MY TAKE
Why we recommend a full day of
KINDERGARTEN By M. Jeanne Wilcox, Nadine Basha Professor of Early Childhood Education, Rachel Mayercek, Director Infant Child Research Laboratory Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University
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I clearly remember my son’s first day
When my twin boys were ready to start
of kindergarten. It was August 2013
kindergarten, I selected a school that
and he was excited but a little bit
offered a full-day program. I worried that
scared. I was excited but also nervous
the day might be too long. I wondered if
for him. I wondered if he would make
they would have fun and enjoy learning?
- Rachel Mayercek
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teacher? Was he ready for school?
These are all questions that every parent asks themselves as they prepare their child for kindergarten. Maybe you are also asking yourself, is kindergarten that important? Is my child ready? Should I send my child to the full-day or half-day kindergarten? Kindergarten helps prepare our children for the challenges they will face in elementary school and beyond as they work on early academic skills including literacy, mathematics, and science. Within the context of play-based and fun learning opportunities, kindergarten offers a busy day full of learning. Students also develop communication skills, higher level language, and social skills, and will learn the rules and expectations of being in a school environment. For most parents, contemporary kindergarten is very different from when they were children. As researchers 24 APRIL 2020
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friends? Would he have a good
Would kindergarten give them the start they need for school success? - Jeanne Wilcox
studied early childhood education, emergent literacy and language development, it is clear that we may have underestimated the intellectual and learning capacity of young children. Exposure to new, interesting, and sequenced learning experiences in kindergarten prepares children for the rigors of today’s elementary school. Current kindergarten programs are stronger and more challenging than those of earlier generations. Research shows that when a child attends full-day kindergarten they are better prepared for first grade. Kindergarten builds a bridge between preschool programs and the more structured learning that takes place in first grade. Longitudinal data tells us that children in full-day kindergarten classes show greater reading and math gains than those who attend half-day classes.
