Full-day vs Half-day Kindergarten

I taught full day kindergarten. And I have some opinions.

I think the kids handle it well as long as it is not a sit down learning all day long (ie pre first grade). The ideal full day kindergarten should have lots of movement for the children, with opportunities to learn math, language, and other basics at learning stations.

Short periods when the entire class sits and listens (20 minutes or so) are appropriate, at the beginning and longer at the end of the year. Also children should have a least 30 recess every day. Kids who work hard at learning should have time to run it off. If they had an occasional second recess that would be fine two.

Both full and half day kindergarten meet the state mandated requirements for education (reading, writing, math). However, the main difference at most schools is that with full day, you also get science, music, art, etc. These are not state mandated, and are considered "enrichment" programs in Kindergarten - but for me, they are a requirement, so my daughter will be going full day. However, several of my friend's kids are going half day... I really think it is a matter of personal preference for the "extras". Everyone is going to get the same basics...

As a former teacher, I can tell you that there is not much additional learning time with full-day kindergarten, as compared to half-day. Full day kids get extra recesses, lunch, and specialist that take up much of that time. Alos, the children are exhausted from being at school all day, so the academics (reading, writing, math) are usually focused on in the morning. Art, science, free play, and other activities are left for the afternoon. I myself chose half day for my kids because they are on the young side, it was way too expensive, and it was the last year I got to have that choice. I have seen many people in my community put their children in full day so they have an"edge" over other kids or to get "more individual time", but that is rarely the case. Half-day does not mean less learning than full-day kids. Kids who are not ready for a long school day will have way more behavioral issues and that means less learning time in the classroom. I have seen way more behavioral issues in full-day because most of these kids do not have the social skills or maturity for full-day school yet. Half-day allows for more time with you, as well as time to get to know their classmates.You can set up playdates with kids from her class with half-day, as well as have time for the zoo, baking, reading together, etc. If you need the break and can afford it, fine. It's not harmful, but not best practice in my opinion. Just don't be fooled by moms who say it made their child sooo much smarter, etc. You will make the best choice for your child, as I don't know your child's age, personality. This is my opinion and experience, but I hope mine will be combined with others to help you make your decision. Have a wonderful summer! LE

Hi N.,

As I read through the responses you've already received I can see there are quite a few different opinions. PLEASE keep in mind that we all offer our opinions and share our stories, but obviously....our situations could be completely different from yours!

My daughter is now about to start 2nd grade. When she was starting kindergarten we debated between full and half-day kindergarten. My daughter is extremely outgoing. She makes a new best friend wherever she goes! She was already reading when she entered kindergarten. Because of how social she was then, we chose to go with all day kindergarten. Was she tired when she came home? ABSOLUTELY!! She was worn out. At the beginning of the school year there were a few meltdowns before bedtime. There was definitely a change in her behavior (which I believe happens simply because the child is with different people who have different expectations and also because once they start school, they are becoming their own person! Very normal!)

As for any advantages or disadvantages...I believe the advantage is a more rounded education. Full day kindergarten allows time for music, science, extracurricular activities such as foreign languages, etc. Yes, children will be in school for MANY years to come. However, it is my belief that kindergarten is most important! This is where the foundation is laid.

It seems to me like many parents are putting limitations on their children. Children who haven't been in school at all, who haven't had a chance to try it....parents are saying those children can't do it...that it's too much for them. There are so many things in life that we MUST say no to, so many things we will have to tell our children they cannot do, I feel that education is NOT one of them! Give it a try. See how they handle a full day of school. I don't know about everyone else, but I know my daughter amazes me daily at what she CAN do! =) We shouldn't stop them by saying they can't do it before they have a chance to prove to us that they can! Just my honest opinion!!

You know your children and what they can handle. What was right for me and my family may not be right for you. I can tell you that my daughter absolutely loves school and would not have been happy with only a 1/2 day to be at school with her new best friends! =)

We did half-day kindergarten for my son this last year. As far as finding out if it's a good fit for you, I think it's important to find out exactly what your school offers. From my experience, EVERY school offers a different type of program. My son was the ONLY half-day student mixed in with a class of 19 full-day students. I would have preferred for him to be in a class of only half-day kids, which I know happens at some schools. He did receive music, PE, and art instruction at least once a week. I believe the full-day kids got this instruction twice a week. Academically, my son was not as strong as his peers in reading/writing, but very strong mathematically. And, although, he seemed to be behind, he was still meeting the benchmarks set by the district.

