Question about Kindergarten, please read

[mommaU4]

My twin dds started K this year and love it. The problem I have is that their schedule is they go for a full day every tues. and thurs. and then every other fri.

So it's 2 days one week, then 3 days the next, then 2, and so on.

Well, this week they will have only had one day (tues) because today was a snow day and this isn't their Friday. Next week will be the same because they'll go tues. but then thurs. and fri. are off for the holiday.

So in a two week time span they will have had just two days of school.
This isn't the first time this has happened. They've had other weeks where they've had only one day of school because it wasn't their fri. and there was a holiday, or teacher's inservice day, or conferences.

I'm very upset by this. I know kids of that age learn by repetition. How can they learn if they are only in school 1 day a week?

My older two went to K in CA and they went every day but for a half day and that seemed to work so much better. I've talked to the teacher about this and he said it is done for financial reasons.

But I'm scared my girls are getting short changed on their education and don't know what to do about it. Any one else have any experience with this? I don't like it but feel helpless. I can't force the school to change their schedules.

 

[MoniqueU]

Why do schools get away with KOOKY schedules like this?
They implement more ideas they know won't be the best and just hope people won't get too mad.

 

[cepmom]

that's ridiculous!! I agree with you that they can't be getting much of an education if they are in school only 1 day per week. My DD is in Kindergarten and goes five days (1/2 days from 12:40 - 3:!5.) Have you called the school administration and let them know your concerns? I'm sure you aren't the only one in the entire district that feels this way...maybe it can be changed if enough people are unhappy with it. Is there a private Kindergarten they could go to until they reach 1st grade?

 

[goodeats]

The financial concerns don't seem to hold much weight. Is there one kindergarten teacher? If so, couldn't she just as easily teach the two classes in one day i.e. 8:30 to 11:30 and then 12:00 - 3.

I just don't see how it saves them any money.

 

[Nicolepa]

Well my dd goes 12:55-3:30 4 days and on Wed she goes from 12:10-1:55. Less than two hours, what's the point? Plus you have to upset the routines for all the children in order to get her to school early.

I have worked in the classroom and let me tell you they have to pack so much into those 3 hours that everyone is constantly feeling rushed. They don't stay on any task for more than 15 minutes.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that every schedule has it's ups and downs.

 

[diznygirl]

Five days a week all day kindergarten here. I would love to have less, but that's not an option. Although I understand the educational aspect, I don't want the kids to burn out too early on their love for school, KWIM?

 

[disykat]

The money that is saved is the midday busing - but that can be a big expense. I'm glad we have 1/2 day here everyday. The full day is available at some schools with room, but with tuition costs added to pay the teacher the other 1/2 day.

 

[mommaU4]

It's a public school, grades K thru 5. There are two K teachers. When I questioned the teacher about it he agreed that it was not the best for kids. He said when they have school on a tues. and then don't come in again for awhile it's like starting all over again.

The financial issue was in regards to the bus. Something about if they had a morning and afternoon class it would cost too much to run the busses that many times a day.

On normal weeks when they go tues. thurs. and fri. it's not bad. But when you start throwing in holidays, snow days and the like, then it starts to mess with the schedule in a bad way.

 

[SRUAlmn]

I am a kindergarten teacher, and I am usually the first one to back up the schools and teachers on threads like these, but I have to say that this is absolutely crazy. I know how hard it is for us to fit everything we need to do into a day and our kids come for a full day. Granted, they have lunch and specials and recess, but we are working really hard to get them all reading fluently and it takes every ounce of our being and a LOT of time and consistency. If your kids have only been there once in a 2 week time frame they are missing out.

I'm surprised that they even have programs where they only come a few days a week. It sounds like preschool.

 

[Daxx]

Kdg. teacher here. Our school day is Mon. thru Fri., 8am til 2:45. I am amazed that some schools have the type of schedule that the OP's school has. I would never meet my State's set curriculum on that schedule.

As it is, it often seems like the 6 hrs. and 45 mins. that my students are in class isn't enough to get through what I have to get through! I often feel like some things get "rushed through" just to squeeze them in and make curriculum.

Many of our charter schools have longer days (til 5 pm) and start their school year earlier than we do (in Aug., we start in Sept.). I'm not saying that's the best thing to do for kids ... just stating that there are schools that are in session longer than other schools. In turn, there are some private schools that get out in late May rather than mid-June. Usually, that's due to upper class exams -- they don't make the lower grades (say K thru 6) come in when the upper classes are taking their exams.

I can see why you (the OP) would be unhappy w/the days off interfering w/your child's learning. My suggestion would be to review what your child is learning in class at home. Take the papers she does in class and review them. For math and language arts/phonics, there usually are "At Home Activity" ideas on the bottom of the pages to carry out reinforcement with. Or, go to a teacher's store and pick up some workbooks for your child.

Good luck to you. As a parent, I would be less than thrilled w/the Kdg. situation you're dealing with!

