Full-day Kindergarten..let's hear it! (long post warning)

[WilmaBud]

You know, S&K's mom, after I posted, I went up and took a shower. In the shower I was thinking, "Now why did I say no 5 year old would need full-day?" I was going to either edit my post or post again (as I'm doing now) to add that children who have special needs would certainly need a longer day of school, even (or especially) at 5. You brought up a very good point.

 

[Wendy]

I think it depends so much on the school district and the quality of education, not necessarily if they go full day or half day. We're lucky enough to live in one of the top school districts in the state. My 5 year old goes to half day kindergarten. He is way, way ahead of where his friends are that go to full day kindergarten in other surrounding districts. He is reading better, he is studying more math, doing more science, plus they still fit in PE, Music, library, and art classes once a week. My friends that have kids in full day are all shocked at how much more my child is doing in half day than their kids are in full day.

In fact, we got a letter sent home in January from the kindergarten teachers saying that most of the kindergarteners have already mastered the entire curriculum for the year, so they're moving on to the first grade curriculum with the kids that are ready for it.

My advice, check out the full and half day programs carefully. Just because they go to full day kindergarten does NOT mean they will learn more than in half day. Quality, not quantity is what's important at this age, IMHO.

 

[Teejay32]

This is such a polarized issue here that the city itself offers both - the individual elementary schools decide whether they will be full-day or half-day programs, and it's up to the parents to try to get their kids enrolled in the appropriate one. We also have a choice of public schools, and very good ones.

My younger DD has had a lot of medical issues keeping her down at times, no preschool, is possibly LD, is on the young side of 5 to begin with due to the cutoff date...but on the other hand was chomping at the bit to go to school, was teaching herself letters and numbers and whatever else she could absorb from books and the TV. Keeping her home another year would have been beneficial to no one, so off she went to half-day K with the blessing of the school and the teacher. She's in the evaluation process already, and is learning quite a bit during the day which we supplement with 'homework' at night. (Her sister has homework, so she does too...we have a school session after supper. ) If she repeats, she'll be a young 6 in K, like a few of her friends are now...we might even keep her in a half-day program this coming year. That means me staying home another year...at this point though, after almost 8 years of SAHM, what's my hurry. LOL.

 

[s&k'smom]

That's funny Wilmabud, I do my best thinking in the shower!

 

[Charleneluvsdisney]

Wow, this is an interesting topic. You have received some great advice and I can only offer what I observed with my son. He attended a full-day program (half was not available) that included all of the extras like the older classes, art, music, library, gym, computers, plus the basic kindergarten program. The first thing that I thought of when I read your post was, I can't imagine how my son's first grade would be if he only attended a half day kindergarten class. There is so much more expected of him this year, that I don't know how well he would have handled the load if he had only attended a half day last year. I believe that the full day helped prepare him for the upcoming year. That being said, every state has different standards and it may be different in your area.

 

[Beanie]

Hey Kim!

Don't have any advice for you since my DS goes to 1/2 day Kindergarten, but just wanted to wish you luck in whatever you decide to do!!

I do wish they would offer full day K here, as my DS is very ready for it, but I do love the school he is in now and he loves going! He has 2 teachers and there are 19 kids in his class...all the children get great individual attention as well as in groups too!

 

[KimRaye]

I could quote something from everyone here who posted, about how I feel the same way. a/k/a Mixed emotions!

I appreciate ALL the replies....Thank you very much!!

When the next meeting between parents and teachers comes up, I'm gonna ask that the KDG teacher join us.

It's funny but, I get the sense that those that only have 1/2 day programs offered, would like full day and, those with full-day wish they had the option of 1/2 day. I've got the option, hence the mixed feelings.

THANKS!!

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

Our District in NJ has full day kindergarten. My older dd went through it and my younger one will go next year. It was definitely a full day of school. I'm not saying that they were "working" all the time, but it wasn't all play time either. They did have a rest time each afternoon, but they could look at books quietly if they didn't want to "rest."

I was in the classroom as a class parent and I know that the kids were well taken care of. I give the teacher a lot of credit.

 

[browneyes]

It sounds like a half day to me. When my kids were in kindergarten, they went the whole day like the rest of the school- from 7:40 to 2:30 (and no naptime ).

