VPK stands for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. If you live in Florida, and your child turns 4 four years of age by September 1, your child is eligible to participate in Florida's FREE Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) education program. VPK classrooms offer high-quality programs that include high literacy standards, developmentally appropriate curricula, manageable class sizes, and qualified teachers. VPK classes are offered free of charge to every four-year-old (3 hours/day). We are VPK providers (summer and school year); please ask us how you can enroll your child in this program.

What sets our VPK program aside?

At our Center, VPK students will be served breakfast and lunch at no extra cost to our families. Additionally, we will extend the VPK program for an extra hour each day, for a total of up to four hours a day, at no cost to our families. Our VPK program runs from 08:00am-12:00pm.

Benefits of early education and the VPK program

The most important growth and development in the brain happens by the age of five.

The early years are the learning years. A child’s ability to be attentive and to follow directions emerges in the early years. Structured early learning fosters these abilities for later success in school and in life.

Pre-K prepares children to be ready for school. Children who participate in high-quality early childhood education programs develop better language skills, score higher in school-readiness tests and have better social skills and fewer behavioral problems once they enter school. They are also better prepared for Kindergarten, especially in the areas of pre-reading, pre-math and social skills.

Pre-K promotes a love of learning in children. Pre-K enhances what a child learns at home and instills a love of life-long learning.

Child Care Resource & Referral Assistance

Use the links below to find help in choosing child care, obtain a list of child care programs in your area, find information on community resources, how to apply for School Readiness Assistance and how to quality for Voluntary Pre-kindergarten (VPK).

VPK Application - http://www.vpkhelp.org/summer-2008/resources.html

School Readiness Wait List, On-line Application -

https://spe.schoolreadiness.org/pe/

AWI/OEL -

http://www.floridajobs.org/earlylearning/

Child Care Aware -

http://www.childcareaware.org

NACCRRA -

http://www.naccrra.org

Florida Kidcare -

http://www.floridakidcare.org

Abuse Registry -

http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/programs/abuse

or 1-800-96-ABUSE

Ages & Stages - http://www.agesandstages.com

Step Up for Students - https://www.stepupforstudents.org/

INFANTS THROUGH FIVE-YEAR-OLDS CURRICULUM

At Great Expectations Learning Center we use The Creative Curriculum, the country's leading scientifically based, comprehensive curriculum for programs serving children from birth to age 5.

We believe that curriculum should be integrated with high-quality assessment, professional development, and family connection resources to create a well-rounded program that addresses the needs of early childhood education professionals, children, and their families.

The Creative Curriculum helps us plan and implement a developmentally appropriate program that promotes children's social-emotional development and learning in the core areas of literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies.

It combines the latest research and the freshest ideas into a forward-thinking approach to learning--one that honors creativity and respects the role that teachers play in making learning exciting and relevant for every child in their classrooms.

Our unique approach is designed to inspire teachers, to help them create a high-quality learning environment and, most of all, to support their important efforts as they open doors to successful learning.

With The Creative Curriculum, every teacher can put together a complete system that promotes positive outcomes for all children, including English-language learners, children with disabilities, and advanced learners.

Foundation

The Creative Curriculum for Preschool rests on a solid foundation of child development theory and research. These findings inform decision making, influence our view of children, and form the basis of all the recommendations that you'll find in the curriculum.

The Creative Curriculum for Preschool is a comprehensive, scientifically based early childhood curriculum that has been shown through experimental and quasi-experimental studies to improve classroom quality and cognitive and social-emotional outcomes in young children. It is linked with The Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum for Ages

3-5, a valid and reliable assessment instrument that allows teachers to assess child progress and plan responsively.

Research Overview on The Creative Curriculum for Preschool

The Creative Curriculum for Preschool meets all of the standards put forth for effective early childhood curricula by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS/SDE).

How The Creative Curriculum for Preschool meets NAEYC & NAECS/SDE standards

Not only is every aspect of The Creative Curriculum based on sound developmental theory and evidence-based research, but a number of research studies have been conducted to validate its effectiveness.

Research Demonstrating The Creative Curriculum's Positive Effects on Classroom Quality and Children

While it is important that curriculum and assessment materials be based on the latest scientific research, it is equally important that these materials have a positive impact on child outcomes. Four rigorous independent studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of The Creative Curriculum for Preschool, two of which were part of the Preschool Curriculum Evaluation Research (PCER) project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. Each found positive impacts ranging from improved classroom quality to stronger cognitive, academic, and social-emotional skills.

The Hartford Study

Summary of the Sure Start Study

Infants, toddlers, and two-year-olds

As an educator working with infants, toddlers, and twos, we are in a unique position to help young children learn to trust others and develop secure attachments with the important people in their lives.

Our research-based resources for programs serving children from birth to age 3 help us provide the consistent and responsive care environment that will start them on the path to a lifetime of engaged learning.

The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers & Twos forms the basis of our fully integrated program for this age group. It helps us build relationships with children by showing them how to create meaningful daily routines and experiences that respond to individual children's strengths and interests.

These early, positive interactions with caring adults can give young children the confidence they need to explore their surroundings and take delight in their day-to-day discoveries.

The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers & Twos helps us plan and implement every aspect of caring for the children in your program, from managing daily routines, to creating a responsive environment, to building partnerships with families.

The Creative Curriculum for Preschool

As an educator working with preschoolers, we have the opportunity to set the stage for children's success in school and in life. Our ongoing efforts to value children as individuals and embrace their unique contributions to the classroom community can inspire in them a love of learning that will last a lifetime.

At Great Expectations Learning Center we believe that children learn best when they are actively involved with materials and with others. That's why our resources for preschool programs place so much emphasis on setting up the proper learning environment and building positive, meaningful relationships with children and their families.

The Creative Curriculum for Preschool forms the basis of our fully integrated program for 3- to 5-year-old children. Nationally known for its forward-thinking, comprehensive, and rigorously researched model, our unique approach helps you successfully plan and implement a content-rich, developmentally appropriate program that supports active learning and promotes children's progress in all developmental areas including children who are English-language learners, children with disabilities, and advanced learners.