Kindergarten

For those of you who have to pay for full day kindergarten, did you do half-day or full-day?

Mornings or afternoons? What is a better schedule with younger kids at home?

What was the full day monthly rate?

Thanks in advance!

 

For us, half-day is free. If we want to pay for full-day it's $275 per month, for 9 months, and for me, times 2 kids. We are sticking to half-day.

We don't really get to pick morning or afternoon. If you have a special circumstance, they will take that into account. I think the better scheduele depends on when you have naptime for the little ones.

Marissa

 

Our only option is half day. The school determines AM or PM depending on where you live in the district. The only kids that get full day here are special needs kids who need more than they can get in the 2 1/2 hours of 1/2 day K.

 

Jackson had half-day (only a few schools offered it then, and I chose it -- p.m. only). Four years later, when Hayden and Brady started K, the district offered only full-day (free). I didn't see any big difference in what they learned and how they advanced.

When Jackson was in K, H&B were still infants and napping after lunch. Because of that, a.m. kindergarten would have been much more convenient. I had to adjust their naptime to work with Jackson's pick-up time, but we managed OK.

 

Wow! I've never heard of paying for Kindergarten. Is it private school? If it's the same price, I'd go for full day. I have taught both half and full day and I know my kids got a lot more reading practice during full day. Once we stopped doing naptime after Christmas break, the kids had a lot more time to work on projects and do reading groups. I hope that helps!

 

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Wow! I've never heard of paying for Kindergarten. Is it private school? If it's the same price, I'd go for full day. I have taught both half and full day and I know my kids got a lot more reading practice during full day. Once we stopped doing naptime after Christmas break, the kids had a lot more time to work on projects and do reading groups. I hope that helps!


It depends on the state. I know schools aren't allowed to do it here in NJ, but it seems to be the norm up in MA.

 

Here it varies by district, but it is public school. The state of Kansas only pays the school for a 1/2 day for kindergarten students. Quite a few of the districts, like Wichita, get extra money for having an "At Risk" population (transient, English as second language, poverty, etc). Most of the districts use that extra money to fund full-day kindergarten. Our district is a very middle-class/upper middle-class district and doesn't receive that extra money. So the fee is making up the difference of what the school would get if the state paid for full-day. It's cheaper than most daycare and preschools, but since I'm a sahm, it's quite a chunk of change for us.

Marissa

 

Our public school system offers half day free, full day tuition based. The cost is $2,500 per child per school year.

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I didn't see any big difference in what they learned and how they advanced.
I don't think the material is the difference, just a slower pace, more time for reinforcing what is learned and time for a few more extras so to speak.

We did full day.

 

My kids did full day Kinder. half day is free and you have to pay for full day but because my kids were going to a spanish immersion school, full day was all they offered. My kids did take a week or so to adjust to the longer day but did great. I'd recommend full day if you can.

 

We use the public schools, which offer free 1/2 day K. For next year, we will be paying $3771 per girl (yes, public school) for 9 months of all-day K.

The all-day K cost is partially offset by savings on morning childcare. Dh and I both work, but dh is self-employed and can stay home until the kids are on the bus. All-day K also means that my to-be 6th grader and the to-be K twins will be on the same schedule and on the same bus.

For us, our decision was based on convenience of all kids being on the same schedule, dh not having to drive the twins to morning childcare and the extra hours of education.

 

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I don't think the material is the difference, just a slower pace, more time for reinforcing what is learned and time for a few more extras so to speak.


Yes, that's true. I just know that bottom line results for my kids after kindergarten were very comparable, as far as reading levels and mastery of other skills, regardless of whether they went to half-day or full-day. They were all well-prepared for 1st grade. I actually preferred half-day and would have chosen it again for Hayden and Brady had it still been offered. It's a nicer transition from part-time preschool, IMO.

 

wow, thats so shocking!!! I live in Wisconsin and my son went to 4k for four hours during the day for free last year. Now that hes in Kindergarten its full day for free, they don't even offer half day Kindergarten out here anywhere! We never have to pay for education and his school is rated 2nd best in Wisconsin. Hes already reading at an above first grade level. If you can do full day, I would go with that, I think thats more benefical for your little ones.

