anyone doing half-day K?

[chel]

We're moving and just found out the new district does half-day K. I'm not sure how I feel about it. While dd would have been stretched to her limit in the afternoon doing full-day, I'm afraid she won't learn "enough" in half-day (3 hours). Currently she's in a mother's morning out program for 4.5hrs twice a week.
Any BTDT?

[mmace]

Our school district is still half-day, and my boy is doing great with it. He went from a 3 hour/3 day a week preschool to half-day kindergarten and it has been a smooth transition. They cover *tons* of things in those three hours of school, and he is learning sooooo much. Our school actually has extended day classes for "at-risk" kids (I hate that phrase, but I don't know how else to say it!), and when you factor in lunch, afternoon recesses, etc. I don't think they are actually learning more than the half-day kids. They are covering the same exact things, the full-day kids are just spending more time on certain things.

[Irishmommy]

My 4yo is in half days, and it's plenty for her as she still needs naps sometimes.

[mamaduck]

My youngest will be in kindergarten in the fall, and I personally would not send him to a full-day program. I think it would exhaust him, and I would miss him too much. He is learning tons because he is a kid and his life is full of rich experiences -- at school and at home. I'm not especially concerned about him learning "enough" in school at such a young age. I'm more interested in the quality of the experience and his relationships with teachers and peers.

[brookely ash]

My son is in a half day program and it is just great for us. And for all the reasons mamaduck lists. There is so much time to learn all that school stuff that this year is really about learning "school" and what it means to be there.

[KermitMissesJim]

I went to all-day kindergarten and loved it, but it's not an option for ds.

[thoesly]

Kindergarten is half day here, but the schools offer a kindergarten enrichment program that parents can pay for. At some schools, this is just chaotic daycare, but at my son's school, it is a fabulous program run but two people who have been doing it for a decade. Which is very good, since half days would not have been best for my son. Just something to check into if you're interested -- here, it's not advertised, but it's so popular that at some schools, not everyone gets in who wants in.

[Kari_mom]

I have had two kids go through half-day kindergarten, and I think they learn plenty. Our school schedules 2 hours and 45 minutes. It isn't a lot of time, but they spend most of it learning. All day kindergarten uses up a lot of time for breaks, lunch, recess...and lining up to go to lunch, recess, you see my point. As a point of comparison, the kids at our school in half-day test higher on proficiency tests than the all-day kids do. I'm not trying to put all-day down, just saying that longer isn't necessarily better.

Personally, I find afternoon kindergarten to be a PITA. It really chops your day up, you're up against the start time in the am then you have to be home for dismissal. My kids ride the bus, whether you are am or pm depends on the bus route.

But I don't have a problem with it being only half a day, for the reasons I cited plus the others given here.

[EFmom]

We have half day, and I hate it. It's one of the few real complaints I have about our district.

In winter, by the time the kids get their boots and winter clothing off and settle down a bit, it's almost time to reverse the process to go home. My kids were entirely ready for full day K, and half day was a step backward for them.

Our district is quite academic (but cheap). To make up for the half day, it seemed to me that there was an awful lot of homework. My older dd had more homework in K than she has in 2nd grade.

[minmoto2]

Originally Posted by mamaduck

......He is learning tons because he is a kid and his life is full of rich experiences -- at school and at home. I'm not especially concerned about him learning "enough" in school at such a young age. I'm more interested in the quality of the experience and his relationships with teachers and peers.

I couldn't agree more....my lil dd started kindy last fall 1/2 day a.m. class.....She loves kindy , the 'idea' of school, and all of her lil friends, but I could not imagine, nor would I put her in a full day program. She is constantly learning even when she is not in school, just as she learned how to walk & talk & put together her 1st puzzle...cuz she wanted to learn. I want her to have the most positive school experience she can & be able to carry that throughout her academic life, and for us that means not pushing too much too soon.

[yogamama]

My son is currently in afternoon kindergarten (2 hours and 45 minutes a day - a bit too short actually), but overall it is good for us. We get to do activities in the mornings: errands, music class, religious ed, LLL meetings, a tot class with our toddler... then we eat lunch, dd goes to school and toddler naps.

I agree that half day kindergarten students get ALOT of homework - I think they need to send home alot of "practice". Some days we can get it done in 5 minutes, but other days it can take forever if my boy is poky about writing out numbers or writing his name.

I like having this time together and I wasn't ready for my son to go to school full days.

What I HATE about our current schedule is that if we don't get out in the morning I am stuck in the house all day. When ds gets home from school he needs a snack, then we do homework and then he gets to watch one tv show while I make dinner. by 4:30 I am NOT a happy mama if I have been in the house all day!

Kathleen

[Alkenny]

I think it depends on the child. We lived in a different SD when my oldest was in K and she went full days, every other day. I wish it had been EVERY day, as she needed that.

We moved here and DS was in half day K. It was just perfect for him, though looking back I wish I'd have had him in the morning session instead of afternoons (he functions better in the morn).

You might want to keep that in mind.

[VBMermaidGirls]

We just went to the kindergarten info meeting yesterday and this question was brought up. The (private) school where our daughter will go is 1/2 day. The teacher said that the amount of learning time is the same in most programs, whether 1/2 day or full day. Full day K has to take time out for lunch, then will have rest time/quiet time then play time. Some public schools here are 1/2 day and some are full day. Personally I love the idea of 1/2 for my daughter, I can't imagine sending her for a full day!