What to Look for in a Free VPK
Since it was first implemented in 2002, free VPK (Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten) has successfully prepared thousands of kids by developing their pre-reading, pre-math, language and social skills. Here are the facts that you need to know about free VPK if your child is eligible for the program:
What is free VPK?
VPK is a free educational program that employs an age-appropriate curriculum and approach to teaching. It is designed to develop a child’s abilities in math, reading, language and social skills in order to prepare them for Kindergarten and further education.
What free VPK programs are there?
There are 3 free VPK programs:
- School-year program – runs during normal school semesters, 540 instructional hours, 20 or fewer students per class
- Summer programs – runs during summer holidays, 300 instructional hours, 12 or fewer students per class
- Specialized instructional services program – specially designed for children with disabilities and have individual educational plans developed by local school districts, instructional hours will vary
Who is eligible?
The free VPK program is eligible to all 4-year-olds who live in the state of Florida and whose birthday is on or before the 1st of September of the school year for which they intend to register. VPK is free regardless of your family’s financial standing and income.
Benefits of Free VPK
Studies have shown that a child’s brain is in its most important phase of development and growth from birth till age 5. This means that their early years are the most important for learning and when they learn the most. Skills developed and nurtured during this time provide them with a stable base for the rest of their lives and can affect the way they learn, develop and grow. Success in kindergarten and school is greatly amplified through good foundational experiences and education before this time.
Children who participate in free VPK programs have better results in school-readiness tests, have better social skills, and develop better language, pre-reading and pre-math abilities when they enter school.
Free VPK providers
All providers of VPK have to meet the program’s quality standards. These include the employment of fully qualified and trained staff members, maintain the required class sizes, provide the full program of instructional hours, and utilize an age-appropriate curriculum that focuses on developing the skills needed for success in kindergarten and further education.
All VPK providers are registered with the Florida Office of Early Learning. On their website you are able to view all providers’ kindergarten readiness rates. This method of rating a provider is based on the Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener and shows how well a provider has prepared a student for kindergarten.
Choosing a provider and registering
You can use the Office of Early Learning’s website to help locate a provider close to you and use the readiness rates to choose a provider to suit your needs. Once you have chosen your free VPK provider you will need to start the registration process. You can find out more information about VPK registration here.
If you would like any more information about free VPK or Parkland Children’s Academy’s VPK programs, give us a call today!