Half-day was a good fit for us because the cost was so prohibitive. However, I found myself frustrasted with him being left out of school/class activities. There was a class field trip he was not allowed to attend. I would often times have to bring him back in the afternoons for class parties, field days, etc. and I couldn't just drop him off. I would have to stay the whole time (due to liability reasons) which wasn't always easy with a younger sibling. There was also an all-class musical production, with afternoon rehearsals. When I decided it was too much of a hardship to bring him back twice a week for an hour and half rehearsal for six weeks, his teacher just opted to not have him participate at all rather than find a way to fit him in. My son definitely noticed that he didn't get to do the things the other kids got to do (and it was more than just another recess, music class or lunch.) He seemed to be getting just enough academically and he's always been very social, so that was never an issue, but he never really seemed to enjoy school and I think he missed out on a lot of the things that make school fun.

Sorry, for the little rant, but I was really frustrasted with our half-day experience. Would I do full-day if given another chance? Probably not, but I would certainly try and be more aware of how the program is set up and more proactive in making sure all the half day kids are not being excluded from some of the things that make school fun. I think I would have been happier with a program where the inequalities were not made so apparent (i.e., half-day kids in an only half-day class.)

Every child is different. I footed the $400.00 a month to have my daughter go to full day at a private school because our local elementary doesn't offer it. It worked out for us. She is at the top of her class in all subjects. Plus her social skills are better than most of the other children in her grade level. I know this becuase the teahers & staff told me this at her school & I volunteered alot & was able to observe.

For some kids it isn't worth it. It really depends on what you as a parent think is going to benefit them & if you can afford it. It's not an easy choice. I only did it for Kindergarten. I figured best to have a good start.

My daughter has been in public schol for a year now & will start second grade in September. It seems like for her full day was a very good choice, worth the money & hassel of driving.

Many kids come to their 1st day of kindergarten with no preparation, they don't know their colors, can't count to 20, have great delays in fine motor skills needed for writing, coloring, cutting. They didn't have the interaction with a parent or caregiver to teach them these skills. Many didn't go to preschool. So, more and more kids are in need of a full day of kindergarten. Now, your child may have had the preschool experience, and is a whiz at coloring, cutting and can print their name, but they can always learn more. Early childhood education, preschool and kindergarten provide the foundation upon which all else is built. If you can afford the full-day kindergarten, by all means send your child. If you can't, apply for a scholarship, especially if you would qualify for free or reduced lunches. And more and more families are qualifying due to reduced wages or job losses. You can never have too much education!!!

Our parochial school has half-day Kindergarten, and I'm glad about it. I think that these kiddos are still so little, and have 20 years of school ahead of them. They still need time to nap, play, and hang out with mom/dad. They learn from experience and interaction just as much as from a book, and I'm thankful for the way half days ease them into school.

Our school district made funded all day K a priority in the recent budget crisis and many are thankful both for educational purposes and personal reasons. I definitely support all day because the amount of learning that is expected of K kids is more than we were expected to learn at that age and some of it is what we learned in first grade. My daughter was in kindergarten last year and I asked her teacher if a half day was enough time to teach them all they needed to know. She said no and that they would do less math and science if they moved to half day. Everyone has to make their decision based on what's best for your child. Catie was exhausted by the end of the day for the first few weeks, but she adjusted and did great!

N.,

Our school district doesn't even offer full-day and I am grateful...They have 12+years to go to school after kindergarden and I think that is plenty of time to get in all the necessary learning...they are only this little once...half-day is the coolest part about going to kindergarden, its just enough time to make learning fun and get them excited about/for school!---Not to mention, as a mom whose son is starting K this fall, I wont have to miss him as much seeing how he will be home before I know it with half day!!!

K.

