Thursday, September 10, 2009
Full-Day Kindergarten vs. Half-Day Kindergarten
My school is in the process of moving from a half-day kindergarten program to a full-day kindergarten program. With states requiring more and more from teachers and students, full-day kindergarten seems to be the best (and only) option. In terms of curriculum, I have plenty of ideas and my lesson plans are full. But I worry about the effect that my state's strict requirements will have on my young students. Can kindergarten students physically and mentally handle the demands of a full-day kindergarten program? Or are half-day programs more developmentally appropriate for our youngest students? Any suggestions for dealing with a full-day program in terms of scheduling, routines, and expectations are welcome.
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As a middle school teacher and a parent of a 5 year old son I have always wanted all day kindergarten. My son has the benefit, he missed the cutoff and is now enrolled in one of our districts Early childhood programs. Last year he did a program that was on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 - 11:30. At this time I felt that that was all he could handle. This year he is attending an all day preK class at one of our elementary schools from 8:30 - 3:30. I feel that he will be more than prepared for him first day of kindergarten. How would he be if he did not have this experience? I think it would be a struggle for him in a beginning, but once a routine is established I think he would be fine. Kids today need boundaries, without them they are unruly, rude, disrespectful and mean. So, what I am saying, is all day kindergarten establishes their boundaries a lot quicker than part time kindergarten.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right. I know that we ask a lot of our children, but in my experience, they've been able to handle most things I've thrown at them. I think we need to give young children more credit than we do. They might be small and inexperienced in the world, but I'm here to give them those experiences and help them grow. And I've been pleasantly surprised with the outcomes! Thanks for your opinion. It's nice to hear things from a parent's point of view.
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