According to reports, “At-risk students who received full-day kindergarten through Montgomery County, Maryland’s Kindergarten Initiative made significantly greater progress in language proficiency than comparable children in half-day kindergarten.”Īdding to this, a study that focused on the approximately 17,600 children in Philadelphia revealed: “Full-day kindergarten helps children from low-income families perform better and saves the school district millions of dollars through significantly reduced grade retention in first, second and third grade.”Īs the Milton View adds, the research on these statistics is staggering. Additionally, when examining the various components of classroom behavior and social abilities, “Full-day kindergarteners exhibit more independent learning, classroom involvement, productivity in work with peers and reflectiveness than half-day kindergarteners.” Essentially, according to reports, when children are engaged in a half-day program, they tend to spend less time on self-initiated tasks, activities, and lessons therefore, when students are able to engage in a full-day of instruction, they are able to participate in more independent study/learning tasks, as there is less time devoted to whole-group instruction, and more time focused on independent development and learning.įull-day programs close the achievement gapĪdding to these studies, the Milton View also reports that the Milton School Board research and analyses reveal that a full-day kindergarten experience can help ameliorate and close the achievement gap. With this cognitive and academic focus, the Milton research advocates for longer kindergarten hours. As the data reveals, “Children who attend full-day kindergarten learn more in reading and math over the kindergarten year than those in half-day programs.” The following video explains the differences between half-day and full-day kindergarten. The Pros of Full-Day Kindergarten InstructionĬhildren enjoy long-term academic benefitsĪs the Milton View explores in their article, “Full Day Kindergarten,” data and research presented to the Milton School Board revealed that a full-day of kindergarten will academically enrich and benefit children. In addition, “…in 2007, at least 40 state legislatures have considered preschool programs and full-day kindergarten initiatives.” Specifically, “Legislators in Connecticut, Indiana, and Rhode Island proposed bills in 2007 to require school districts to offer full-day kindergarten,” while “At least eight other states have considered reimbursing schools that offer voluntary full-day kindergarten.” While many areas are promoting these new full-day agendas, many individuals are torn on the various arguments of this heated debate. Nationally, according to the Education Reporter, 31 states increased their funding in 2006 for early elementary programs. The following video from the AMSD 2013 Annual Conference discusses how to prepare for the transition from half-day to full-day kindergarten. Traditionally, these younger students were slowly introduced into the academic world with only half or partial day classes however, as more schools implement these programs, both educators and parents are forced to evaluate the many pros and cons of this rising trend. Subsequently, many public schools are considering new programs that require kindergarten students to attend classes for a full day. A growing number of researchers are discovering that younger children’s access to early education leads to an enhanced ability to read and cognitively perform more effectively throughout their lives.
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