Full day Kindergarten

california is doing this... and they have gotten good impacts. childern are learning faster and at time a kindegarten student can read 1 level higher once the enter 1st grade. i think it's a smart idea. it would be sad if the coming generations or unprepared for tougher times

My youngest just started full day kindergarten this year in Texas. He had half-day preschool. I think he was ready this year. He seems to be adjusting fine. It might have been hard to go to 1st grade next year without this switch already.

Here in Connecticut they start the year half day for the first 3 weeks then they go to full day. I have to say I love it. The kids get used to going to school full time and they can learn more in a full day compared to half day. I think it is great.

I've always lived in states where full day kindergarten was mandatory.

My son was in full day Kindergarten last year. He attends a catholic school and the public school in our area has 1/2 days. I thought he would hate it. He loved it!!!! I got used to it PDQ...

My daughter goes all day, and I love it. I just wish that my city offered some sort of preschool that I didn't have to pay a fortune for.

I am not sure this is the answer for helping Increase the Educational rating here in WA, as I feel a lot of it, is the Teachers and the School systems themselves, and the Taxes that govern how a school should be ran. But if all day Kindergarten would help, then I am for it. But personally I think that is not the answer for us here in WA state.

I agree it gives that much more time to be educated

What do you mean by full day, though? I worked at a pre-k. About 3 kids came at 8:30 in the morning and left at noon. 70% of the ones left stayed until 4:30, and the rest went home between 5 and 7. I think it's good to have kids leave at around 3 or so. This gives their parents enough free time, and doesn't hurt the child. The kids who had to stay until 6 were the worst behaved, and the ones who were most likely to disobey their parents. By the time they went home, they were cranky and upset. They don't spend enough time with their parents..

Sounds like a great idea on paper if you are looking at ratings, but you can teach your children at home too. I don't believe parents should hand all their responsibilities over to someone else.

Here in australia i dont think it matters as long as they have atleast 10 to 12 hours a week! My son went to one kinder and that was over 4 days but it was for only 3 hours a day he has now started at a new kinder and it is only over 2 days but instead of going 3 hours a day he is now going 5 hours a day, and i think even though it works out to be 2 hours less a week then his other kinder it is better for them to have longer days there, i feel he is learning things so much faster now then he was before!

In my part of Kansas they have done this for over 15 years. At first parents could opt out. The school where I work has a rest period after lunch, and a few of the children fall asleep. If the child would have to be in daycare anyway because both parents have to work, it stands to reason that Kdg. is more productive and less expensive, and better monitored. I am not sure otherwise, as my kids were from the half day era, and they are both gifted. I do know that some things kids learn in Kdg. I learned in second or third grade, my kids learned it in first. There is just more academic pressure. Of course the next step is prek-4 in the schools--same arguement. Throwing time and money at kids does not guarrantee learning.

I teach full day kindergarten in Pennsylvania. It is not mandatory right now but more and more school districts are changing to full day K. The first year at my current school, I was teaching half day kindergarten. Then my school went to full day. I feel like the kids learn SO much more in full day K. In half day, there is no time to do anything productive. Now, most kids go to preschool, so they are ready for a full day of school by kindergarten.

There are both advantages and disadvantages to doing this. For one, it will get the children used to going to a full day of school for when they start first grade. However, they may not pay attention because some children may be used to only going a half a day, like to preschool or day care. Also, a full day of school will help some children who may be behind (if they didn't go to preschool are just developmentally challenged) to catch up so they can enter the first grade. I personally see no difference in children who go to kindergarten for a full day or not. My neice, Allison, goes to kindergarten a half day, and my nephew (other side of the family) goes a whole day. Neither of them are further behind or ahead of the other. It may help parents out in the long run, so they don't have to get day care for the child after school, but I don't think that it wil help raise the "educational rating".

I live in North Carolina and my son went a full day when he was in Kindergarten, which was last year.

I think that it is a good idea.