Full day or half day Kindergarten?

jessamommy2 · October 2012

I was all for half day but my husband insists that our son goes for full day. He says that our son will learn soo much more.. which I know will happen. But I just thought I'd have one more year with my little one.. meaning more time before he goes full day from first grade on. Full day kinder is from 9-6. My son is in preschool 3 days a week for 2.5 hrs a day and loves it.

AmandaP678 · October 2012

Wow that sounds like a long day for full day. Full day is 6 hours here

Angela814 · October 2012

We only have full day kinder here. It goes from 8:35-3:25. Are you sure the school is 9-6? Ending at 6pm just doesn't sound right at all. I've never heard of a school that ends so late.

jessamommy2 · October 2012

oops i meant full day is from 9-3pm.. sorry typo

Angela814 · October 2012

trying to conceive jane:
oops i meant full day is from 9-3pm.. sorry typo

LOL. That sounds normal. I would absolutely opt for full day.

Littlejen22 · October 2012

Honestly everything I have heard is that full day I more enrichment and more time but not more learning but I do not have te experience to back that up. For example my son is halfday and he has Art but no Music, Gym, computers or lunch, all other grades have those other classes plus Gym is twice a week so that alone is a lot of time. And it is Kindergarten and if your kid is advanced they will not need the extra time, they are actually pulling other work to give to my son because he knows the work already.

penguingrrl · October 2012

I would opt for full day given the choice. Our school only offers half day right now (they're currently renovating the building so they can accommodate full day K and will implement full day in Sept '13) and it's just not nearly enough. The expectations of K are not what they were when we were in school and a half day of school just isn't enough to meet all the demands of the curriculum. I'm so glad that when my other two go through it will be full day.

ryry1977 · October 2012

I think for that age 1/2 days is plenty. I'm sure the full time works great for some families, but I would rather do 1/2 day (don't think they offer that around us though). I would love to keep my kids home longer

rsd12 · October 2012

I think it depends on the kid. But a full day is exhausting for a 5 yr old. While we don't have the option, unless we want to pay extra. They are not learning anything new/different at our school from half day... but they get lunch, recess, and more enrichment/specials classes.

Angela814 · October 2012

They do get more specials with full day, and that is probably the only measurable difference. I just think it's important to get used to having the full day when the expectations are so much lower. I also think the specials (music, art, computers) are important as well. The expectations of 1st grade are so much higher, that I think it would be a more difficult adjustment for kids who were only in 1/2 day kinder. Also, if there are both offered at your school, I think it puts kids who are only in a 1/2 day at a disadvantage.

Here 4K is 1/2 days and 5K is full days.

mrsseguin · October 2012

DS was at a school that did a full day (9-3:30) every other day. We recently switched him to a french school which is a full day (9-3:15) mon-fri. I LOVE the full day, everyday. It is a great for routine and DS is learning SO much. Both DH and I were hesitant at first, thinking the day would be too long for him, but it works out great.

KL777 · October 2012

9-6 does not sound right. Next year, DS's full day is form 8 - 2:45 pm.

JoannaJes · October 2012

From what I have heard, actual instruction time does not increase with full day kindy vs. half day.This info was frim several district emoloyees that I know. In my area, the vast majority of schools only offer full day programs. However, my friend who is a kindegarten teacher feels that the children who greatly benefit from full day kindegarten are the same children who are not in ideal care situations out of school. Children who are given extra enrichment at home while in a part-time program are not going to have this big disadvantage over full day kids.

That being said, if I were paying for daycare, I would be dang sure to find a full day program! And I think that makes a lot of sense for families.

penguingrrl · October 2012

Angela814:
They do get more specials with full day, and that is probably the only measurable difference. I just think it's important to get used to having the full day when the expectations are so much lower. I also think the specials (music, art, computers) are important as well. The expectations of 1st grade are so much higher, that I think it would be a more difficult adjustment for kids who were only in 1/2 day kinder. Also, if there are both offered at your school, I think it puts kids who are only in a 1/2 day at a disadvantage.
Here 4K is 1/2 days and 5K is full days.

I think that varies by district. We already get 50 mins per day of specials, which is the same as every other grade in the school. It's just that the 50 mins are taken out of a 2:55 day for 1/2 day K. The full day in our district is 8:05-2:55 (and K is 8:05-11 or 12-2:55), so even taking out a full hour for lunch and recess (and I'm not sure those comprise a full hour) and allowing the same amount of time for specials that everyone gets, that's an additional nearly 3 hours of instruction when we switch to full day.

weddedwife · October 2012

I'd opt for the half day. Full day is too long for a 5 yo IMO. I'm even disappointed that the program here includes lunch, so they go from 8-1. I'd like it better if they sent them home before lunch.

sschwege · October 2012

Before I had DD I was a teacher and taught kindergarten for a year. I would say the first three hours were academic time and after that it was just more fun and winding down. We would do reading, writing and math in the morning, then it was lunch, recess, nap (I know unusual for kindergarten these days), free choice time (play) or a special (gym or art). When DD starts school I hope to send her to just a half day kindergarten, full day just seems so long!

Stackeye210 · October 2012

I really wish we had the option of full day here. Working FT and figuring out how to get DD to and from school for 2.5, 5 days a week just sounds exhausting. She would end up having to go to a full day daycare that would drop her off/ p/u at school. We're thinking of sending her to a private school for an all day kindergarten program so that since she'll be in a daycare otherwise, at least she'll have the chance to be in a more controlled and structured learning environment.

If I had the choice, as in being a SAHM, I would definitely choose the half day program, but that's just b/c I'm greedy with my time I want to spend with her!

Echowysp · October 2012

Full day, all the way. They will have time for all the learning that is required by 1st grade and it leaves time for fun and games.

My son goes full day for preschool (9-5:30) two days a week and it's great. They have no trouble with it.

stdldb29 · October 2012

DS goes to pre-school at the public school where I work-he goes from 7:40-3:15. He turned 4 in July. I'm glad we are doing it.

jlw2505 · October 2012

My DD is in full day this year and there is a huge difference in what the full day vs true half day and our half day with KinderConnection (which is like daycare at the school for the 1/2 day kindergarteners so they are there full day). The full day and half day kids learn the same things but the full day kids have more time to go over the same material and the teachers adn teachers aides can spend more time with the kids that need extra help. They do a ton more of the extras - my DD goes to the media center 1x a week, has gym 3x a week and music 2x a week. Art is done in the regular class. They do lunch and go outside 1-2 times a day (depending on the weather). My DD also gets speech therapy at school and since she is in full day, they plan it so that she is not missing valuable class time - they take her for her sessions during some of the open time that is built into class for the kids to work on projects and have some free time - stuff like that does not happen in half day - half basically goes over the basic material and they have less time to do it and they have each of the specials 1x a week and no lunch and no recess.

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