Our VPK Program
What is VPK: VPK stands for the Voluntary Pre-kindergarten 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 Pre-kindergarten (VPK) education program.
Voluntary Pre-kindergarten or VPK gives children a jump start by preparing them for school and enhancing their pre-reading, pre-math, language and social skills. By developing the skills children need to become strong readers and students at an early age, children are more likely to be successful in school.
Children's literacy development is a continuous process beginning in infancy. Language, Literacy and Reading skills are inter-dependent and are best facilitated through exposure to oral language, written language, books, stories, and phonemic instruction.
Phonemic Awareness, Phonics & Reading: phonemic awareness is the ability to notice, think about, and work with the individual sounds in words. We know that a student's skill in phonemic awareness is the basis for learning phonics and a good predictor of later reading success or difficulty, so our language and literacy curriculum relies heavily on teaching phonemes to children.
At New Hope Christian School, we embrace and use the A Beka Book Curriculum for Phonics & Reading because we share A Beka Book's philosophy that "reading is the means by which each person may learn for himself." A Beka Book employs phonics as the most logical, orderly way to introduce reading to children. Beautifully illustrated and imaginatively written, A Beka Book readers are the finest available anywhere. Stories are carefully selected for interest, readability, theme, and values.