VPK

Hand ‘N Hand Child Enrichment Center is proud of our research-based curriculum, Learn Everyday Preschool Curriculum and Nemours’ BrightStart Literacy Curriculum. Our rich and diverse curriculum guarantees our VPK program exceeds the Florida Sunshine Standards.

Learn Every Day Preschool Curriculum generates eagerness, curiosity, and creativity. Our hands-on environment encourages critical thinking skills, problem solving, inventiveness, independence, and a time for reflection each and every day. Both teacher-directed and student-initiated learning opportunities are incorporated in our in-depth lesson plans.

NEMOURS BRIGHTSTART is presented to small groups of children allowing for individualized attention on emergent reading skills including letter recognition, phonics, phonemic awareness, rhyming, and a concentration on rich vocabulary. Research clearly shows the correlation between mastering these concepts during the Pre-Kindergarten year leads to successful early reading.

STREAM: Our VPK children are immersed in Science, Technology, Relationships, Engineering, Arts, and Math as evidenced through our strong, researched based, and creative curriculum and enrichment programs. Incorporating STREAM into the presentation of our multi-intelligence approach, ensures our Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten students will be well prepared to continue their journey to educational excellence.

Kindness Counts: Our VPK students are immersed in character building skills. The Seven Pillars of Character are introduced and reviewed throughout the year. Starting with our babies, and continuing to build on the six values listed, our final value is Citizenship.

Seven Pillars of Character:

Trustworthiness is modeled by helping young children understand words and actions can make their peers feel wanted and needed. Respect is developed as we celebrate the uniqueness of each child. Children are encouraged to begin self-regulation, the ability to control their impulses, giving each child the opportunity to be heard and seen in a mindful manner. Responsibility is helping during clean- up time, following simple rules, or learning to put your own blanket in your cubby. Fairness is difficult for very young children to understand. Allowing children to take turns being helpers throughout the day is a great beginning. Caring and Empathy: Our team of professional teachers are sensitive to social and emotional readiness that is critical to a child’s transition to kindergarten. In order to build strong self-concepts, self-control, values, and healthy relationships with both peers and adults, positive role modeling is a must in our classrooms.

Hand ‘N Hand believes CITIZENSHIP is nurtured through the combination of all seven values. Helping children feel safe and valued, modeling simple class rules, taking turns, sharing spaces, and building a community of kind, caring, and conscientious young children will leave a lasting impact on this generation.

Artist In Residence: Art is the all-star of multi-intelligence learning. Drama brings early literacy to life through the joy of make-believe characters. Music is the universal language. It soothes the soul and gives everyone a chance to wiggle and giggle. Creating one-of-a-kind masterpieces takes creativity and develops critical thinking skills, laying a foundation for a strong self-confidence. We incorporate Artist In Residence into our curriculum and enjoy using music to bring joy.

Igniting young children’s imagination on their journey to educational excellence.