Is a Full Day of Kindergarten Too Much for Most 4-6Yr Olds?

A full day of kindergarten is not too much. My son who was a June baby went to kindergarten a full day when he started 10 years ago and he did just fine. He did not attend pre-school before going to kindergarten and still did fine.

My boys went to a half day preschool for 2,3 and 4. By the time they got to kindergarten it wasn't that big of a transition. I've heard from several K teachers that prefer the all day vs. half day because they feel the kids get more out of it. Our school had nap/rest time all year and when you think about the time they spend at lunch, recess, library, gym, music, games, art, activities, etc. they really aren't sitting at a desk that long every day.

It's never too early to think about your child's education. This decision depends on how you feel, your children, and the school. Do what you feel comfortable with and what you feel is best for your family. You can start them early so the Kindergarten is not that big of a transition or they can repeat Kindergarten. There are many options. The best advice is to do what's best for your family.

good luck

It is never too early to start thinking about school for your children. My husband approached me when our oldest child was 2 and said we need to start planning his education. I thought he was crazy, but now I am so glad we were prepared by the time he started school.

My older 2 children attended a private all day school in Kindergarten. When they include naps/rest time in the afternoon it really helps. They did enjoy going to school, but by the end of the day they were very cranky and I felt like I hadn't seen them at all.

Having said that, I now homeschool my children and last year completed child #3 in Kindergarten at home. Most days I spent no more than 2 hours and by the end of the year she was reading on almost a 3rd grade reading level and doing 2nd grade math. I am so glad I homeschool now. The rewards for my children and myself are amazing.

I think (you said opinions) that too many parents today send their kids to school because they think that is what you are suppose to do. I swore I would never homeschool. My parents sent me to a private school (for which I am very thankful) and I always assumed that is what I would do with my children. I now realize you have other options. I love homeschooling my children. Yes it is more work than packing them up everyday and sending them off for someone else to teach them, but something worth doing is worth a little effort.

I have 2 more children that have not started school yet, but Lord willing, next fall I will enroll child #4 in Kindergarten at our homeschool:)

A lot of children attend a daycare center while parents are at work. Most of these children spend at least 8 hours at the center. Some spend close to 12 hours at the center. All day kindergarten in MO does have quiet time. In MO they have it where you can let your child attend for part of the day. I believe they may even have one school where they just do half day kindergarten. Just keep aware of what your school district offers. If you choose to homeschool you can go to the Home School Legal Defense Association site. They are a group that you can join to have legal representation if you ever need it. They also stay updated on all state rules and any goverment issues going on about rights to homeschool. Each state has rules. Rules change from state to state. Since your children are young you have time to explore your options.

Hi J.,
My son went to a half day kindergarten, but that's all that was offered at his school. He would have been fine with all day, though, because he was already in daycare all day.

I stayed at home until he was 2 (which is when I got divorced). He adapted well to the change from being with me constantly to being at the daycare. Initially though, I had him at a home daycare before he went to a center/pre-k. Since he was in a center all day, changing to a school setting wasn't difficult for him.

I think it depends on each child, and what their experiences are before starting school. If they go to a preschool (even half day) then making a transition to full day kindergarten wouldn't be as hard for them. My mom was a stay at home mom and back when I went to school, I went to half-day Kindergarten when I was 4, and started full day first grade when I was 5 - but I was ready for those things.

I think that there is no one-size-fits all answer to your questions because it depends on each child and each family. It also depends on the programs offered at school - some all day Kindergartens are better than others and offer downtime and playtime at least in the beginning of the year until kids adjust. Kids are more adaptable than we often give them credit for :)

I grew up in Russia. There we start school full time at 7 years old(first grade), do not have 4th grade(3rd to 5th), have no idea why:) yet when I was an exchange student in 12 grade in USA I was like 3 grades ahead. SO yes I do think full times kindergarden is too much!!!! I think at 7 years old is a good age to start full time.

I can only speak from my own experience.
I believe it depends on the child and the kindergarten program.
My son was in a dual kinder/1st grade room adn it was awful. It was full day. My first daughter went to full day and was bored. She did have trouble adjusting after Dec to the no nap now time but did fine. Them my third, a girl went to a full day kinder at almost 6 and truly failed. Not academically, she went in reading and counting and adding but socially she could't handle all day, 1 teacher, no aide and 25 other kids. My 4th did fine in full day.
I now homeschool my younger two. It's the best decision I have made.
Looking back I think I would take all four of them out and keep them home until high school. The school system offers what it can, at home you can give them what they need.
My 3rd stayed in until 5th my son is starting 3rd this year at home.

