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Early Years
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"Teachers are torn between what they're forced to teach and what they're forced to leave out." - Joanne Arowosegbe, president of the California Kindergarten Association Starting kindergarten is a momentous occasion for children and parents alike. For youngsters, it's a sign of growing up, gaining independence and the start of a formal education. While for parents it's the sometimes painful cue that it's time to start letting go. However, in Orange County and much of the state, the daily separation is brief. With most public kindergarten programs clocking in at just over 3 hours (for some that's even less time than the preschool years), there's not much time to get used to the idea of "letting go" before parents have to turn around and pick up their children again. "It's just not enough time to learn everything they need to learn," says one Orange County mother of twins, whose children get 3 hours, 23 minutes of instruction a day. "And with increased class sizes, there is less time for individual instruction." If you're a working parent, the half-day schedule adds another layer of logistical planning for your child's uninterrupted care. Change has begun incrementally. In many states, and a growing number of school districts in California, full-day kindergarten programs have emerged this year on both a permanent and experimental basis. These longer days for 5- and 6-year-olds not only make it easier on parents, but more importantly, they're improving the academic and social skills of the children participating in them. "There's been a lot of information amassed on the benefits of full-day kindergarten in the last 20 years, and the bottom line is that full-day kindergarten that is carefully planned and taught by well-qualified teachers does have a beneficial outcome," says Ruby Takanishi, president of the Foundation for Child Development. Studies with children who participate in full-day programs reveal that they scored higher on year-end achievement tests in subjects such as reading, mathematics and science, displayed more positive social behaviors and were better prepared for the 1st grade. Joanne Arowosegbe, president of the California Kindergarten Association, says she favors the adoption of full-day kindergarten programs in our state because it would allow for a more balanced learning environment. "Right now, teachers are torn between what they're forced to teach and what they're forced to leave out," she says. "A lot of teachers are working with scripted programs because of state content standards. The program is much more academic than it used to be, and we're not opposed to that, but we don't want to leave out other things we know are good." With a half-day program, there's rarely time left over for science, music or other center-based activities that are developmentally appropriate for kindergartners. The limited class time also prevents teachers from making the most of a key time in the development of a child's oral language skills. (Full-day kindergarten programs have been documented as a fast-track approach toward getting non-English speaking students up to speed with their peers.) Some parents may be concerned about the jump from preschool to a full-day kindergarten program, but those who have already tried it tend to like the longer day. Diane Graves of Las Flores has a daughter enrolled in full-day kindergarten at Serra Catholic School in Rancho Santa Margarita. Most private schools go with a full-day curriculum. "I was really concerned about the long day, and the first week she was tired," admits Graves. "But now she's adjusted and she's done great with it. I'm all for the full-day program, but I think preschool does help prepare them for it." Last year, the Pasadena Unified School District introduced a full day for kindergartners and the nation's largest school district - Los Angeles Unified - is in the process of implementing a full-day program for its 3,000-plus kindergarten classes. But in Orange County, the closest thing to a full-day kindergarten program is a fee-based enrichment program resulting from a partnership between the San Juan Unified School District and the YMCA, called Kindergarten Plus. Starting last year as a pilot program in just 2 schools, it was met with such enthusiasm by parents and teachers, that it was rolled out to a total of 16 schools this year and several more are hoping to be added next year. "We've had really positive feedback from the children," says Gwen Ichinosi, who oversees Kindergarten Plus for the YMCA. "The comment we hear most often from them is that this program makes learning fun." Since most kindergarten classrooms are shared by 2 separate classes, the space required to accommodate individual, full-day classes is probably the greatest obstacle schools across the state face, according to Arowosegbe. However, she also believes that many parents who put their children in private kindergarten programs would enroll their children in public schools if they were offered full-day programs, which would increase revenues to the districts and help offset costs. Across the country, there are 15 states that require their school districts to at least offer full-day kindergarten, and 9 of those states require full-day programs only. But in California, a state where lagging educational standards continue to fester, kindergarten is not even required. According to Carolyn Livingston at the state Board of Education, it's up to individual districts to decide if they want to offer full-day kindergarten programs. As more schools adopt such programs and research continues to tout the benefits, more administrators will recognize the impact a quality, full-day kindergarten education can have on a child's educational future. Michele Piazzoni is a freelance writer and mother of three living in Folsom. She is a regular contributor to The Early Years and Getting Started. To reach her: mpiazzoni@hotmail.com. |
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