11/1/05
All-day, every-day kindergarten has significant benefits for all kinds of youngsters
by Joe Nathan
ìNo surprise at all.î Thatís how Sharon Engel, Alice Shea, Connie Hesse and Judy Henck responded, to a new national study on kindergarten. It found that all-day, every-day kindergarten has significant benefits for all kinds of youngsters ñ regardless of income. But in calling about 30 suburban and rural Minnesota school districts, I found enormous variations in what is offered.
Sharon Engel, principal of Anokaís Eisenhower Elementary is a big fan of all, day, every day kindergarten. Her school offers two different kindergarten programs, one all day, every day, the other all day, every other day. Engel reports that some 5 year olds enter school knowing 3-5000 words, while others know 500 words or less. ìIím very pleased that the board allowed us to offer the 5 day program. Some students really need it.î
Alice Shea, principal of Morris Bye in Coon Rapids, says her school has all day, every other day program for all its students. Starting this week, they will offer ìKindergarten Intervention:î a half-day program on ìoff daysî when the kindergartners normally would not be in school. Shea agrees that all day, every day programs are ìvery positiveî for most students. She believes that for some, it may be too much time in school.
Judy Henck at Odyssey charter in Brooklyn Center reports that her schoolís kindergarten is all day, every day. ìIt costs us more than we get in state reimbursement. But we think it is a very good way to help students prepare for reading. It also gives students time to carry out the projects that children this age love, like learning a bit about a career, and building a little storefront matching a job that interests them.î
Connie Hesse, principal of Caledonia Elementary in southeastern Minnesota, reports that this is the second year they have offered all day, every day kindergarten. Parent support has been ìoverwhelming, and student gains, huge.î
The new study will be published in February and was discussed on the front page of the non-partisan, well-respected Education Week, October 19. Researchers used data from a nationally representative sample of about 8,000 students.
The authors are from the University of Michigan, University of Oregon in Eugene, and Chicagoís Erikson Institute.
Key findings:
ï Students in all day, every day kindergarten make average learning gains comparable to about a month of additional schooling.
ï Students in full day kindergarten are more likely to be low income, rural or urban youngsters, who start off the fall, below average in reading and math.
ï However, by the spring, students in full and part day kindergarten score ìabout the sameî on reading and math tests.
ï Nevertheless, full day, every day programs helped all youngsters. Wealthy students learned as much as those from low income families.
There are many demands on taxes. Seems like all day, every day kindergarten, at least as an option, should be a very high priority for school boards and the legislature.
Joe Nathan, a former public school teacher, now directs the Center for School Change, Humphrey Institute, University of Minnesota.
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