Great VPK Tips for Seminole County Families

Voluntary prekindergarten (VPK) is a state program designed to prepare every child in Florida for kindergarten and build the foundation for their educational success. Children can only participate in VPK once, either during the school year or during the summer session.

Great VPK Tips for Seminole County Families offered by The Glen Academy in Casselberry Florida

For new parents, preparing your child for VPK (Voluntary Prekindergarten) begins with familiarizing Your Child with School Routines: Practice Getting Ready Skills – Help your child practice putting on jackets and zipping backpacks.

Research shows that young children learn best through hands-on experiences that have been planned by knowledgeable teachers. To parents, this may look like “just play,” but it is actually active learning. When young children explore things directly with their senses and practice new skills through play, they are learning in ways that are meaningful to them at their stage of development. Here are some characteristics of a developmentally appropriate environment in VPK:

The children look happy, healthy, and involved in activities.
The prekindergarten teachers are friendly, kind, calm, and patient.
The prekindergarten teachers get on the children’s eye level to listen, talk, and play with them.
The prekindergarten teachers give individual attention to each child daily.
There are various learning centers and play spaces available (e.g., dramatic play, art center, blocks, library, manipulative toys, music, sand/water tables).
There are plenty of books, blocks, puzzles, toys, and materials for all the children in care.
The physical layout/classroom arrangement provides enough space for a variety of learning centers and activities.
The daily schedule is well-planned and includes time for outdoor play and learning.
The facility is cheerful, clean, and safe, and the equipment is in good repair.
Instruction is linked to the Florida VPK Education Standards.

Our VPK program offers an engaging and challenging early education experience in a safe and secure environment. Our VPK teachers are highly experienced and exceed the State’s requirements for teaching VPK.