PS - this post is not in any way, shape or form meant to sound "Teacher God-like". It's not judgemental of anyone or any school.

 

[Nancy]

My kids are well past the Kindergarden age, but they were 5 days a week 1/2 days. Now they have all day K, 5 days a week. Your kids sound like they have a nursery school schedule.

 

[SRUAlmn]

Kdg. teacher here. Our school day is Mon. thru Fri., 8am til 2:45. I am amazed that some schools have the type of schedule that the OP's school has. I would never meet my State's set curriculum on that schedule.

As it is, it often seems like the 6 hrs. and 45 mins. that my students are in class isn't enough to get through what I have to get through! I often feel like some things get "rushed through" just to squeeze them in and make curriculum.

Many of our charter schools have longer days (til 5 pm) and start their school year earlier than we do (in Aug., we start in Sept.). I'm not saying that's the best thing to do for kids ... just stating that there are schools that are in session longer than other schools. In turn, there are some private schools that get out in late May rather than mid-June. Usually, that's due to upper class exams -- they don't make the lower grades (say K thru 6) come in when the upper classes are taking their exams.

I can see why you (the OP) would be unhappy w/the days off interfering w/your child's learning. My suggestion would be to review what your child is learning in class at home. Take the papers she does in class and review them. For math and language arts/phonics, there usually are "At Home Activity" ideas on the bottom of the pages to carry out reinforcement with. Or, go to a teacher's store and pick up some workbooks for your child.

Good luck to you. As a parent, I would be less than thrilled w/the Kdg. situation you're dealing with!

PS - this post is not in any way, shape or form meant to sound "Teacher God-like". It's not judgemental of anyone or any school.

Seems like we were posting the same thing at the same time. Must be that K teacher brain Only you put it a little more eloquently, I had a trying day today

 

[mommaU4]

I knew this schedule wasn't good for them. I guess I'm going to have to make up some of what they are missing here at home. I'm not a teacher though and don't know how. I mean how do you take a child who knows very little school work wise and begin to teach them how to read?
I wouldn't even know where to begin.

 

[Daxx]

OP -- out of curiousity, are the children sounding out words and reading by the time they leave Kdg., or are they learning that in 1st grade?

I ask b/c it is mandatory that my students are sounding out words and reading by the time they leave my Kdg. class.

 

[SRUAlmn]

I knew this schedule wasn't good for them. I guess I'm going to have to make up some of what they are missing here at home. I'm not a teacher though and don't know how. I mean how do you take a child who knows very little school work wise and begin to teach them how to read?
I wouldn't even know where to begin.

There are some strategies that aren't too complicated to use, and who knows your daughters better than mom Let me know if you want some help and I would be happy to PM you or post here. Some of the most important aspects for beginning readers are knowing the sounds that the letters make, the difference between letters and words, and learning about sentence structure (capital vs. lowercase, punctuation and what it means.) Do they have a list of core words or sight words that they need to know by the end of Kindergarten? Let me know if you want some help. I'm doing the work anyway, I might as well pass some of it on

 

[Living with the Land]

My daughter is in full day kindergarten 8-2:30. I agree that they need to be in class more. As far as working at home there are great books from the teacher store that can help tons. They are very self explanatory and my daughter loves doing them. It's kind of like you are doing a fun activity then all of a sudden they are reading words or using sentences taught through the worksheet. Feel free to pm me if you want some specific titles that my daughter is using right now.

Holly

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I've never heard of such a crazy schedule! Seems that the kids should be going every day, even if for 1/2 day. Our school has all day kindergarten--hours are from 9:15 to 3:25 I think (my son rides the bus, so don't remember the exact start time). We just went to all day last year. Before that there were morning and afternoon classes.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

As far as learning to read of course all kids are different, but all 4 of my kids learned to read mainly by being read to. And I don't mean for hours a day, but just casual reading. Also, my 5yo has learned a lot about letters, the sounds they make, how to spell, etc from fridge letter magnets.

My son spends a lot of his free time at home writing. He writes all kinds of things. The funniest is his own "Survivor Maryland" tribal councils--he votes off various members of our family. Hey, he's using his imagination.

Too bad that money wins out with the school district at the expense of the kids.

 

[SRUAlmn]

Too bad that money wins out with the school district at the expense of the kids.

Welcome to the world of education We teachers fight that battle every day.

 

[pooh4evr]

kindergarten here is full day (9-4) in the public schools which are very good- some of the private/parochial schools in the district are switching too. We also go year round- starting in July and ending in mid June - they go 9 weeks (1 quarter) and are off for 3 weeks 4 times a year. pre k -5. We really like it my DD 4 goes to preschool now 3 full days a week - I guess so many kids now are in daycare now before Kindergarten that it doesn't seem much different or it is a natural step? Being a former teacher I would think that a Kindergartener would be starting to read simple sight words at the end of the year or at least sounding things out.