Considerations for Parents

For many parents whose children have already spent whole days in preschool or childcare, full-day kindergarten only makes sense. It’s less expensive, it’s easier to schedule, and children have fewer new environments to adjust to throughout the day than they would moving between home, half-day kindergarten, and childcare (Rothenberg, 1995). For other parents, though, the decision between kindergarten schedules is not so clearcut. The following questions are offered as a guide for parents considering which kindergarten program will work best for their children.

Questions Parents Should Ask Themselves

• What skills and experiences will my child gain in full-day kindergarten that he or she would not gain at home, in childcare, or in a half-day program?
• How does my child compare to other five-year-olds socially and academically? Would he or she benefit from additional in-class time to develop literacy and other skills?
• What topics and types of activities interest my child? What kind of program is most likely to draw on these interests and use them to engage my child in learning?
• What kind of feedback have I received from preschool providers or others about my child’s needs and abilities? What would they suggest about my child being enrolled in kindergarten full day?
• How much time has my child spent away from home or another familiar environment? How does he or she typically respond to other children and adults?
• Does my five-year-old still need a nap during the day? Is he or she likely to be worn out by a full day of school? How likely is he or she to adjust in a short time to the length of the school day?

Questions Parents Should Ask Teachers

• How are the school’s full-day classrooms different than the half-day or alternating full-day classrooms? What advantages or disadvantages do you see to each?
• What will a typical day look like in your class?
• How much time will students in your classroom spend at a desk, and how much time will they be engaged in hands-on, small-group, individual, and child-directed activities?
• What do you believe about the ways kindergarten-age children learn? Do you consider the full-day curriculum to be developmentally appropriate?
• How many adults will there be per child in the classroom at any one time? What roles will they play?
• What do you expect my child to know before he or she arrives in your classroom?
• What do the first-grade teachers expect children to know by the beginning of first grade?
• How many children are retained in first grade each year, and for what reasons?
• How will the school communicate with me about my child’s needs and accomplishments?
• What opportunities are there for me to get involved in my child’s class?
• Will kindergartners share the playground, the school bus, or the cafeteria with older children? If so, how will they be supervised?

Of course, throwing all these questions at a new teacher at once might be a little much, especially if this is his or her first year in a full-day classroom. You might start by contacting the teacher about your greatest concerns on the phone or via e-mail, and then continue the discussion later in person. You may also want to talk with other parents whose children have previously attended a full-day kindergarten or have been taught by that teacher.