Pre - K
Welcome
Mrs. F.Talada (VPK), Mrs. K. Talada(VPK), and Ms. Denton (IPK)
VPK Parents,
Welcome! Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) is a program designed to prepare every four‐year‐old in Florida for Kindergarten and build the foundation for their educational success. The VPK program gives each child the opportunity to perform better in school and throughout life.
Using a curriculum called ‘The Letter People’, Pre-k students will build language and communication skills as well as explore science, social studies and math concepts, all while working cooperatively with peers and teachers. Of course, we’ll read lots of wonderful books, play on the playground, take short naps, engage in “play” at centers and incorporate some really awesome technology using iPads and The Waterford Early Reading/Math & Science Program on Chromebooks! I will provide a positive, safe and healthy learning environment through both direct instruction and independent play, which will foster positive self-esteem and academic growth. This learning environment will be enriched by utilizing developmentally appropriate strategies and hands-on exploration. Each day will go by very quickly because we will be so busy!
It is a good idea for young children to go to bed early, and to form a morning and evening school routine. Remember if you are dropping your child off at school, please have him/her here no later than 7:50am to ensure that he/she receives breakfast, and walks together with the students to the classroom!
We cannot wait to see what this year has to offer! Thank you for taking this positive step towards your child’s future success! We are very excited about the upcoming year and look forward to working with both you and your child!
Departments
Below is a list of some of the various activities and resources that you can do or use at home to help your child be even more successful, and work towards becoming a more independent student.
*To build and strengthen finger/hand muscles, try these:
-Color with crayons
-Play with clay or Play Dough
-Finger paint
-Use toys such as Kinex, Tinkertoys and Legos (anything that can be manipulated,
put together or taken apart
-Practice sorting small objects (beans, pennies, cotton balls…use your
imagination) with fingers or even a pair of tweezers
-use fingers to write names, letters, numbers or shapes in a tray of clean sand
or cornmeal
-Practice typing on a keyboard
-Practice zipping, buttoning and snapping
*To develop and increase listening skills (VERY IMPORTANT), try these:
-Practice using simple two or three step directions (Please pick up the blue pencil
and place it on the table. / Please take your white shoes to your bedroom and put
them in the closet next to your black shoes.)
-Say a short sentence and have your child repeat each word of the sentence back
to youslowly. Listen and count how many words (we clap the words, stomp the
words or use our fingers to count the words).
-Have your child repeat back to you whatever you said (make sure to start out with
simple and short sentences).
*To develop phonological awareness skills, try these:
Phonological awareness is the ability to recognize that words are made up of a variety of sound units. It provides the basis for phonics.
-Say three words, two of which rhyme. Have your child tell you which two words
- (ex: dog, hot, log = dog/log)
-Make compound words. (ex: say foot & ball, put those two words together and you
get “football” Or reverse this activity by doing this: If I say football and now I
don’t say foot, what word is left = “ball”
-Segment sounds in words (ex: /c/ /a/ /t/ = cat OR cat is /c/ /a/ /t/)
-Sing and say Nursery Rhymes!! So simple and fun!! One of my favorites!
-Read a children’s book before bedtime (talk about the book, the words, the
pictures…ask questions!!)
*To build and strengthen finger/hand muscles, try these:
-Color with crayons
-Play with clay or Play Dough
-Finger paint
-Cut with appropriate child-sized scissors. Allow your child to “free cut” random pictures
from magazines or newspapers or draw various shapes and have them cut on the line.
-Use fingers to write names, letters, numbers or shapes in a tray of clean sand or
cornmeal
-Practice typing on a keyboard
-Practice zipping, buttoning and snapping