations® by Wilson Language Training — a systematic phonics and word study program that develops strong decoding, encoding, and spelling skills from the ground up
What Your Child Will Develop
- Phonemic awareness and early literacy — the ability to recognize and work with sounds, letters, and words
- Math and science foundations — early numeracy, problem-solving, and inquiry skills
- Fine motor development — strengthened fine motor skills that support writing and everyday tasks
- Social-emotional growth — self-regulation, empathy, and cooperative skills
- Confidence and engagement — a positive attitude toward learning that carries into kindergarten
Extended Day Program
For families who need care beyond the UPK-funded school day, SSCC offers a limited number of Extended Day placements. Extended Day begins at 8:30 AM with an option to start as early as 6:30 AM, and the day can end at 4:00 PM or 6:00 PM depending on availability.
