Five-year-old Marlaina Paulding likes playing in the tents in her VPK classroom at Felix A. Williams Elementary School in Martin County. She likes learning the alphabet and numbers, and the Spanish ...

The Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program is designed to prepare 4-year-olds for kindergarten and develop the skills they need to become successful students as well as good readers. In VPK, the ...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Thousands of Florida kids who go to voluntary prekindergarten, or VPK, are not ready for kindergarten, according to the state. In Florida, 4- and 5-year-olds have free access to ...

Malcolm McKey and a dozen other voluntary pre-kindergarten students sit crisscross applesauce in their Lincoln Park Primary classroom Wednesday afternoon and clap in unison as they count to 20. The ...

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - A local elementary school was recently recognized for the exceptional quality of its VPK program. Cedar Grove Elementary School earned the highest Voluntary ...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The cost of child care is on the rise and research shows it’s largely due to the pandemic. But in Florida, there is the option of free volunteer pre-kindergarten, also known as ...

Families enrolled in the Florida’s Voluntary Pre-kindergarten program will soon have more flexible options for their 4-year-olds. The Florida Department of Education and the Office of Early Learning ...

For years I’ve driven across Brevard County and seen signs that say “free VPK.” I’ve often wondered, what exactly is VPK? I know it stands for voluntary prekindergarten, but what exactly is it? When I ...

Florida's first voluntary prekindergarten program began in 2005. The program is free for all 4-year-olds. School-readiness test scores show VPK prepares children for school. This story was updated to ...