Hi N.,

good advice from everyone; I'd agree that it depends on your child. Why don't you sign up for what you feel comfortable with right now, and then adjust as you go?

One of my kids was really stressed with full day (we had just moved, new house, new city, and she get's stressed easily), so we moved her to half day and she did much better.

My son on the other hand is one of the oldest kids in his class, did really well in pre-school, and complained that the other kids who stayed longer got to do other things that he missed out on...

Since you are home and have the flexibility, I'd just pick what you think is right, and make adjustments as you go. If I remember correctly, in the Bellevue school district you can pay month-to-month and switch.

Good luck, hope your daughter will enjoy her new school!

S.

My older daughter went to full day kindergarten in another state, my younger will be going 1/2 day here. Our school doesn't offer full day, the only way to get it would be to take my younger daughter to a different school that has the same start and end times as the school my older daughter attends, so logistical nightmare for us. However, I feel that my older daughter had a much better academic experience in full day kindergarten and is WAY ahead of her Washington peers in first grade, her all day kindergarten was all academic, no enrichment stuff, four hours of Language Arts in the morning, math, science, art, etc. in the afternoon. Studies do show that by age 8 everyone kind of evens out, meaning the kids who had less catch up to the kids who had more. I do wish the state would mandate full day kindergarten for all students like other states (parents don't have to pay for it in other states either!). I think my younger daughter would have done well in kindergarten this year, as she will be turning 6 shortly after the school year starts, but if she were younger I wouldn't care about 1/2 day nearly as much. I guess I'll let you know if a year! LOL!

I think most kids prefer half day as full day is long for a kid that age. There is absolutely no "advantage" to full day unless you think a few more worksheets and lining up for lunch, recess, gym etc. is an advantage.

Hi N., this subject always seems to be a big debate. In Hawaii, where I come from, there was no such thing as half-day Kindergarten. Now that we're in Washington, things are very different. Each school within our district has different Kindergarten schedules. Some are half-day with the option to pay for full-day, but our school has a very different schedule. They'll have a full-day either on M/Th or T/F, and the two classes will alternate Wednesdays. I was skeptical at first, but I found the schedule to work out well. The kids were able to get more work done. To put things into perspective...this year, while I volunteered in my son's 1st grade class I noticed that within a two hour period it seemed they only did about 30 minutes of actual class work. So can you imagine how much learning is actually accomplished during 3 1/2 - 4 hours? If homeschooling was even an option for me, I'd rather do that.I would be able to work one-on-one with my child and get the work done in two hours.

Hi, N. -
My now 12 year old was at a school in San Diego offering only 1/2 day; my now 9 year old son was in Wisconsin where only full-day was available. I didn't think I'd feel good about sending him all day,as 1/2 day was just right for my daughter, but he actually thrived. As for some mentions of missing out on the "extras" such as art and music and science, if you feel this is a point of decision yet are having trouble with the affordability of it, there are so many ways you can do this at home. If you wanted to make sure your daughter had this bonus, you could do 1/2 day "homeschool", even if it's in a casual way. My youngest is now 5 and entering kindergarten, and he will be attending our local parent partnership for homeschoolers. After a year of homeschooling my other 2 with this program, and being that he is a very young 5 year old, for him I think this is the best option. All kids are different and there's really no cut answer! Good luck with your choices!

One of my children did half-day K, the other did all-day K (ADK). If your child is on the younger side, or ill-prepared for school (never did preschool, not well socialized, can't take turns, doesn't know letters, counting, colors or sorting, is a picky eater, needs long afternoon naps, etc.), then half-day is probably as much as they can manage. If they're older or more advanced (already done preschool or daycare, already starting to show an interest in learning and reading, physically well coordinated, etc.) then full-day might be an excellent way for them to grow in their abilities, make new friends, get excited about learning.
Someone suggested ADK for a child that isn't really ready for school yet (doesn't know colors and numbers), but I think that's a HUGE mistake. You should use ADK only if your child is really ready for it or it can really hurt their attitude toward being there (or the teacher's attitude toward having an ill-prepared child dumped on them).
As a SAHM, you didn't ask about this, but half day K is very tricky if you work because there are MANY days off along with the half days. While you mentioned the cost, no one else seems to have - it is rather expensive (esp. for a SAHM that doesn't pay for daycare) - check your school district's website and see if they discuss fees -- LWSD is charging $3,300 for 2009/10 (unless you qualify for reduced fees because you are low income). Also where we live, there are limited spots for all-day programs, and there's a lottery to decide who gets in, and not all elementary schools even offer ADK. You need talk to other elementary moms (or check the district website) to find out when K registration happens and what you need to bring (birth certificate, immunization records, etc) so that you meet all the deadlines. In 2009, LWSD did their registration back at the beginning of February! So if you missed the Feb 12th lottery, your child likely won't be able to get into ADK next fall no matter what your preference.

