“Our support of the Education Foundation is a strategic investment in the future of Palm Beach County preschoolers,” said Kim Reckley, PNC Bank SVP and client & community relations director for Southeast Florida. “Bringing awareness to the importance of early education to this community is essential. Studies have shown the measurable impact school readiness has on the success of children in school and life. By providing instructive and thoughtful solutions for parents, caregivers, and local organizations like the Education Foundation, we’re supporting a solid foundation for the growth and success of Palm Beach children, their families and ultimately, our local economy.”
The Building Oral Language and Vocabulary in VPK program increased kindergarten readiness by supporting students in improving their Oral Language and Vocabulary skills. Using iPads, children wrote and illustrated their own electronic books related to the Connect4Learning curricular topics and contributed to creating class books related to culminating unit projects. Throughout this program, teachers were engaged in professional development, coaching, and support in order to build an understanding of the principles behind using writing to increase oral language and vocabulary development and the value behind creating electronic books. As a result, children developed oral language and vocabulary, print knowledge, and fine motor skills –along with their identity as writers and authors.
Program Impact: • Collectively serving 66 schools and 79 VPK classrooms • Positively impacting 1,660 VPK students • Engaging over 173 teachers and educational personnel through targeted Professional Development, coaching, and support • Equipping VPK classrooms with technology and books to enrich classroom libraries • 100% of teachers stated this program positively impacted oral language and literacy development in their classroom • 97% of children who completed both a baseline and year-end assessment demonstrated an increase in their STAR Early Literary Assessment Scores • The average STAR Literacy Assessment Scale Score increased by 130 points from the beginning to the end of the year across all participating schools