I think a full day is too much for kindergarten but since so many children are in full time day care it's probably not much different than what many children and parents are used to. Like you, I am also a stay at home mom and I think a whole day is too much especially for little ones who are just starting to go to school. The attention span of young children is so short I can't imagine that they are capable of learning all day like that. I can't help but wonder how much of that time is spent learning and how much of it is just babysitting.

My first child only went half day for preschool and kindergarten. I loved it b/c it prepared her for 1st grade but introduced it slowly. I was really worried about my 3 and 4 year old b/c they started preschool last month and since moving we were too far away from the old school. The only options where we are now were full day. Luckily, they have done great and there haven't been any problems. My oldest attended a private school (ECS) during kindergarten that provided half day. Maybe if you start them out in a half day preschool the year before it will help ease them into full day kindergarten. Good luck!

J., I didn't read the other responses but wanted to share that my son just started Kindergarten and it is full time. He is absolutely loving it. They still take naps after lunch although his teacher did say that after December they tend to let go of that habit. By then the children are more entertained with the activities. He also rides the bus which is an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening...so total, 9 hours long....he's doing great. Goes to bed at 830 or 9pm and up at 6am. I'm curious about where you lived, in Germany the children started Kindergarten as early as 3 yrs old. As the others say it depends on the child but my boy is really enjoying being a "big boy!"

Hi J.,
I am a stay-at-home mother of three young daughters. I home school my oldest daughter who is in second grade. My other two daughters are four and 1 this month. Of course, I am biased toward homeschool, because this is the choice we have made for our children in their early years. However, I was a public school teacher for seven years, before making the decision to be at home, and I have seen the flip side of the coin.

We plan to send our children to a traditional school setting on down the road, but have opted in their early years to keep them at home with us.

Our reasons are these:

Children are impressionable and the influences from those around them in their early years play a huge part in who they grow up to be. Their lives are greatly shaped by the people and experiences they have in their early lives. My husband and I want to be the ones to positively impact our children while they are at their most impressionable.

We love our children in a way that others out there will not. Unfortunately, the world is a big place filled with hard knocks and bumps and bruises along the way. Why not try to preserve that warm feeling of being loved and cherished and secure for as long as possible. We, as parents, are dedicated to making life beautiful for our children. Can we say that other teachers and care-givers out in the community have that same dedication to our children? Most likely not.

Will children have to learn to cope with living in a world that has its downs as well as its ups? Absolutely! But, wouldn't it be better to allow them time to build a great foundation in a safe environment filled with love and nurturing care, before throwing them out there to deal with all the things that life will throw at them? Time to grow and mature to the point that they are equipped to deal responsibly with the influences of the world at large? We think so.

These are the reasons that we have for keeping our children with us for their early years. Am I opposed to public school? No. My husband teaches Middle School, and I was a public school teacher before resigning to stay at home with my children. However, I believe that children are pushed out of the nest to fend for themselves too often before they are ready and equipped with the skills necessary to thrive and grow into happy, healthy, responsible citizens who contribute in a positive way to society.

These are just my opinions. But, I hope my opinions are helpful.

E. Davis

Like most things with kids of that age range, it depends on the child. Each child is different.

Personally, my kids LOVE their full day classes. However, their school offers a very good schedule that allows for play, rest, and learning.

Truth is it depends on the child. My daughter has always loved school. She has been going to full-day preschool since she was three and absolutely loved it. My son on the other hand hated it when he was 3, he preferred part-time (he liked going home right after lunch - lunch was done he wanted to go home). He's okay with full-time kindergarten now (not loving it, but okay with it). So it really depends on the child. What really seemed to work with my son was going to kindergarten in the mornings mainly as a socialization period, then right after lunch I would pick him up and 'homeschool'.

I am european, and agree that there is too much emphasis, too young on the academic growth of kindergateners.

Look into Emerson Waldorf school in Chapel Hill - they do a half day until through kindergaten and they don't teach any academic classes - its all play based - I was very impressed with them and their philosophy.

