In February of this year, Canada’s education minister Shirley Bond announced that her ministry would investigate the cost and feasibility of offering all-day kindergarten. At this moment in Canada, all-day kindergarten is only available for aboriginal, ESL and special-needs children. The plan would mean that full day kindergarten would be available to all five-year-olds by September 2009 and they have plans to extend that to four- and three-year-olds by 2010 and 2012 respectively.
The current economic downturn is now threatening that plan (source). The plan would have cost hundreds of millions of dollars, so they are now studying how and when they can best implement these changes. There are lots of advantages and disadvantages when it comes to all-day kindergarten.
Advantages:
Besides the practical advantages like less transportation hassle (no school buses to children from school to daycare), full-day programs provide a relaxed, unhurried school day with more time for a variety of experiences, for screening and assessment opportunities, and for more interaction between adults and students.
Disadvantages:
A lot of people however think half a day is enough. It offers ample time in school and allows more time for the young child to play and interact with adults and other children in less-structured home or child care settings. Half a day provides continuity and systematic experience with less probability of stress. Also, full day kindergarten require additional teaching staff and aides to maintain an acceptable child-adult ratio. Another thing is that all day kindergarten is considered to be too academic, concentrating on basic skills before children are ready. I can also imagine that practically one half-day of an all-day program may become merely child care.
Of course the decision to put a child into a half-day or full-day kindergarten program lies with the parents, and it all depends on the child itself. What do you think is best?
November 21st, 2008 at 8:38 pm
My child is already in school all day and did last year when she was in j/k. I like it and so does my daughter. If class is fun and engaging, I think children like it. Yes, they are less energetic when they get home at the end of the day, but my daughter can’t stop talking about all she does. I’m glad for no half days because it’s only a couple hours and really once you get started, it’s just about over. There are plenty of things to learn in a full day at school, that is, if you have the right teacher. I’m a stay at home mom, so I don’t know the downfall of having to pick up a kid after a half day, but I think full days would be better for the economics of both parents who work. Ultimitely if you look at the ratio of learning to playing from full days to half days, they are getting the same. Half days you learn the whole time and then play at daycare or home. Full days you have learning mixed with playtime for the whole day. The children aren’t learning the whole time in school, there are recesses and the right amount of in class play time. But at the same time, the play time in class is structured enough to follow the lesson plan for the day.
Well, that’s it, my two cents. My daughter as well as I enjoy full days and I would encourage them.
November 22nd, 2008 at 4:31 am
Our son is a special needs child with a developmental speech delay. He has been in school since he was 3 and is now 6 and this year was mainstreamed into regular kindergarten. We tried to put him into a full-day program. As a matter of fact, we tried 3 different programs in the afternoon (in the morning he was always in special ed developmental kindergarten classes). He did not do well in any of the all day school scenarios. It was determined that it was just too much for him. So we ended up having him in half day kindergarten and having him come home the rest of the day. His issues and temperment improved dramatically.
I think each child is different and you cannot really say what is best until you try both and see what situation your child thrives in.
December 31st, 2008 at 5:40 pm
I think that all day kindergaraten is too much for most five year olds. As stated before it is more time for play and the learning time is the same, therefore I believe the play time should be done at home and/or daycare. It may help families where both parents work but as a taxpayer that’s not my responsibility to help them out with their childcare issues. I agree that 2 1/2 hours is not convient, other schools do whole days every other day with one day either being a half day or going to school three days one week and two the next - this method give kindergarten students the feel of all day school but gives them a break every other day. My child should not have to go to school every day all day just so people can have an easier time with their childcare.