Elizabeth Cleveland

Virginia Teachers For Tomorrow

3/26/17

Is Full Day Better than Half Day Kindergarten?

A major debate in the field of education is the discussion of full-day kindergarten and

half-day kindergarten. Full-day kindergarten, in most states, is only used for students that dont

do very well on their observational or performance-based assessments (New America). Other

states do have full-day kindergarten for all of their students. There are more advantages to full-

day kindergarten than disadvantages.

Kindergarten is a place where young learners can play, sing, and focus on practical

activities needed to help transition from home to school, like drawing and social interactions with

their peers. Kindergarten also helps young learners to be more effective as they develop their

communication skills and develop skills that assist them with reading, writing, and math.

With half-day kindergarten, the students are only in class and learning for about three to

four hours a day, five days a week (ECAP). Kindergarten teachers would also benefit from full-

day kindergarten. Full-day kindergarten allows teachers more time to promote formal and

informal learning, reduces the number of transitions in a childs day, and allows children to get

used to a schedule similar to that which they will have in first grade (Child Trend). The teachers

would have time to teach instead of throwing academical activity after academical activity at

their students in the short period of time that they are given to teach.

Kindergarten is a way to prepare for first grade and it is actually not required in some

states (Education Commission). Parents benefit from full day more than they do for half day.

One of those reasons being is that they dont need to pay that much for babysitting, or childcare

after their students are done with school for the day. Most parents would have finished working

or had to have their child go to childcare, if only for an hour or two. So the cost of babysitting or
childcare would not be as much. Parents also expressed increasing satisfaction for full-day

kindergarten schedules over half-day schedules (Kindergarten Study). It worked with the

schedule of the parents and the teachers.

Full day kindergarten has long-term cognitive growth and development effects for young

students (Kindergarten Study).A recent meta-analysis found that kindergarteners in full-day

programs were more likely to have good attendance, self-confidence, and the ability to work and

play with others, but less likely to have a positive attitude towards school (Child Trends).

Kindergarten should not be about writing and grades. It should be about the fun of

learning. All states should promote full day kindergarten because it is better for the students and

better for the future. They should make it a law for students to go to kindergarten so that those

students that dont go arent left behind and have to catch up. Catching up takes years because

the young mind is special and if they arent taught the language while they are young it begins

to turn into a second language and it is even harder to learn.

Students should be placed in an all day kindergarten program because it would not only

help the students, but it would the the parents and the teachers. Short term goals for the

students can be met as well as the long term goals that can be set. While there are a few

negatives for full day, there are many more benefits to it that overweigh the negatives.
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