Nap time in kindergarten

bingbongsmama

Very off topic but does anyone know...do kindergarteners have to nap or sit quietly on a mat as part of the daily schedule?
Does it vary state to state?

mrsoliver916

I don't know very many kindergarten classes that take naps here in California. I would assume they wouldn't because they're generally only in school 3-4 hours.

bingbongsmama

mrsoliver916 said:

I don't know very many kindergarten classes that take naps here in California. I would assume they wouldn't because they're generally only in school 3-4 hours.

Really? I'm on the east coast and kindergarten (public school) is a full day 6.5 hrs.

Derek2014Leslie

I teach kindergarten and the first half of the year we have nap time. After Christmas break we don't unless they are all really tired/crabby. We have full day kindergarten at my school. We have a long day its 8:45- 4:00. 

mrsoliver916

bingbongsmama said:

mrsoliver916 said:

I don't know very many kindergarten classes that take naps here in California. I would assume they wouldn't because they're generally only in school 3-4 hours.

Really? I'm on the east coast and kindergarten (public school) is a full day 6.5 hrs.

Really?! I've never even heard of that! I've always known kindergarten to be either morning or afternoon session. So around 8-11:30 or 12-3:30 (ish.)

babylimas

My nephew is in kindergarten, goes full day and has no nap or rest. I was just asking him the other day. He also only gets about 12 minutes for lunch. It's crazy!

bingbongsmama

mrsoliver916 said:

bingbongsmama said:

mrsoliver916 said:

I don't know very many kindergarten classes that take naps here in California. I would assume they wouldn't because they're generally only in school 3-4 hours.

Really? I'm on the east coast and kindergarten (public school) is a full day 6.5 hrs.

Really?! I've never even heard of that! I've always known kindergarten to be either morning or afternoon session. So around 8-11:30 or 12-3:30 (ish.)

They changed it here about 10 years ago. I do think its a very long day for 5 year olds.

mevensen

The school I teach at does nap/rest time.

fish8412

I teach in NC and there is no naptime in Kindergarten.  With the new Common Core, I don't see how there is time.

bingbongsmama

It surprises me because I thought most kids stop napping at 3/4

bingbongsmama

fish8412 said:

I teach in NC and there is no naptime in Kindergarten.  With the new Common Core, I don't see how there is time.

Do your kids also have a full day?

fish8412

Yup, it is a full day.  In NC, Kindergarten is not mandatory, which surprises me because they learn SO much.  However, that law may have changed with the Common Core?  I teach third grade.

bingbongsmama

DaisyCat11 said:

I teach full day kindergarten (9-3:30) and while we don't have a mandatory "nap time", my co teacher and I have been doing a quiet time after lunch with stories and such. We have a very, very young group (a lot were still 3 when they started in September), and we find having that down time in the middle if the day really helps. At the beginning of the year some would fall asleep, but now they just sit and relax (in theory, anyway!)

3 yo's might need it, that would be like preschool in the states. Although, I'm looking for a 3 hr/day preschool for my DD that doesn't include nap since she doesn't always nap and I don't want her to be forced to lie quietly for an hour when she can be home

bingbongsmama

bandteacher said:

Um, you guise, I don't think naps fulfill any state indicators. School is for training kids to pass tests.

lol true. Although I had read something about it being mandatory in certain states

MA&CB

A friend of mine teaches full-day kindergarten, and I know she does an afternoon quiet or rest time and some of the kids do fall asleep.  My son is 4.5 and still takes a short nap about 50% of the time.

PerkyErky

DS is in kindergarten and here it is only half day, either morning or afternoon. He attends morning kindergarten and he always takes a nap after school because he is worn out. Sometimes I wish he went to all day just because it would require less schedule juggling for me and DH but I can only imagine what a potential terror he would be without the nap. We're lucky though because he has never given up naps.

angelsnight

When I worked at a day care, there was also a pre-K/K class.  They had quiet time, some slept if they weren't feeling well, but mostly they just had to be quiet and do quiet activities on their mat.  A little out of the norm though as parents could treat it as a daycare still, so if they needed to drop them off as early as 7:30 and pick up as late as 5:30, they did.

karacakes98

No naptime here. Full day 7:45-3.

bingbongsmama

angelsnight said:

When I worked at a day care, there was also a pre-K/K class.  They had quiet time, some slept if they weren't feeling well, but mostly they just had to be quiet and do quiet activities on their mat.  A little out of the norm though as parents could treat it as a daycare still, so if they needed to drop them off as early as 7:30 and pick up as late as 5:30, they did.

See that's the thing, I'm uncomfortable with it being mandatory. I would happily pick her up an hour early to skip the nap if that were an option. A nap during the day will often destroy bedtime and then throw off the next day.

mbhalla33

I'm in PA and districts can vary with either full day or half day K. In the district I work it's full day and they don't nap. In th district I live it's half day and they don't nap there either.

sebullows

I taught prek last year (ages 4/5). We went to school for a full day and had a 1 hour nap. It was not mandatory for a child to sleep, but they had to sit quietly on their mat with a book/toy if not. At this same public elementary school (where I still teach, but now 1st grade), kindergarten has 30 min nap time but if the child doesn't sleep, the teacher may pull them to teach small group/let them play. Oh, I'm in gerogia.

stefaknee

Full day kinder programs in Texas.  They go 8:10-3:25 in our district.  No nap.
My kid stopped napping years ago, so that would be really awkward to have nap time.

I've heard a lot of schools have gone to full days because of the increase of prek programs.  Back in the day prek programs were less common, so half days helped transition kids.

teaforthree

I'm in California and my DD napped in kindergarten.  However, I had her in a private, 9am-3pm program so I guess they incorporated nap time since the kids had a longer day than most standard 3 hour programs.

ETA: I read some of the other responses and I guess a lot of longer programs don't do naps; that surprises me.  Guess it just depends on location and/or the school?

talitha712

I teach K. We are full day and don't have nap time.

talitha712

stefaknee said:

Full day kinder programs in Texas.  They go 8:10-3:25 in our district.  No nap.
My kid stopped napping years ago, so that would be really awkward to have nap time.

I've heard a lot of schools have gone to full days because of the increase of prek programs.  Back in the day prek programs were less common, so half days helped transition kids.

A lot of schools of full day K because of the increase in standards, not because of the increase in preK. Common core is no joke and kids are doing stuff that used to be taught in first grade. We need the time to prepare and teach them well. It's hard to fit everything in with full day; when I taught half day it was nearly impossible.

lindsey1031

Full day kinder here - no naps. Our curriculum is no joke. They're reading short stories, writing paragraphs, adding and subtracting by the end of March! If KG is mandatory in your state, it will probably be like I listed above. If not, then it just depends on the school district you're in.

Hays0770

Full day Kinder teacher here in OK...

My team and I have to fight tooth and nail to keep the district from taking away our 15-20 minute "brain break."

My kids get so tired they get the anger/hyperactive/crazies.
I have a rest time after lunch and play a movie or cartoon related to what we are learning about. Usually 2-3 kids actually fall asleep... even in that short 20 min.