A new initiative is showing promise as a way to help teachers prepare Palm Beach County children for the growing rigors of kindergarten.
Why it matters: Children who enter kindergarten ready to learn are more likely to read proficiently by third grade. But if they fall behind, the odds are against them catching up to their classmates.
Stunning stat: State testing found that kindergarten readiness in Palm Beach County rose from 66% in 2022-23 to over 72% in the last school year — a six-point gain.
- The improvement is one of the most significant gains documented in Florida’s free and voluntary prekindergarten (VPK) system.
- The achievement is featured in the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s 2024–25 Kindergarten Readiness Report, which highlights Palm Beach County as a case study.
The initiative, led by the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County, is happening in VPK programs with the school district, Head Start and private sites. It embeds learning technology, teacher training, and coaching in VPK classrooms.
- Technology: Programs called My Reading and Math Academy, developed by Age of Learning, a Glendale, Calif.-based technology company, are being used at 270 VPK sites in Palm Beach County, providing 15 minutes of daily instruction to more than 5,000 students.
- Training: Professional development supports teacher growth.
- Coaching support: Coaches work with teachers at each site, offering immediate feedback.
“Our readiness rate is evidence that what we are doing works,” Aruna Gilbert, chief program and policy officer at the Early Learning Coalition, said…