In designing a VPK program, you must take into consideration the developmental characteristics of four-year-old children. As you work with your staff in developing appropriate programs, an understanding of typical child growth and development is essential.

As we know, there are differences among four-year-old children that are based on a variety of factors. For example, young children whose native language is other than English (English Language Learners) are still learning their native language. For these children it is important to foster acquisition of their native language along with learning English. The goal for children who are English language learners is to provide language- and literacy-rich environments that foster their mastery of the Florida VPK Education Standards. In order to optimize success in the VPK classroom for a child who is learning English, you must help your teachers to understand that the child’s native language serves as a foundation for knowledge acquisition. Starting with what the child already knows, and involving parents in the process by asking them to provide a few important words to help the instructor communicate with the child, are ways to foster a successful VPK experience for the English language learner. The Department of Education has created a course, English Language Learners in the VPK Classroom, to provide teachers and directors with additional information and resources to provide the most positive learning environment for English Language Learners. The course can be accessed through the Department of Children and Families' website."

Children with disabilities also may need accommodations and modifications within the learning environment to meet their individual needs in a way that maximizes their success in your VPK program. Within the introduction to each domain in the Florida VPK Education Standards document, there are strategies listed that are designed to assist teachers in making their lessons meaningful for children with diverse learning needs. Many of these are simply examples of effective teaching strategies that may benefit all children across many settings. It is important that all children are exposed to positive role models, receive adult-supported instruction as they acquire new skills, and work toward independent mastery of these skills as appropriate.

The Florida Department of Education (DOE), Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services published a series of educational information titled Grow to 5. Grow to 5's thirteen modules are scripted and can be used in any order to meet the needs of your audience. Each module contains three hours of training that may be presented in one, two, or three sessions. They may be used independently to address a specific situation (Visual Impairment: What You Need to Know) or for general program quality improvement (The Education and Caregiving Environment: Planning an Effective Program). All modules include reproducible handouts in English and Spanish, and the homework activities allow for reflective follow-up to the coursework.

These materials are free. Print copies may be ordered through the DOE Clearinghouse Information Center. In addition, the modules may be accessed at http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pubxhome.asp (click on Publications and scroll down to the alphabetical list to the Grow to 5 series to find a complete list of the thirteen titles).

If you determine that you need additional supports and strategies to meet the diverse needs of children within your program, you are encouraged to contact your local early learning coalition to access the resources they have available.