full day kindergarten
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Full Day Kindergarten
VS. Half-Day
Kindergarten
Margaret Circele
Emerging Trend: full day kindergarten
Full day kindergarten is becoming a very popular trend in the United States.
In 2000 63% of children enrolled in kindergarten attended full day kindergarten
Catholic Private: 78%
Private: 63%
Public: 57%
Emerging Trend:Full Day Kindergarten
Its important for parents especially to be informed about this emerging trend because more than likely in the next few years they will have a choice in their school district to send their child to full day kindergarten or have them attend a regular half-day kindergarten setting.
Right now only 9 states require attendance of full day kindergarten: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia.
Typical Full Day Kindergarten Schedule
Starts at 8 a.m.
9:00-10:00 a.m. Language Arts ( shared reading/Read aloud activity, word work, vocab development, journal writing, response to story.)
10:00-10:30 Recess
10:30-11:30 Writing Workshop (Literacy based activities based on students needs, phonics instructions)
11:30-12:30-Lunch & Recess
12:30-1:20 Rest time/Quiet time snack time
1:20-2:00 Mathematics using manipulatives
2:00-2:30 Work time (learning centers)
2:30-3:00 Clean up, evaluation of the day (what did we do today?) and Dismissal
Typical Half-Day Kindergarten Schedule8:00-8:15 Play Time & Directed Activity
8:15-8:30 Opening Activities (songs, calendar, poems, chants, and counting)
8:30-9:40 Language Arts (read aloud, shared reading, writing activity, language experience, independent reading, phonics instruction)
9:40-10:10 Center Time (talk about the day so far)
10:10-10:50 Mathematics
10:50-11:00 Recess
11:00-11:15 Social Studies/Science
11:15-11:30 Prepare for dismissal
Full Day Kindergarten Pros
More time spent on lessons to better prepare students for elementary school.
Students will already be use to being in school for a full six hours once they graduate to 1st grade.
Helps ESL students.
Helps parents.
Full Day Kindergarten Cons
Less free time at school, not enough time for “kids to be kids.”
Too demanding for students and teachers.
Funding
Half-Day Kindergarten Pros
More time for children to be at home
Eases them into a elementary hourly schedule
Better hours for their age
Less funding
Half-Day Kindergarten Cons
Less instruction time.
Less readiness for elementary school.
Difficulty for parents with older children that are in school full time.
Making Up Your Mind…
If your planning on teacher at the kindergarten level, this is something that will definitely impact your job. Having schools switch over to full day has only gotten more popular over the past few years so there is no telling when or if all school districts will switch over. Its definitely something to think about!
References
Full day & half day in the United States: Findings from the early childhood longitudinal study, kindergarten class of 1998-99. National Center for Education Statistics. 28 October 2009 http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2004/web/2004078.asp
Full Day Kindergarten: A study of state policies in the United States. June 2005. Education for child development. 26 October 2009 http://www.fcd-us.org/resources/resources_show.htm?doc_id=464004
A sample of half day kindergarten schedule & A sample schedule of full day kindergarten. 15 December 2006. Pennsylvania Department of Education. 26 October 2009. http://www.pde.state.pa.us/early_childhood/cwp/view.asp?a=317&Q=123868&early_childhoodNav=%7C10702%7C