XP: Prep for kindergarten questions

sourapplemartini · July 2011

DD is 4.5 and she'll be starting full day kindergarten next fall. She's enrolled in a 3 day half day program right now but I was talking to a friend who said she's putting her DD in a 5 day a week half day program the year before she goes to K.

Anyone do this specifically to prep for a full day kindergarten program or did you find that PT preschool before kindergarten was fine?

jettagurl · July 2011

My oldest was 4y4m last fall when he started 1/2 day, 3x/week pre-k. That was his first experience with 'school' and he is more than well-prepared for K this year. I have no doubt that 3 days was the right choice for him.

My 2nd is started K3 this year - 1/2 days, 2x/week this year and will do the same as my oldest (3 - 1/2 days) next year.

As important as school is, I think it's just as important to keep K3/K4 stress-free and fun, and he/she will learn a lot just being home/doing things with you on those other days.

GL!

shouldbworkin · August 2011

Both of my kids are/will be in 5 day FT PS the year before KG. DD's school day goes until 2:30, DS's went to 3:30. In KG, their day is 9 to 4. DD was in PS 5 half days last year so we're increasing the time she's there this year. With that being said, DS still had a good month of getting used to being in school until 4pm every day even though he'd been in school just as many hours in PS. You just do whatever you can do and whatever works for your family. Maybe you can do 2-3 full days or extended days? I do think it's important for them to stay for lunch the last year if they'll be eating lunch at KG.

Angela814 · August 2011

Our district has a public 4K program that is half days. DD went to that last year and will be in full day kindergarten starting in September. I think that going 5 half days/week a week would be much better to prep for full day kinder. I imagine going from 3 half days to 5 full days would be quite an adjustment.

ccm1203 · August 2011

DS went 3 days per week 2.5 hours, the year before K and did just fine to full day 5 times per week.

I think it sometimes depends on the child. Also there is a solid 3.5 months between the end of preschool and starting school, they aren't used to anything by that point anyway.

neverblushed · August 2011

My son did go to a preschool class that was 5 half days a week when he was 4 (and also when he was 5 -- his birthday was just days before the cutoff for K, and he was not ready at that time.) I chose that class for him because it had a teacher I thought would be particularly good for him. I think a good preschool program, with a balance of activities, gets kids ready for kindergarten whether the kids go 3 or 5 partial days.

Don't forget that whatever you're doing on those other days, whether you're home with her or she's in daycare, those activities are also helping to get her ready for kindergarten!

neverblushed · August 2011

BTW, I adore your siggie pic!

CubbyMama · August 2011

DD will be in PT preschool for 2 years before going to half-day kindergarten.

To be honest, I'm not big on going too crazy to "prepare" kids for things that will happen way down the road. I've taught kindergarten and seen kids show up not knowing how to hold a pencil, not knowing any letters, numbers, sounds, shapes, or colors, and they've ended up doing fine as long as they were ready to learn. The idea of preparing kids for kindergarten has gotten a little out of hand thanks to NCLB, I think, and I hate to see kids put under too much pressure too soon.

Don't get me wrong--I looooove involved parents, and I am one myself. I just don't like the whole, "We're giving a pile of homework in kindergarten to get them ready for first grade/We're giving them a pile of homework in first grade to get them ready for second grade..." etc. type of stuff that goes on, which ends up unnecessarily kicking things up a notch way ahead of time, if that makes sense?

I'd say about half of my 1/2 day kindergarteners' parents told me the kids fell asleep on the way home and sometimes slept through until morning for the first few months of school, regardless of whether they went to preschool. It's just a big transition, and they're tired out! Same thing when they go to full-day in 1st grade. I'm not sure I'd necessarily put DD in preschool for more hours to prepare her for kindergarten, when it'll still be an adjustment when she gets there (and she'll do fine).

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