Too much, Too soon?

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Permalink Reply by ECHOage on April 1, 2009 at 9:14am

I think a half day program is all they can handle until about 5. SOmetimes a full day program is all that works for working parents. I would think that looking for a program with a low number of kids that allows for a quiet or nap time in the afternoon would be the best option.
Roz
www.echoage.com

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Permalink Reply by Donna E on April 1, 2009 at 1:17pm

I like the idea of half day,or no longer than their pre school class 8:30-1:00. And if they could have a quiet time itwould be great,I don't like the idea of all day kindy. My school district changed to it 2 years ago now.We don't have a real choice financially,or locally.We have 2 sets of twins,and a 15 yr old.Our 4 1/2 yr olds will be starting kindy in the fall if all is well. I'm thinking maybe homeschooling will be better,but DH doesn't agree,so we are not quite settled yet. We'll see,can't wait to see others thoughts.

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Permalink Reply by Judy newman on April 10, 2009 at 11:06am

I have a couple of thoughts on Kindergarten. As a former kindergarten teacher (before staying home with my kids :)) I like the idea of all-day or extended day kindergarten. We are in the Chicago burbs and most our area classes go for 2 1/2 hours. It is such a short time to sqeeze everything into. The standards include so much that we struggle for time to get deeply into a topic. There are often times that we're just getting going on something and then we have to wrap up and move on. Allowing time for free play is also important to this age as they further develop social skills (negotiation, working with others, leadership, etc.) that they will need. A longer day would allow for the academics and activities that help the whole child (play, large motor activity--does anyone do recess anymore?

That being said, I do think we are pushing young children. Strict academics are quickly taking over in kindergartens and preschools, so only the cognitive needs are being addressed. Many kids react negatively from the stress of it all. In fact, the studies I've seen see little long-term benefits to academics this early. Most kids level off in about third grade and progress at a normal, rather than an accelerated pace.

I was lucky to teach in a school that valued an appropriate, balanced curriculum for kindergartners.

Judy

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Permalink Reply by Lorie on April 16, 2009 at 10:03pm

I think it depends a LOT on the child. I did my student teaching in a full day Kindergarten class. I loved it and it was great for the kids. But the kids were ready for it.

They started all day K a couple of years ago here in AZ. My daughter has an October birthday, so I could have started her in K early, but chose to hold her back and put her in an Early Learners program (pre-K) to get her ready for all day K. Of course now, because of budget cuts, there won't be all day K next year.

This will be her third year of half day school and I am actually worried about her being bored!

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Permalink Reply by Jess Lobus on April 20, 2009 at 5:35pm

Okay...though my kids aren't yet in kindergarten, I still feel pretty strongly about this one. I don't think kids that age can handle all day kindergarten. They're still barely able to sit through an entire Disney movie without getting distracted, so how can we ask them to sit for 6 hours a day in a classroom? My husband and I are actually looking into districts with half day kindergartens for this reason. That, and we dont want the natural restless nature of young kids to be blamed on various learning disabilities...but that's just us :)

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Permalink Reply by Tamara Brunetti Bell on April 21, 2009 at 7:07am

I think that unless you have no other choice kindergarten age children should only go 1/2 a day.We do push our children too fast to leave the nest. I have 4 children, and 3 of them went 1/2 a day for K, and it seemed to work out perfectly. Just enough time for learning rules, taking turns & listening to the teacher. They were very ready for me to pick them up. I guess I should also say that none of them went to pre-school, so 1/2 day was a good transition & got them ready for 1st grade. My youngest, who is 3, might not even go to school, because I'm thinking of homeschooling next year due to the very large class sizes at our school.

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Permalink Reply by Tamara Brunetti Bell on April 21, 2009 at 7:10am

Donna E said:

I like the idea of half day,or no longer than their pre school class 8:30-1:00. And if they could have a quiet time itwould be great,I don't like the idea of all day kindy. My school district changed to it 2 years ago now.We don't have a real choice financially,or locally.We have 2 sets of twins,and a 15 yr old.Our 4 1/2 yr olds will be starting kindy in the fall if all is well. I'm thinking maybe homeschooling will be better,but DH doesn't agree,so we are not quite settled yet. We'll see,can't wait to see others thoughts.