HI J.,

Unfortunately, here in the US, full-day kindergarten is the way to go. Every child is different, but having been a teacher, it is very evident in 1st grade who attended all day kindergarten and who did not. If your child is only 3, I'm kind of confused as to why you are so worried about this, now. Most schools require kindergarteners to be 5 years old. Your child can grow and mature alot between now and then. 1/2 day Pre-kindergarten is a great way to introduce your 4-yr-old to school. You can always try full-day kindergarten and see how it goes. Most classes take a small nap after lunch. Your child has the potential to fall behind if they do not attend kindergarten in the same school system where they will attend 1st grade. Schools plan out their curriculum with their specific classes in mind and if you switch between school systems, skills can be lost. Do you have teacher experience? Would you be able to "fill in the gaps" if your child did not attend kindergarten? Home Schooling is not for everyone, especially if you have a younger child still at home. Do you not like the schools in your area? Does your child have a learning disability? I think you need to wait until the spring before your child would start kindergarten to make a decision. I like to be prepared, but I think you are getting a little ahead of yourself. Good luck! You have plenty of time. L.

Hi J.,

It's nice that you have the experience of living overseas and seeing different ways of doing things, including school. I lived in Japan for 6 years and appreciate the broader viewpoint that living outside the US affords. (I just repatriated this summer back to the US.)

That being said, let me give you a personal view of kindergarten, in the US, from having had both full and part day kindergarten with my two boys.

What kindergarten does is two-fold; children are prepared for their role as citizens in a school by being taught the rules, helping them learn routine and scheduling and what is expected of them, and they teach enough academics for them to be prepared for first grade. Many children do learn enough in kindergarten to be reading at the end of the kindergarten year, but not all, and it's not demanded. But first grade does demand that they learn to read rather quickly, and write and do math along with the artwork that brings learning together in their minds. First grade is hard work, and your child should be mature enough to be able to cope with it.

All that being said, I highly recommend that you not send your children to kindergarten when they are 4 years old, unless they are just ready to turn 5. Just because the school system says they can attend so young doesn't mean they'll be ready. (By the way, different states have different rules - when we were in PA, the law said they didn't have to go until they were 7, so there was a lot of leeway.) The bigger issue for you to figure out is will they be able to handle first grade if they're a young 5? And then more of a question you must consider is the future - will your child be the youngest in their class all the way through school? When junior high hits, that's when younger children take the brunt of their difference in age, with bullying and peer pressure. This should also be considered carefully before sending a young child to kindergarten, epecially a boy.

Prepare your kids by putting them in a good preschool. Good preschools have the children on a schedule. That doesn't mean they are teaching hardcore academics - they offer the kids lots of learning opportunities during a lot of fun playtime, indoors and outdoors. When the time for deciding whether or not your child should enroll for kindergarten approaches, sit down with your child's teacher and ask her if she feels your child is ready to go to school. Listen to what she says. Is she concerned about maturity issues? Is she concerned about your child's size, especially if you have a boy? Is she concerned about his preparedness? The academic part (preparedness) isn't necessarily the first thing you should be thinking about here - if your child is outside the mean of maturity level when he gets to the Kindergarten class, it will really affect everything about school, and then the school will have to consider having him repeat kindergarten.

Then take your child to the elementary school's guidance counselor and ask for readiness testing. After getting the scores and what they mean, ask the guidance counselor if she were you, would she send her child to school or wait another year?

If the counselor says your child is "on the fence", or above in some areas and below in others, ask yourself these questions: can I afford another year of preschool, or financially, do I really need to send my child to school so I'm not paying for another year of preschool? For parents who live paycheck to paycheck, and getting out of diapers and formula has been the difference in paying off debt and not, then it might be something you just cross your fingers with and then let the school repeat your child in kindergarten if they are still behind. But if you can afford the preschool, keep them there. Some preschools offer a Transitional-K program which is more academically based than the younger preschool, and is mostly offered for those children whose maturity levels aren't there yet.