 

I will give my opinion as an educator here:

Academically, there is no difference between full day and half day K. Research simply hasn't shown any significant difference to one over the other. The biggest difference is time. In full day K, the teacher has time to review with children who may be struggling a bit. Overall, full day K, means more "specials" are available, the kids get recess and center time everyday. Whereas in 1/2 day K, they don't have time for as much of the unstructured time. As one K teacher said to a group of parents here (this was said at a Kindergarten readiness meeting at Marcus' preshcool), if your child is in 1/2 day K, it is your responsibility as a parent to keep them engaged and active, and you shouldn't have them come home from school, sit on the couch and watch tv.

That said, I love full day K because of all the "extras" that are available. But, keep in mind, just because a program is full day K, doesn't mean that it is better than a 1/2 day K program. My mom knows someone who spent a lot of money to send their child to an all day K program, figuring that it was better because it was full day. Only to find out when the child went to the public 1st grade she was behind all the kids in the district that had attended the 1/2 day program.

My boys were in 1/2 day K, because that is what is offered here. When they went in, one was reading over 1st grade level and his math was off the charts. The other one didn't read at all, and knew very little math. Now, near the end of 1st, the one who wasn't reading has caught up to his brother, and they are both flying through math. My point is, they weren't "harmed" by not attending all day K.

 

My mom's an elementary school principal, and has been an educator for over 30 years. She's managed daycares, preschools, has been an elementary teacher, and now the last 15 years as a principal.

I asked her opinion on this and she said it comes down to what you're able and willing to do with your children in the hours they're not at school. If you're a SAHM who will take your kids on "field trips" in the afternoons, talk about nature with them, run around outside with them and be generally engaged (etc, etc, etc), they're probably better off in a 1/2 day kindergarten program. They'll have the advantages of a school setting but will also have the continuity of time spent with mom and the learning opportunities that present themselves outside of school. If the option is the extra 1/2 day of kindergarten versus daycare, then choose the full day kindergarten because the focus will be more on learning and preparing for the future.

 

Thanks for all the helpful advice!!! Unfortunately we can't afford full-day kindergarten, it cost $300/month in our state and since I'm a SAHM, it's just not really feasible for our budget.

I'm glad to hear that academically it is the same. I'm going to continue teaching at home along with various other outdoor learning experiences they can absorb. And schedule play dates in the afternoons.

I've been contemplating morning or afternoon and I think I will go for morning if I can get it. I've heard morning kindergartners have better retention and scores compared to the afternoon kindergartners. I don't know how much of that is accurate but it kind of makes sense. I can see how children will become more tired later in the day. Does anyone have any insight to that?

 

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I've been contemplating morning or afternoon and I think I will go for morning if I can get it. I've heard morning kindergartners have better retention and scores compared to the afternoon kindergartners. I don't know how much of that is accurate but it kind of makes sense. I can see how children will become more tired later in the day. Does anyone have any insight to that?


I wonder if that difference is seen more in places that have a choice. We definately don't see a difference in our schools--in fact, every 3-4 years they swap who gets AM and who gets PM. In my SIL's district the kids actually go 1/2 the year AM, then switch mid year to PM and vice-versa.

I think in districts where there is a choice, you may see some difference, although I don't know that it is significant. When I student taught, the district gave parents the option, and the AM kids always seemed to be doing better/quicker than the PM kids. BUT, when they looked at the families, it looked to be more of an environmental difference. In that the kids who went in the AM had parents who read to them and had more activities for them. The kids who went in the PM tended to have parents who worked 3rd shift, and left them unstimulated until they went to school.

I have one friend who prefers PM preshcool and K, because she feels that it is easier to keep her son occupied in the morning, and he does better at school in the PM. My point is, if you do all the things you are planning on, AM or PM won't make a difference.

 

Thanks Sharon. I'm going to do mornings and still do play dates in the afternoon. I'm super excited!