Hey Donna,,,,Still trying to get my husband on board with homeschooling too!

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Permalink Reply by Judy newman on May 14, 2009 at 1:25pm

Typically, "all-day" kindergartens aren't really all day. They are often extended day or kindergarten with afternoon child are added on. The actual curricular content rarely goes long into the afternoon. The ability to handle the longer day really depends on the child and experiences they've had. A child who has been in day care all day will probably be fine, being used to the longer day. With all due respect, I don't think it is fair to compare a child's ability to sit through a Disney movie to their ability to "sit" throught all-day kindergarten. Kindergarten kids don't sit all day. They should be given opportunities to move around and be presented with many different things to do throughout their day. Hopefully, the kindergarten curriculum is more interesting than a Disney movie!

Jess Lobus said:

Okay...though my kids aren't yet in kindergarten, I still feel pretty strongly about this one. I don't think kids that age can handle all day kindergarten. They're still barely able to sit through an entire Disney movie without getting distracted, so how can we ask them to sit for 6 hours a day in a classroom? My husband and I are actually looking into districts with half day kindergartens for this reason. That, and we dont want the natural restless nature of young kids to be blamed on various learning disabilities...but that's just us :)

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Permalink Reply by Mary Davis on July 29, 2009 at 2:46pm

I believe children need kindergarten for many reasons, and all of them are not academic. But, because they're still young, half-day kindergarten is usually a good alternative. Kindergarten is so important because it allows children to build social and interpersonal skills. Even if they have siblings at home, kids need to learn to deal with others. And, it's good for kids to realize at an early age that 'all people are different.' By being around a multitude of personalities, children learn tolerance,
which is a great life lesson!
Here are some back-to-school tips that might help: http://MaryEDavis.blogspot.com

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Permalink Reply by Victoria Vieira on August 3, 2009 at 8:02am

I totally agree; I'm a working mom, so by necessity, my kids are already used to all-day programs - and I'll be counting on kindy to provide an all-day program, supplemented with after-school care at my girls' daycare/preschool.

In a perfect world, I'd prefer kindy have a greater focus on play/socialization/cooperation, that kind of stuff, with the actual academic structure being more organic and less 'to-the-test'; I know I did half-day when I was that age, and that it wasn't a structured 'learning' environment, more of a getting ready to learn environment - much like the function pre-K serves today.

To me, the change in structure of kindy shifts a burden of sorts back to the parents, but I see it as a good burden - we should be focused more on play, fun and organic learning experiences. I know my daughter is challenged in preschool, so when I get her back at the end of the day, we talk about feelings and experiences, about dreams and wishes, and we engage in creative play and reading books. I get the fun stuff :)

Victoria

Judy newman said:

Typically, "all-day" kindergartens aren't really all day. They are often extended day or kindergarten with afternoon child are added on. The actual curricular content rarely goes long into the afternoon. The ability to handle the longer day really depends on the child and experiences they've had. A child who has been in day care all day will probably be fine, being used to the longer day. With all due respect, I don't think it is fair to compare a child's ability to sit through a Disney movie to their ability to "sit" throught all-day kindergarten. Kindergarten kids don't sit all day. They should be given opportunities to move around and be presented with many different things to do throughout their day. Hopefully, the kindergarten curriculum is more interesting than a Disney movie!

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Permalink Reply by Lorie on September 23, 2009 at 9:01pm

I think it depends on a lot of factors. My daughter has an October birthday. She could have started K when she was 4, almost 5. She will be 6 in a few weeks and all day K is a great choice for her. She would be so bored only going half day.

The program at the school she attends is great. They do their curriculum based activities the first part of the day, then do more creative and fun activities in the afternoon.

My son on the other hand had JUST turned 5 when the school year started. Same school, but he only did the half day curriculum. It was perfect for him. He would have been overwhelmed being there all day.

I think it is best when there is a choice given, and when the decision is made based on the needs of the child!

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Permalink Reply by Laura Mitchum on October 26, 2009 at 11:07am

My son is in kindergarten and it's an all day program. I think that he is fine in this class. But they do have an extended quiet time in the afternoon. So maybe I would feel differently if it were more like first grade where the children are pushed to learn all day long.

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