In Florida, children who are 4-years old can attend voluntary prekindergarten for free. Since 2005, a law exists in Florida that grants everyone a chance at early education, a formative experience that is proven to benefit children throughout their entire life. Approved private, public, and specialized institutions can operate Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) programs at their education site. ABC Learning Center is proud to offer free VPK to nurture strong minds while preparing children for kindergarten, and the rest of their academic careers.
On January 2, 2005, Governor Jeb Bush signed free VPK for all 4-year-olds into Florida law, making Florida one of the first states to offer an advantageous program of this kind. Florida has been cued into the reimbursements of early education for many years, back in 1978 the state of Florida used Migrant and Title I resources to fund a State Migrant Prekindergarten program. Since then Florida has continued to work at making early education accessible to everyone, as over the years these programs have proven to pay themselves back, and then some. Research shows children soak up knowledge like a sponge between ages 1 to 4, although standard classroom education does not typically begin until a child is 5. Adequate early exposure to social skills, literature, language, and other classroom resources improves future success rates. Since August of 2005 thousands of 4-year olds have been able to attend prekindergarten for free in Florida, bettering their future and that of their entire community.
Voluntary Prekindergarten programs offer flexibility, allowing parents to choose when and where your child attends VPK. The first option is to enroll your child in the VPK school-year program, which consists of 540 hours of educational learning in a classroom with no more than 20 other students. Another option is to enroll your child in the VPK summer program, which includes 300 hours of educational exposure with no more than 12 students per classroom. In any VPK program there are never more than 11 children per one teacher, granting kids sufficient one-on-one time. Children with special needs and a pre-established personalized education plan are offered Specialized Instructional Services, which includes learning in even smaller group settings, or one-on-one. ABC Learning provides wrap-around care with standard VPK hours, granting more flexibility for busy parents.
Since 2005, the number of 4-year olds enrolled in VPK programs has climbed to 80% of Florida children. This is largely due to the benefits VPK provides children during and after enrollment. Children who attend free voluntary prekindergarten are far more prepared for kindergarten, in fact 79% of VPK students are kindergarten-ready, while in comparison, 55% of non-VPK students are prepared to start school. The readiness scores for VPK students continue to rise, as do future success rates long past Kindergarten.
Literacy is a big part of VPK standards, and is something all four-year olds should be focusing on. Early exposure to literature spurs a love of learning as well as higher reading levels throughout grade school, children who attend pre kindergarten are already familiar with reading and books so while their classmates might struggle, they are prepared to quickly move ahead. Language is also improved through prekindergarten exposure; everything a child learns during these formative years will stick with them all through life, building a solid foundation for their educational futures. Not only does free VPK offer academic opportunities but it also gets children socially ready for school. Even if your child has siblings or neighbors they play with, the socialization that takes place in a school setting is unique. In pre-kindergarten children learn how to play and work well with larger groups of peers.
Areas of learning that children who attend VPK show the greatest improvements in include: math, reading, and social skills.
ABC Learning Center offers Free Voluntary Prekindergarten that teaches your child learning is fun, giving them the tools and motivation to love learning their entire life, and the best part is that it won’t cost you dime. In order to enroll you will need proof of Florida residency, along with proof of your child’s age. To get started filling out the appropriate application for free VPK registration. Click here
Here at ABC Learning Center we cater to children 12 months to 5 years of age. We have a bi-lingual staff, and they maintain CPR and First Aid certificates. All of our teachers are fully credentialed CDA and above.
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