|
|
Is All Day Kindergarten Necessary?
Home » Early Learning » All Day Kindergarten » Is All Day Kindergarten Necessary?Posted by Your Guide on March 1, 2006 8:25 PM
There is no one correct answer to the question of all day kindergarten is necessary for all children, but the answer for some kindergarteners, the answer is an emphatic, “Yes!” Many children today have increased learning opportunities through educational opportunities in preschool programs, Head Start programs, educational television programs, computer learning games, and educational day care settings.
However, many children have no access whatsoever to these learning opportunities and find themselves at a disadvantage when they enter kindergarten with their same-age peers who have had exposure to learning programs during their preschool years. For these children, one of the two forms of all day kindergarten can significantly level the playing field.
One form of all day kindergarten allows a half-day program to be presented to the children both in the morning, and again in the afternoon with a lunch break in the middle. Repeating the coursework from the morning gives children the repetition necessary to successfully master the course expectations.
The other form of all day kindergarten employs an all day curriculum that is structured so that children are allowed the time necessary for independent learning as well as the traditional group learning assignments. When the all day curriculum is designed to be age and ability appropriate for kindergarteners, the all day program has proven itself to have lasting effects on academic ability, social skills, and behavioral attitudes of students.
One other argument in favor of all day kindergarten programs is founded in the belief that all preparation for the elementary grades, including preschool, day care, home learning, television and computer learning programs, all advance the beginning abilities of students, thus giving them a head start toward learning in both the elementary and later grades. As nations begin to compete in a global economy, it is becoming evident that students will be competing in a global scholastic atmosphere. For them to be competitive at the collegiate level, they must begin as early as possible.
Many educators and parents do not agree with this way of thinking on the surface, but many are driven to compare their students with those of other families and geographic locations, thus prompting them to believe that an earlier structured beginning will give their student(s) a leg up in the academic world.
Related Articles
- The Trend Toward All Day Kindergarten
- Is All Day Kindergarten Necessary?
- The Benefits of All Day Kindergarten
- Is there a Down Side to All Day Kindergarten?
- All Day Kindergarten as a Means to "Catch Up" Underprivileged Kids