The VPK program is an excellent opportunity for your child to learn and grow. The curriculum is designed to help your child develop the skills to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.
What Is the VPK Program?
The VPK program is a free and voluntary program that prepares four-year-olds for kindergarten. It is funded by the Florida Department of Education and administered by local school districts. Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program or VPK is a free educational program that prepares 4-year-olds for kindergarten and beyond.
To participate in the VPK program, your child must turn four years old on or before September first of the year they start the program. The School Year 2022-2023 VPK Program will be available to ALL children who live in the State of Florida and are four years old on or before 09/01/2022.
If your child attends a public school, they may be able to attend the VPK program at that school. If not, you will need to find and enroll your child in a private provider participating in the state’s VPK program.
Benefits of Enrolling in a VPK Program
1. Gives Your Child a Strong Educational Foundation
The VPK curriculum is designed to give your child a solid educational foundation. It covers all the basics, from reading and math to science and history. By the time they finish the program, they’ll be well prepared for kindergarten and beyond.
2. Prepares Your Child for Kindergarten
Kindergarten is a vital program for your child. They will be learning how to read and write and add and subtract. VPK can help prepare your child for this by teaching them the basic concepts they will need to know. VPK also introduces your child to social skills that they will need in daycare, such as sharing and taking turns.
For example, in one VPK class, children might make a collage. The teacher would give each child a piece of paper and some crayons. The children would then take turns adding their pieces to the collage. It helps them learn to share and work together.
3. Helps Your Child Develop Social And Emotional Skills
VPK also helps your child develop social and emotional skills. These skills help your child interact with others, manage emotions, and solve problems.
Some of the social and emotional skills your child can learn through VPK include:
-cooperation
-communication
-self-control
-respect for others
– empathy
Developing social and emotional skills can also help your child in other areas of learning, such as reading and math. For example, children who can cooperate with others are more likely to succeed in group projects or activities in child care.
4. Enhances Your Child’s Cognitive Development
Cognitive development involves your child’s ability to think, reason, and remember. In the VPK program, your child will be exposed to various learning experiences that will help them develop these critical skills.
Some of how your child’s cognitive development will be enhanced include:
-Being read to daily
-Learning colors, shapes, and numbers
-Reciting nursery rhymes
-Engaging in simple science experiments
These essential activities will help your child develop the vital thinking skills to succeed in school and life.
SCHOOL REGISTRATION FOR 2022-2023 IS NOW OPEN
Please enroll your child as soon as your voucher is received. We do have limited space.
Please go to the Early Learning Coalition webpage https://www.elcbroward.org
Go to Parent Portal, apply for VPK, and you can start your registration process. As soon as you receive your Voucher, you may bring it in to the office so that we can save your child’s spot in our preschool.
Should you have any questions in that regard you may contact ELC of Broward at (954) 377-2188.
