Teaching Research Spotlight

Full-Day Kindergarten

NEA Teacher Quality and Research Departments are providing this online venue highlighting professional research on best practices in educational issues.

What is full-day kindergarten?
The term "full-day kindergarten" refers to a kindergarten program in which a child attends school every weekday for at least six hours per day. Some research shows that many children benefit academically from participation in full-day kindergarten and are more likely to be ready for first grade than children in half-day kindergarten programs (Clark, 2005). Full-day kindergarten programs are especially beneficial to children from low-income and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds (Pennsylvania Partnership for Children, 2006).

Who wants it?
The demand for full-day kindergarten has increased over the past few years for several reasons: the increase in single-parent families, the increase in the number of families with both parents working, and the fact that most children have experience with full-day preschool or child care programs. Researchers have found that parents favor a full-day program that gives children and teachers the opportunity to focus on a topic for an extended period of time (Hildebrand, 2005).

Who doesn't want it?
Opponents to implementing full-day kindergarten have expressed some concerns. Some worry about subjecting young children to an overly demanding curriculum. Others worry that by being in school for more hours, children will lose important time for play and exploration. Opponents also contend that full-day kindergarten efforts compete for funds with other initiatives, such as preschool and daycare.

What's good about full-day kindergarten?
Teachers and parents note that children who participate in full-day kindergarten have more time to discover a relaxed pace, more opportunities to choose activities and develop their own interests, and more time for creative activities. The longer school day allows children and teachers time to explore topics in depth and it helps teachers provide an environment that supports a child-centered, developmentally appropriate approach. Moreover, teachers and school staff have opportunities to recognize a child’s learning style, assess progress, and identify problems or behavioral issues. This allows more timely intervention and the potential to reduce costs associated with remedial education and special education costs in later school years (Clark, 2005).

References

Clark, P. (2005). Recent research on all-day kindergarten. ERIC Digest. Champaign, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.

Pennsylvania Partnership for Children. (2000).  Learning To Learn: Full-Day Kindergarten for At-Risk Kids. (Revised October 2006, but not available online). Harrisburg, PA: Author.

Hildebrand, C. (2005). Effects of all-day and half-day kindergarten programming on reading, writing, math, and classroom social behaviors. National FORUM of Applied Educational Research Journal, Volume 13E, No.3. Lake Charles, LA: The College of Education and Human Development, University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Related Articles and Research

» Full-Day Kindergarten: An Advocacy Guide (2006) ( PDF, 958 KB, 52 pp) -- This advocacy guide offers research, policy recommendations, sample legislation, talking points, and lessons from other states that have successfully enacted full-day kindergarten.

» Full-Day Kindergarten: Powerpoint Presentation (2006) ( Powerpoint, 929KB, 25 slides) -- This presentation walks through key research about the benefits of full-day kindergarten.  It also outlines the strategies and policy recommendations included in the advocacy guide.

» NEA on Prekindergarten and Kindergarten (2004) (  PDF, 748 KB, 16 pp) -- NEA policy roadmap for early childhood education: Full-day kindergarten, universal preschool, well-trained teachers and teaching assistants. These are National Education Association (NEA) policy recommendations on educating the nation's youngest students.

»  In Context: Issues Surrounding Full-day Kindergarten (2002) -- In communities considering full-day kindergarten, three main issues commonly surface: content, school readiness, and cost. From NWREL.

» Full-day Kindergarten Programs Improve Chances of Academic Success (2004) This research finds that poor and minority students especially can benefit from participation in full-day programs. From Education Commission of the States.

»  Full-day and Half-day Kindergarten in the United States: Findings from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (2004) -- This report describes the national trend toward full-day kindergarten. It provides background on schools that offer full-day and half-day kindergarten programs, the children who attend them, and their educational progress. It finds a positive association between full-day kindergarten and achievement in reading and math. From National Center for Education Statistics.

» Full-Day Kindergarten: A Study of State Policies in the United States (2005) -- This report provides a state policy overview of full-day kindergarten in the United States. It identifies four key areas where states need to strengthen their full-day kindergarten policies. From Education Commission of the States. 

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