As far as full day and half day kindergarten programs are concerned, my oldest son's school offered half day. He is my son with the stronger academic abilities, and I knew that he was very smart. Yet I did not start him until he was an old five (his birthday is near the beginning of December). The reason was because I knew we were moving and I didn't want to put him through changing schools in the middle of his kindergarten year. I have always been so grateful that I didn't put him in school as an old 4 - he wouldn't have been able to handle some issues in later school years, even with his good academics. (I lucked into that, not knowing the mistake I would have been making.) The half day program was just fine for him because he was such a fast learner, and having been part of daycare while I was working, he was used to scheduling and did well with the rules of the school while he was in kindergarten.

I had my heart set on my children being two years apart in school because they were 27 months apart in age. My youngest son had speech and OT issues, and I did so much early intervention with him, including tutoring, to teach him his letters and math and language skills. At first when the preschool teacher urged me to wait another year, I felt like a failure as a mother that he wasn't ready. She tried to help me understand that maturity is when they are ready, not something I haven't provided him with, and the academic skills will come with more maturity. I took him to the guidance counselor for testing, and she told me what I mentioned to you above - he was a little over in some skills and below in others. When I asked her what she would do if she were me, she said that she would keep him in preschool another year if I could afford it. So that's what I did.

David is now in 8th grade, and for the life of me, I cannot imagine what would have happened if I had made him start school a year early. We moved to Japan for the beginning of his 2nd grade year, and school was so hard - it was as if he had skipped a grade. He wouldn't have even been able to handle 2nd grade in Japan if he hadn't had a full day kindergarten. It taught so much more than half day did. I was so lucky that both of my children got the program that was good for each of them. David needed the longer day because he needed more time to learn (and yes, they provided naps and recess, which makes a big difference in getting through the day), and my oldest, Daniel, did fine with the half day. He was just on the cusp of reading at the end of the half day kindergarten program, so I took him to a month's worth of private reading instruction in the summer and by first grade he hit the ground running. My youngest, in a full day program, did not read until first grade, but he was right there along with the other kids who were not reading yet and was not behind. So first grade was successful for him. I am quite sure it wouldn't have been if he had been in a half day program.

So while you are making your decision, take these things into consideration. If you want to send your children to regular school after kindergarten, I wouldn't homeschool them. Then they will have to learn everything about how school works all by themselves - all their classmates will already know, and that could put them behind their peers.

Sorry this has been so long. Good luck in your decision.

All my best,
D.

They spend a great deal of the day in the rest rooms handwashing and tying shoes. They spend time on the playground and in centers playing and interacting. Which is what they would be doing at home. So it's not like they are bound to a desk all day. They also have rest period and lunch. Sounds like a fun day of structured activities to me.

hello,
im so glad you posted this here. My daughter is 4, she turned 4 the end of June. I signed her up for Pre-K because now they have to know so much before they can even start kindergarten i didnt want her to be behind, or the social skills worried me because she has never been out of the home. She has been in pre-k 2 weeks, everyday she cries to go. Its the hardest thing for me, i keep questioning myself if ive done the right thing. She goes full time from 730am-220pm just seems way to much for a 4 year old. She will tell me that she enjoys school after i pick her up but from the time i wake her up in the morning she cries an begs me not to make her to untill we walk in the class room she gives me a hug while crying. I dont know what to do, is this normal? I want to take her out because i feel she's not ready but people keep telling me that i will give her the wrong signal if i do this, an she'll expect it to happen next year for kindergarten and i wont be able too. i really do not know what to do. We've never been apart from either other im crying just as much as my daughter is. its very sad to me :( so im wondering the same as your post, is this too much for a small child?

My son started half-day K right as he turned 5 (on Sept 9) and occasionally fell asleep on the bus. I think sending them all day to pre K or anything like it is way too much before they start school. I thought that a half-day program for K was great.

Every child is different, every parent is different, every school is different (etc). I'll just throw out some generalizations:
>Most school kindergartens are full days, 5 days a week.
>Usually, the oldest kid of a family is more ready to go to school than subsequent siblings.
>Usually, girls are ready for school earlier than boys are.
>Usually, when their birthdate falls makes a big difference in when they should start school (leaving them as the 'oldest' or 'youngest' child in the classroom).
>Usually, you just have to go with your 'gut' instinct at the time they're supposed to start school and decide if you'd rather keep them home another year. You can always be teaching them the things that they'd be learning anyway, but then that might be redundant when they DO go the next year.

You'll know by the time she 'should' enter Kindergarten whether she's ready or not!