 

[jjskribs]

As a first grade teacher, I have a very strong opinion on this subject. I do not believe that children need a full day kindergarten program. Children need to be children and we are pushing them much too hard to do things that they are developmentally not ready to do!
My school only offers a half day kindergarten program but we have several private full day kindergartens in my town. I have 5 children in my classroom who attended full day kindergarten last year and none of them are academically ahead of the other children in my room. In fact, 3 of them are in my lowest guided reading group.
Children are being pushed to read far too early. Many parents think that their children are reading but they are really not. Saying words and being able to "sound out" words is not reading if you have no comprehension of what you have read. Children who can say the words in a story but cannot retell what happened in the story have not really read it.
Young children can memorize sight words and addition and subtraction facts but that does not mean that they understand the concepts. In our haste to push children to read they are not learning how to hold a pencil or cut and paste and do other fine motor activities. We are not giving them the foundation that they need. Most of my children don't know any of the nursery rhymes. This is basic phonemic awareness that the children need before they can read.
I see stressed out, burned out children in first grade and we seriouly need to slow down. We are obsessed with teaching children to read at younger and younger ages before they are ready.
Please let "kids be kids" for a little longer. I'll get off my soapbox now!

 

[jfulcer]

Originally posted by jjskribs
Children are being pushed to read far too early. Many parents think that their children are reading but they are really not. Saying words and being able to "sound out" words is not reading if you have no comprehension of what you have read. Children who can say the words in a story but cannot retell what happened in the story have not really read it.
Young children can memorize sight words and addition and subtraction facts but that does not mean that they understand the concepts. In our haste to push children to read they are not learning how to hold a pencil or cut and paste and do other fine motor activities. We are not giving them the foundation that they need. Most of my children don't know any of the nursery rhymes. This is basic phonemic awareness that the children need before they can read.
I see stressed out, burned out children in first grade and we seriouly need to slow down. We are obsessed with teaching children to read at younger and younger ages before they are ready.
Please let "kids be kids" for a little longer. I'll get off my soapbox now!

With DD in kindergarten right, I have personal experience with this, so wanted to chime in. DD is in a class that has 15 students - and it's an all day class. I think it all depends on the students. Of the 15 in her class, she's one of about 5 that are in the 'top' reading group, with other students with varying levels around that. I can say with certainty that there are students that read MUCH better than DD and students that read much worse.

Comprehension is a big deal in her class though. I can see where you are coming from about 'reading' but not 'understanding'. Whenever she has reading homework, not only does she have to read to at least two adults, we have to ask questions about the stories afterwards, and she does excellent at remembering the story. Heck, we read a 'Curious George' story the other day and I commented that she had already chosen this book to bring home. She said no, it's not - it's different. So we read the story and she was able to tell me the differences between the story she read a while before - things that I remembered but was shocked that she did.

Anyway, I think it's a lot up to the children and how fast they can soak it up. I agree that kids should be kids, but it certainly makes her proud when she can read signs and other books/magazines she sees around.

That's just my 2 cents....

 

[janette]

I agree with jfulcer, it really depends on the child. It's great that some parents have an option. There is almost always at least a 1 - 1 1/2 age difference in any classroom. That alone makes one child much more ready than another. My oldest was never pushed, she had a wonderful K teacher that made learning fun. Her 1st grade teacher commented several times on how much depth there was to her education. She knew several different language concepts and was put in excellerated math within 3 weeks of starting school. We moved and she lost the excellerated math option but will be picking it up again in middle school next year. For her 1/2 day wasn't a good option.

My youngest DD has a reading disability, she has had to have a very different education. She is learning at her pace. She's in 2nd grade right now and is mastering basic phonemic awareness. My older child was at this stage at the end of Kindergarten.

One of my biggest realizations about our education system is how narrow minded it can be. There is no one size fits all, too bad education can't be more individualized to help every child realize their maximum potential. Sometimes I think there is more an effort to make everyone average than really help kids excel.

 

[aprincessmom]

Comprehension is a big deal in her class though.

That was the focus in DD's kindergarten class and now her 1st grade...not necessarily could you read all the words correctly the first or even second time but could you tell someone what the book was about after you read it. That Curious George story is an excellent example..DD does that to me, too, and it's really remarkable how much they do remember.

One of my biggest realizations about our education system is how narrow minded it can be. There is no one size fits all, too bad education can't be more individualized to help every child realize their maximum potential. Sometimes I think there is more an effort to make everyone average than really help kids excel.

I second that!!! DD has had some remarkable teachers the past few years and, based on what I hear from other parents (and have seen first hand), I am worried that she'll have a rough time of it with this next collective group of teachers. Even her current teacher has commented on how hard it is to find a second grade there to keep DD moving at the pace she has set for herself. I hope their inability to view each child as an individual, not just a component of the entire class, won't do her a disservice.