In Context: Issues Surrounding Full-Day Kindergarten

In communities considering full-day kindergarten, three main issues commonly surface: content, school readiness, and cost.

Content

Perhaps the most important question asked when considering whether to offer full-day kindergarten is, what will the extra hours be used for? It is not uncommon to hear that full-day kindergarten will only be used for additional playtime or as a state-funded alternative to childcare (NASBE, 1999). Others voice concern that first-grade curriculum will be inappropriately pushed down to kindergarten-age children, or that kindergarten will become "too academic" (Cromley, 1996; Elicker & Mathur, 1997; Pappano, 2001).

At the center of these concerns are disagreements about kindergarten goals and appropriate practice (Vecchiotti, 2001). What is kindergarten for? How do children learn at this age, and what learning conditions are optimal? What can reasonably be expected of children preparing to enter first grade? While some advocates of full-day kindergarten urge schools to use the extra hours to increase the "academic rigor" of kindergarten (Weast, 2001), others suggest that the time is best spent on more student-directed activities, more field trips and "hands-on" learning experiences, and a less hurried exploration of the same content offered in quality half-day programs (Fromberg, 1995; Lofthouse, 1994; Miller, 2002).

Clearly, the content question is not a small one. Districts considering implementing a full-day kindergarten will need to spend considerable time assessing the curricular needs of their kindergarten population, investigating developmentally appropriate kindergarten practices, mapping out program goals and philosophies, and reassuring skeptics that activities designed for older students will not simply be foisted upon five-year-old children (da Costa and Bell, 2000; Miller, 2002). For a summary of effective kindergarten practices, see Page 14.

School Readiness

A related area of concern often raised has to do with school readiness. The most pressing issue cited is the growing gap between the skills children bring to school and the skills that schools expect (Lonigan & Whitehurst, 1998). Increasing numbers of children are entering half-day kindergarten programs with limited language, literacy, and general knowledge skills as well as a lower level of emotional maturity, motivation, and social confidence than is needed to be successful in school (Lonigan & Whitehurst, 1998; Pianta, 2002; West et al., 2000). According to a survey of kindergarten teachers conducted by the National Center for Early Development and Learning (NCEDL), almost half expressed serious concerns about the children entering their classrooms each fall. The most frequently cited problem was children’s inability to follow directions (46%), followed by low pre-academic skills (36%), inability to work independently (34%), inability to work in a group (30%), and inability to communicate effectively (14%)" (Pianta, 2002, p. 6).

Lack of school readiness skills has been strongly linked to family income in several recent studies (Lonigan & Whitehurst, 1998; Pianta, 2002). In general, lower-income children have fewer books, early learning experiences, and other resources that support emergent literacy than do upper-income children (American Federation of Teachers, 2002; Lonigan & Whitehurst, 1998). Children from low-income families who are also English language learners are at even greater risk.

For these less-prepared students, many teachers argue, half-day kindergarten simply does not provide enough time to meet kindergarten outcomes and prepare for first grade (Porch, 2002). Full-day kindergarten is viewed as a way not only to help level the playing field for children with limited skills, but to reduce the chances of their being retained—a practice strongly opposed by early childhood experts (National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education [NAECS/SDE], 2000).

Questions about school readiness have led many districts to offer both full- and half-day kindergarten. Some schools limit enrollment in full-day programs to lower-income students or students who are learning English as a second language. Other programs, recognizing that kindergarten-age children have diverse needs and abilities, open their doors to all students, but let parents choose between enrolling their children in a half- or full-day classroom.

Cost

A final area of concern is cost. As one Northwest teacher put it, "All the talk about the benefits of full-day kindergarten falls on deaf ears around here. Our district simply can’t—or won’t—afford it." To be sure, implementing full-day kindergarten is an expensive proposal in most districts. Staffing and classroom needs double, as does the cost of supplies. Computers, books, and other teaching materials previously used for two groups of students in a half-day program may not be easily shared between two full-day classrooms. There may also be the cost of adopting a new curriculum to consider, as well as the cost of training teachers, principals, and other school staff members to implement it (Fromberg, 1995).

Proponents of full-day programs point out that there are ways to save money by switching to full-day kindergarten. Mid-day bus service is no longer needed if all grades begin and end school at the same time, for example (Fromberg, 1995). Others note that the lower grade-retention rates resulting from full-day kindergarten save districts money over the long term. Weiss and Offenberg’s (2002) study of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s, kindergarten program found that "the lower retention rates for graduates of Philadelphia’s full-day classes shave close to 19 percent off of the cost of providing them, which in 1999 came to about $2 million for every 1,000 kindergartners" (Viadero, 2002). For districts competing for enrollment with private schools, full-day kindergarten may also be seen as a worthwhile investment in terms of recruiting students into the public school system (Cromley, 1996).

Schools currently offering full-day kindergarten deal with funding issues in a number of different ways. Many schools that serve low-income and language minority students use Title I money to support their programs (Nelson, 2000). Other schools rely on private or state grant funding, and still others charge parents partial tuition to offset the cost of the extra hours added to the kindergarten day (Lofthouse, 1994; Long, 1997).