We had a hard choice and (probably) made the wrong one.

My son had been in preschool and LOVED it (you couldn't get him to be quiet about all the things he was learning...he was so excited and THRILLED by all that he was doing) for 5 hours a day 4 days a week for over a year. (He had started preschool at 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, and we'd gradually increased the time.)

So we were fairly shocked that we had a choice between a TWO and a half hour "half" day (What??? That's barely enough time to drop them off and then you're turning right around and coming back again!) and an 8 hour full day. We wrung our hands and chose the full day and shelled out 3000.

He HATED it.

Now, he's super social so he loved recess and his friends and his teacher...but the whole experience can be summed up in a quote of his "It's long. And we don't do much."

He was bored out of his mind. He'd come home completely wrung out, exhausted, tears and tantrums. It would take him an hour to decompress, then it was off to soccer, and then racing to dinner/bath/bed. I felt like I never got to see him. I saw him at breakfast. I saw him in tears of exhaustion. I saw him at dinner and bedtime. I spent the vast majority of my time with him trying to "cheer him up", or refusing to fight, or holding him while he cried. Then the next morning he was bouncing off the walls excited to see his friends (and would be in the cutest huddle with the 3 of them outside of class), and then by the time school was over, he'd get off the bus or climb into the car with a big grin and wave to his friends and then collapse in tears as soon as we were out of sight.

He was hating "learning & school" by midwinter break. He was in a decent school, but his preschool had challenged him, been fun, been exciting. Kindergarten was learning colors and letters. He was bored (but we'd always kept that word out of our house), so he didn't exactly 'know' it. He just knew he was t.i.r.e.d. and unhappy. "It's long, mum. And we don't do much."

He had turned 180 degrees from how he HAD felt about school and learning in 4 months. By spring break we decided to let him finish out the year, but decided to pull him for homeschool for this past year. It took 6 months before he started to actually LIKE learning again. And it kills me, because as much as we do to keep him social...until after 4pm there aren't kids to play or to be with...and he's so charming and charismatic (he loves everyone and everyone loves him...don't ask me how, because I was the shy kid) he was Mr. Popular. While I realize that's not the most important thing in the world...it still kills me. Not as much as him hating school at FIVE, but a lot. (After 4 there STILL aren't many kids to play with, because parents are trying to -rightly- get their time in with their kids.

In any event, my advice based on our experience, would be this; If kindergarten would be challenging academically & socially...go for full day. If they already know their colors/numbers/letters even if it's ridiculously short...go for a half day. Don't let them start hating "school" in kindergarten. It's a really hard road to come back from.

Obviously I'm biased. But that was our experience.

Good Luck

I really think this all depends on the individual kiddo. My oldest was ready for full day but she had been in day care and preschool and was used to structured events and other authority figures. She also was done with her naps completely. She is now a very good student but really I dont attribute any of that to full day kindergarten. She is just a motivated learner. My middle daughter is the exact opposite. She had half day kindergarten and even with that she struggled and continues to struggle. Full day kindergarten for her would have been a joke.

Good luck.

My son just started full-day kindergarten. I think this will be good for him as opposed to being "too much or too long of a day" due to the fact that he was in Head Start for 2 years. A typical day for him in Head Start would be about 9 hours, so 6 hours of kindergarten won't be a problem for him. Now I think that if a child did not attend any preschools and was home with Mom from birth to age 5 (or 6), half day kindergarten would be more beneficial to the child. Choosing between half day and full day should depend on how much the child can handle being away from mom for a certain period of time. Every child is different as we all know.

