While the long term effects of full-day kindergarten are yet to be determined, Thomas Stinard's review of 10 research studies comparing half-day and full-day kindergarten indicates that students taking part in full-day programs demonstrate strong academic advantages as much as a year after the kindergarten experience. Stinard found that full-day students performed at least as well as half-day students in every study and better in many studies with no significant adverse effects.
A recent longitudinal study of full-day kindergarten in the EvansvilleVanderburgh, Ohio, School District indicates that fourth graders maintained the academic advantage gained during full-day kindergarten Humphrey Despite often expressed fears that full-day kindergartners would experience fatigue and stress, school districts that have taken care to plan a developmentally appropriate, nonacademic curriculum with carefully paced activities have reported few problems Evans and Marken ; Stinard Critics of full-day kindergarten point out that such programs are expensive because they require additional teaching staff and aides to maintain an acceptable childadult ratio.
Both models have been around for a long time and continue to be used successfully. The primary difference between the two models is time. The full-day kindergarten is normally between five and six hours in length, while half-day kindergarten typically comprises approximately three hours. Most schools that offer the half-day option typically provide two sessions, morning and afternoon.
The parents of younger children are often encouraged to select the a. The p. The fact that full-day kindergarten comprises more hours gives it the advantage of increased instructional time.
The longer day also allows for enrichment activities, such as field trips and guest speakers, as well as more opportunities for play and social interaction. Many adults are more familiar with the half-day model, because this was the type of kindergarten that they participated in as youngsters. Proponents of the half-day model suggest that the shorter day more realistically addresses the needs of the typical five-year-old, given the short attention span of children this age.
A primary argument for half-day kindergarten is that it provides a gradual transition into the school setting. Since children from low-income families are more likely to be unprepared to do well in school when they show up on the first day of kindergarten, time to catch up to their peers is important. The extra time is also important for children who speak a language other than English at home and for students with learning disabilities.
That means children who enter kindergarten behind the curve can potentially make enough progress to start first grade on par with wealthier classmates, he explains. The first-grade teachers at Dr. Norman Crisp Elementary in Nashua are used to getting students who have spent a year in full-day kindergarten.
They love it. New Hampshire had considered paying for full-day kindergarten in the past. The most recent failed effort lost on a party-line vote in , with Republicans voting against.
By , the state will raise kindergarten funding to match that provided to the higher grades. The full amount is still just about a third of the per pupil cost for a year of education, according to reporting from Jason Moon of New Hampshire Public Radio. The rest comes from local taxes.
Related: Rethinking grade levels and school design for personalized learning. Before the new law was signed, a smaller percentage of kids attended full-day kindergarten in New Hampshire than in almost any other state, reported Moon, who has followed the issue carefully since the measure was first introduced in the state legislature.
Despite his support for offering full-day kindergarten as a matter public policy, Cooper said attending six hours of school may not be appropriate for some 5-year-olds. Jaliyah Carrion, 5, was sitting next to him drawing trees. All three children looked happy and energetic as they added bright greens and yellows to their sopping wet paintings. In fact, no one in the room, not the kids playing the math-based card game, or the ones building cities out of Legos, looked tired.
If anything, said Leianny Menendez, 6, kindergarten might be just a bit too easy. This story about kindergarten was produced by The Hechinger Report , a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education.
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Help us keep doing that. Join us today. She began developing a speciality in early childhood in and has written and More by Lillian Mongeau.
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