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Extended-day kindergarten classes hot commodity

Sounds to me like this is too hard on small children. You don't suppose that this is nothing more than free babysitting?? Not kindergarten school.

Everything I need to know I learned in a half day of kindergarten.

I agree with Jake. I am sure it is real positive from households that were paying for before or after school care previously.

Yup, free babysitting. Poor kids.

I have to disagree here. I currently have a daughter in an all day kindergarten class. I am a stay at home mom, so no day care here! She is actually a more advanced student and this gives her more opportunities than a two hour block. Heck, most preschool classes are longer than a normal kindergarten class. I have loved seeing her progression and excitement about school and feel lucky that my child was able to get into an all day class!

I think they should allow parents to choose whether their kids go a full day or half. Some kids need it who are behind, but there are others who only need a half day. I would prefer to do a half day, but in my district it is a full day. They will not even allow the option of a half.

I had the opportunity to teach full-day kindergarten for two years in Utah County. It is a wonderful program. By the end of the year my students succeded and were at the top of the class -ready to enter 1st grade head on. These children were tested at the beginning of the year and qualified for the program. They were from various family situations -from low to med. to high income. Without the program, these students would have struggled through 1st grade and perhaps through more grade years before catching up. Yes, I did have one parent excited that she would not have to hire a babysitter for half the day, however, I was quick to remind her that the program was not intended for that purpose.

I live in Wisconsin where full-day kindergarten is the rule, not the exception. My daughter started kindergarten this fall. For the first 3 months all the kids her age were MONSTERS because they were so wiped out after such long hours. It's just too much for the 5-year old kids. I've looked into the research and the only thing I can find is that full-day kindergarten is beneficial for catching kids up who have had NOTHING done at home...no reading to them, NOTHING. Mama's comment was interesting to me because my daughter is quite bright also. In fact they just moved her up to 1st grade at the semester break. But regardless of intelligence, their little bodies are just not ready for that kind of schedule. I say let the kids be kids as long as they can. It doesn't last long, does it?

I am a Utah native, transplant to Oklahoma.
Oklahoma has all full day Kindergarten here, AS WELL as being the first State to have Pre-K provided in Public Schools (1/2 day)!
IT IS WONDERFUL.
I too am a stay at home Mom, so daycare cost is not an issue with me.
My son has developed faster socially and academically. These programs are great b/c kids this age are such sponges! They learn eagerly.

And parents do have the option of having their child only attend 1/2 day in Kindergarten. They simply come pick them up from school, when the rest of the class is going to lunch. These children miss Music, PE, and Art. But not any of the 'core' curriculum such as Math, Language, Science.

These programs have been incredibly successful here, and our Governor, who instituted them, has been heralded nationally for his efforts in early childhood education.

I would love to see Utah have similar programs, as we plan to move back someday.

I think they should have half day high school for those who are smart enough.

Oh finally catching up to the Southeast US school systems. It has been around here in Raleigh NC for at least 30 years. That is one thing that bothered me about UT and CO school system when I lived out there. Another reason why I moved back to NC.

My son attended all-day kindergaten last year, he is ahead of the majority of his first grade class this year! Not everyone that qualified for all day was chosen, I am grateful my son was one of the few. I think all day is beneficial for all students, for one they learn to be at school longer so they won't have such a hard time adjusting to being gone longer in first grade. Plus being at school longer they get more one-on-opne time with the teacher.

I BELIEVE THAT HAVING CHILDREN IN KINDERGARTEN FOR A FULL DAY WOULD BE GREAT. CHILDREN AT THAT AGE LEARN SO MANY THINGS IT WOULD DEFFINATELY BOOST UP THEIR I.Q.'S, BESIDES IN KINDERGARTEN IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE TEACHING YOU ALGEBRA I DON'T SEE HOW IT WOULD BE TIRING. PARENTS JUST NEED TO LEARN TO LET GO SOMETIMES, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S LITTLE KIDS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUT KINDERGARTEN ISN'T HARD AND THEY COULD LEARN SO MUCH. AND I DO BELIEVE THAT HAVING THE 1/2 DAY OPTION WOULD BE GREAT AS WELL BECAUSE SOME LITTLE KIDS DON'T NEED A FULL DAY OF LEARNING, IT WOULDN'T HURT BUT THEY DON'T NEED IT

5 year olds don't have the mental focus to sit through a full day of school.

This is nothing more than extended day care!

I enjoyed raising 5 bright kids. I agree, what's the hurry for their young bodies to be pushed into a structured day. Where is naptime, free-time, imagine-time, cuddle-time? Do they really need math and science classes? Doesn't counting chocolate chips while making cookies count for anything? My kids were sponges, too, who got all they needed to be tops in first grade with reading, playing, field trips, library trips, talking and exploring. And at this age, who better to do it with than Mom?

There is something that many of you are overlooking. There isn't space for these kids to attend all-day kindergarten in every school. The classrooms are used by two different classes - one morning and one afternoon. The classrooms don't sit empty. In a typical year-round elementary with eight sessions of Kindergarten will require four additional classrooms - as well as additional teachers to staff them. This is a HUGE expense for a grade that isn't even required by state law for children to attend.

The problem with this program is that it is paid for by the taxpayers. Some families sacrifice so that one parent can stay home with small children. But their tax money still goes to pay for all-day kindergarten (free babysitting) for other families.

My cousin in California attended a kindergarten that got progressively longer as the year progressed. At the beginning of the year they went half day and then by the end of the year they were going the full day but the move was gradual. I thought this was a good idea. He was in kindergarten three years ago and it was really beneficial for him. I have a second grader and a kindergartener and I think they would have benefitted from such a program. The real adjustment for my son was the move to first grade and going to school for the full day after less than 3 hours a day in kindergarten.

I used to think this was an awful idea. Until I had a child in kindergarten. Like most other 5 year olds that I know, mine does not take a nap, so that isn't an issue. I didn't want to give that time up that I have with him. But I now see that he LOVES school. As they get older they need more interaction. They need more structure. Most of them are ready to learn. I wish I had my little boy in all day. And not for the day care. He does so much better at home when he is on track. I think they could do so many wonderful things in a full day of school that wouldn't just tire them out. Music, dance and art. Even to introduce them to subjects like this would be great. Our little 5 year olds are little in some aspects, but in others, they are growing up.

My third child entered kindergarten this year. I had hoped my school would be one of the schools offering full-day kindergarten. They aren't, and I'm relieved. He tested very well at the beginning of the year. Kindergarten has become kind of boring for him. I still believe in full-day kindergarten, for the right kids. My son could use a smaller class and/or more teachers. I doubt he would be as bored if he were receiving more one-on-one time from the teacher and less time waiting for the teacher to catch some of the other kids up. Hopefully next year full-day will be an option for the kids that need catching up and they can all enter 1st grade on roughly the same level.