Hi N.,
both my daughters went to half day K. We have since moved to a different state and my son will be going to all day K. Iam so nervous about it! I am going to miss having him come home for lunch so much! (He is also my youngest)I just feel that the tome they have to be homw with mom is so short and I want to hang on to every last second! But I have heard a lit of people say their kids adjust just fine and really enjoy it. My plan is to volunteer, volunteer, volunteer!!!
Good luck!
H.

My daughter is really very shy and she always requires a "warm-up" period before she will join in. I started her 5 full days and after a month, she was having accidents in her pants and biting her nails. She is very academically motivated, however, the pressure for her was clearly overwhelming and she is not comfortable. She had never attended a day care, but went to pre-school last year 3 (half) days. Ultimately, I realized that my daughter will have the rest of her life to live in a pressure cooker and I don't want to be responsible for creating stress (when it does not have to be that way). She simply isn't ready for full day, and I do think you have to look closely at your child (objectively) and do what is best for the individual child. I am a teacher, and each child is unique. My pediatrician told me that creating a strong family bond is the single most important thing you can do for your child (family dinners, etc.) and letting them be who they are meant to be. There is no right or wrong answer, just the right one for your family.

One thing that I feel you should take into consideration is whether or not full-day or half-day is the norm at your neighborhood school. At our school, maybe 4 kids went half-day, so I felt my children would miss out on a lot if they weren't there all day, not just academics, but friendship bonds.

On a side note, my daughter was extremely tired for the first 3 weeks or so when she came home, but adjusted after that. My son still had plenty of energy when he came home.

i have 3 boys. my second just finished kindergarten this year. when my oldest was in k they did not offer full day, but i think he would have faired well. my second son just finished full day. each kid is different and if he had not spent 2 years in pre-k and pre school, i would not have had him in all day k. they dont do a whole lot more learning than the half day, but it is really what each child can handle. there were several kids in his class, that I felt were no where near ready to handle all day and even at the end of the year they were still struggling to keep their control and attention. Mostly boys. girls tend to beable to cope with, for the most part, being quite and still for long periods of time. Boys are way too active. If your child is older, like turing 6 in the first half of the year, I would say they would probably do okay in all day. If they are on the younger side, no way they really struggle unless they have been in a pre-k or school program and has shown to be able to handle longer time of learning. If your child has any signs of learning disabilities, they should not be in all day. It can be too frustration for them to learn. or if your child has issues of self control or hdad or what even tends to be hyper for long periods of time, all day is not right for them. It is just way too much to handle for everyone.

You've received so many replies - so I'll keep mine short. I have had two kids do 1/2 day kindergarten, and my youngest did full day. No two situations are alike. We sent my youngest to full day because she is very social and seeks constant interaction. She loves to do what we used to call "seat work". I also had a younger chld at home with special needs that needed to go to a lot of appointments. I thought that school was more appropriate for her than waiting rooms. The clincher is that we thought the full day kindergarten teacher was simply a better teacher. It was a difficult financial thing for our family to do- and that needs to be considered too.

I do not think that putting her in full day put her in an advantage academically over those who went for a half day. I honestly really have a problem with programs that push academics so young. Yes there are kindergarten academic goals, but the most important thing at this age is to learn to LOVE school and how to get along with the culture of school. If you succeed at that-the rest will happen. There is actually a lot of research out there that programs that emphasize academics at this age are LESS likely to produce successful students. Kids need to do things that stretch there imagination and allow them to pretend and role play. This type of play develops the "executive function" of the brain- which is critical to success in school and life.

Half day kindergarten is what I would personally recommend. This gives you a chance to have time for yourself while your child is learning. Children do not have the patience to stay in their chairs for long so they do get restless after awhile.

My son attended half day kindergarten and he loved it. He looked forward to going to school and had no trouble socializing with other students.

My son is now 15 years old and very intelligent. He is one of the top students in his class, President of his school, has a very high SAT scores that he was chosen to be an Ambassador for the US to study abroad (Europe).

So I hope this might help you in deciding what is best for you and your child. Best wishes.