I'm sure you think you could teach your child yourself but there is more to VPK than just sharing knowledge. Many parents are working and the evening is not the best time to allocate at least 15 hours a week to home VPK schooling. At the end of each day your child will be tired and so will you. How can you manage distractions and keep focused on your task of teaching without the usual door knocks, dog barking, cooking dinner or anything else that crops up in a normal family household.

Ask yourself why has the State invested so much money in VPK if evidence to support its positive effect on children's education was not there. Allow me to share some very good reasons why you should consider enrolling your child into a VPK program, such as the one offered at Lake Mary Childcare. If you are not already on this web site you can check it out here. www.lakemarychildcare.com

It's Free (9am to 12.00pm). Lake Mary Childcare offer longer days: 6.30am to 6.30pm to fit in with parents work schedule.
540 hrs of VPK teaching time.
Teachers are vetted, experienced and qualified.
Ongoing written assessments on childs' progress through a State approved curriculum.
Children have concrete experiences and are encouraged to explore through play.
Significant advantages for children entering Kindergarten and beyond.

The following photographs are by kind permission of the parents of Lake Mary Childcare

Scientific Evidence

How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School also indicated learners must see what they are learning as useful, and realize how the information can be applied. If the child does not recognize the new knowledge as useful he or she cannot go beyond memorization to application (Dewey, 1938/1998).

The time children spend in play can assist in creating connections for later literacy and academic advancements (Barnett, 2003; Liew, McTigue, Barrois, & Hughes, 2008; Kirp, 2009; Stipek, 2006). Buysse and Sparkman (2003) agreed with this finding, as they believed that learning must occur in natural settings in daily activities and should be linked to socialization with peers.

There is importance in early relationships and environments, and that interactions between science, policy, and practice are critical in the early childhood field (Shonkoff, 2003).

Neurons to Neighborhoods" was a front-page topic in Time Magazine. An outcome of these studies was the highly published results that children needed quality experiences and early brain stimulation to make connections for later learning. These studies suggested children can learn when they have early experiences in play activities promoting planning, problem-solving, social opportunities, and creative role-playing (Bransford et al., 2002; Shonkoff, 2003). Brain research was not the only factor that contributed to the rising interest to investing in young children. There were many studies that supported positive outcomes to high quality preschool experiences and high student achievement.

Preschool studies linked to high student achievement. The vision of Voluntary Prekindergarten was created out of years of research indicating positive effects of prekindergarten programs and benefits to children, families, and society.