Pre-K Engagement in Pembroke Pines

Enroll Your Child in Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK)

Pre-kindergarten day care programs allow you and your young child to prepare for the transition of attending school as he grows older. Tanglewood Academy is dedicated to helping your child build a healthy foundation for future success through voluntary pre-kindergarten in Pembroke Pines. Each day of our pre-k program is designed to include your child in his educational and personal growth at an early age, setting the stage for a lifetime of excitement about learning and a positive sense of self-worth.

What Is Pre-K?

You may have heard the term “pre-kindergarten” before, but many parents aren’t familiar with the purpose or benefits of pre-k. Pre-kindergarten programs are daily classes and activities specifically designed for pre-kindergarteners, typically around age four. These activities, while fun and creative, are focused on preparing attendees for future success in their academic endeavors. Pre-K activities include projects, games, and experiences that teach pre-reading, pre-math, pre-language, and pre-social skills, encouraging children to find wonder in the world around them and develop enjoyment in the learning process. Activities may also promote either teamwork or independent thought, as well as problem-solving, categorization, and mental focus. Overall, studies have consistently shown that children who attend pre-k develop better math and reading skills during their first few years of school than those who don’t have the benefit of these structured and supportive programs at home. From age four to five, children undergo remarkable growth across all developmental areas. Pre-K education supports a child’s physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. Every child progresses at a unique pace, but in general, you can expect a four-year-old to be at the following milestones:

• Gross motor skills: Your child can run in a relatively controlled manner, hop on one foot, and do somersaults. Your child can bounce, catch, and throw a ball. Your child can bathe, dress, comb hair, and brush teeth with minimal assistance.
• Fine motor skills: Your child can copy basic shapes, use dining utensils, and print some letters. Your child can use child-safe scissors to cut on a line.
• Language and literacy: Your child has about a 1,500-word vocabulary and can speak in sentences that are relatively complex. Your child can recognize some letters and familiar word signs, such as a “Stop” sign.
• Cognitive development: Your child understands the concept of past, present, and future, and can usually understand the differences between fantasy and reality. Your child can compare larger and smaller objects, recognize patterns, and begin to think logically.
• Socio-emotional development: Your child can share, take turns, and cooperate with others. Your child can begin to express feelings verbally.

At the end of your child’s year in pre-kindergarten, he or she may have met the following milestones:

• Gross motor skills: Your child can toe walk, walk on a balance beam, and jump rope.
• Fine motor skills: Your child displays a hand preference, holds a pencil like an adult, colors within the lines, and cuts and pastes simple shapes.
• Language and literacy: Your child enjoys expressing him- or herself through language and can speak fluently. Your child can correctly use tenses, plurals, and pronouns, and can print some letters.
• Cognitive development: Your child displays problem-solving skills, can count 10 or more things, and understand the uses of common objects, such as money.
• Socio-emotional development: Friendship has become increasingly important to your child. Your child wants to fit in with his or her friends, seeks praise from adults, and enjoys pretend play. Your child understands the concepts of right and wrong, and honest and dishonest.

Pre-K: Benefits for You and Your Child

Choosing pre-kindergarten has benefits that both you and your child can enjoy. At Tanglewood Academy, our goal is to provide a safe and supportive environment where your pre-k-aged child can learn and grow with the guidance of our trained staff. You can find out more about our pre-kindergarten program options, including three-hour morning classes, enhanced programs with longer hours for working parents, and even full-day summer pre-k options, by calling (954) 431-8805 for additional details.

• Pre-k programs also include day care for your child. This is a good way to begin acclimating both yourself and your child to spending time separately during school, and also allows you the time to complete important daily tasks while encouraging your young child to enjoy greater independence in a classroom-like setting.
• A pre-k program can give your child a valuable sense of enjoyment in the process of learning and its benefits. When learning, fun, and positive reinforcement go hand in hand, he will perform better in school and in other spheres of life. Because your child will love learning, you also won’t struggle as a parent to find ways to keep him motivated and engaged.
  

Our APPLE Accreditation

The Florida Association for Child Care Management (FACCM) is a nonprofit leader in the early childhood education field. FACCM supports quality education by establishing strict accreditation criteria for early childhood education centers. Tanglewood Academy in Pembroke Pines is proud to have earned the designation of Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment (APPLE). With our APPLE designation, parents can rest assured that their children are in good hands in our pre-k program. This designation verifies that Tanglewood Academy has met the following criteria.

• Licensed child care facility in good standing
• Substantially compliant licensing history
• Inspected by the Department of Health or the Department of Children and Families
• Background screening for all employees
• Maintenance of a substantial quantity and appropriate quality of books

In addition, early childhood education centers with APPLE credentials must comply with periodic re-accreditation requirements and must submit to random audits to ensure full compliance.