My eldest son has just started grade three while my youngest has just entered senior kindergarten.
It’s the first year the school offers Full-Day Kindergarten (FDK). My son is ready for it – he’s 5 ½ after all (a January baby) and ready to learn, interact with kids his own age and go to school every day.
I’m usually laid-back when it comes to things happening at my kids’ school. But the new set-up for FDK has got me all fired up.
Last year, there were full-day alternate-day kindergarten classes; classes were running Mondays and Wednesdays, and Tuesdays and Thursdays with Fridays alternated between the two groups.
In total, there were about 23 kids in each class with a total of 200 kids in all the kindergarten classes.
Now with FDK, there are four classes running every day with 30 kids in each class (the cap, I believe) with one teacher and one early childhood educator (there should be one teacher for every 13 children). At our school, each class has 20 junior kindergarten children and only 10 senior kindergarteners.
The school has a separate kindergarten school yard where the kids will have their recess and be picked up and dropped off. But because there are too many kids – that’s 120 kids – the kindergarteners have staggered lunches and recesses.
Regular school lunch begins at 12:50pm which is pretty late to begin with. But because of the staggered lunch, my son doesn’t get to each his lunch until 1:20pm. The teachers encourage the kids to eat most of their lunch at first recess because of this.
I understand that full-day kindergarten means very full classrooms and an ECE. I also understand that 30 kids are now in each classroom, although I still believe this is over-crowded. But I’m concerned that of all the 30 kids in my son’s class, only 10 are SK students.
What does this mean for my child? As younger students – some as two whole years younger – are still learning to hold a pencil and learn the alphabet, how can I know that my son will excel in his classroom and become prepared for Grade 1? How can I be ensured first grade readiness in a class that has way more JK students than SK students? Will he have the one-on-one time with the teacher on a routine basis to ensure he is not left behind?
The other day when I tweeted about my discontent with the new arrangement, I received an overwhelming response – both for and against Full-Day Kindergarten.
Sharon DeVellis (@sharondv) isn’t a fan of FDK:
“I just think that kids should be kids. They are going to be in school and the workforce for the better part of their lives. Why rush it?”
Katja Wulfers’ children (@jackstrawlane) all went to French school and didn’t have a choice with regard partial or full day kindergarten but her experience was positive.
“They enjoyed the routine of going every day, the structure of their days, the interaction with a larger number of children and adults in different scenarios (play, lunch, recess, gym, music, etc.), and came home pleased with their accomplishments. The introduction to learning techniques throughout both years enabled them to quickly grasp math and reading as early as SK and firmly by grade 1.”
Dee Brun (@cocktaildeeva) also had a positive experience:
“As a mom who has two kids come out of the old system and two kids now in the new all day system. I have to say the all-day wins hands down. My kids have learn and grown so much more through the all day. Also having the same teacher for the two year program saves so much time and really adds stability for the kids.”
But Kelly Linhares @cowandthemoonco is against FDK for her son:
“I would have no issue sending him to school a few days a week. But at not-yet-4, I am not ready to send him into the world full time. Is he ready? Perhaps. But why are we forced to make our kids grow up so fast. It’s the same reason I’m opposed to the suggested full year school with no summer break. Let them be kids!”