How long should kindergarteners be in class? More Sacramento-area schools shift to full day

Farrah Wood’s two children had very different kindergarten experiences in Folsom Cordova Unified School District based simply on how much time they spent in class. Her older daughter had a full-day program, while her younger daughter is in a half-day program.

Wood says the difference is noticeable.

“We can definitely see how far behind she is compared to how our full-day kindergartener was,” Wood said.

Their experiences reflect the inconsistent schedules Sacramento-area school districts offer for kindergarten. Some campuses have full-day programs, while others offer classes for just a few hours a day.

On the whole, local schools are moving toward full-day schedules in an effort to ensure that students are ready for elementary school. The trend is unfolding across the region with more all-day classes offered in Sacramento, Folsom and San Juan Unified. About 80% of school districts offer full school day kindergarten classes.

State lawmakers also are trying to extend the school day for California’s youngest students. Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, is advancing a bill that would allow kindergarten schedules to mirror the ones used for older students with additional instructional minutes, more learning and more play

“So many working families have a tough time focusing on part day,” McCarty said. “Some of these programs are 11:00 to 2:00. What if you have a job? Having a full school day really helps with childcare challenges.”

The calls for more class time come as parents voice worries about learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those families want their kids time in front of teachers to catch up for the days they spent at home instead of preschool.

“It makes a full day of kindergarten all the more important because we have some work to do,” said Deborah Stipek, emeritus professor of education at Stanford University and former dean of the College of Education “COVID may have created a situation where full day may be a bit of a change for them. Parents need to work with the teacher and parents need to ease that child in.”

But not all parents are happy with the changes, suggesting the worries that helped sink two previous efforts in the Capitol to mandate all-day kindergarten could resurface.

Nicole McCarthy of Folsom sent her daughter to a private school that provided a full day of kindergarten. It took her daughter months to adjust to the longer day, McCarthy said. Her daughter seemed stressed by the amount of work requested of her.

“She was so tired,” she said. “It helped me as a working parent and she learned so much, but looking back I’m not sure if it was best for her.”

Kindergarten options in Sacramento area

About a quarter of the states in the U.S. require full-day kindergarten programs. California is not one of them.

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill in 2019 that would have instituted full-day classes for kindergarteners citing budget constraints. Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill in 2014.

Nonetheless, the changes to a full-day of classes are gradually appearing in classrooms across the region. Programs vary from class to class. Half-day programs are usually two or three hours, while full-day kindergarten usually lasts anywhere from four to seven hours.

Folsom Cordova Unified was one of the most recent school districts to approve full-day kindergarten classes, phasing the program in across its elementary schools. All of its schools are expected to offer full-day kindergarten by the 2023-24 academic year.

Natomas Unified offers full-day kindergarten at all of its elementary schools from 7:45 a.m. to 1:40 p.m.

Some school districts, like San Juan Unified, offer after-school care options, and are working to expand these programs to additional campuses.

In the upcoming school year, 12 of San Juan Unified’s 41 elementary schools will offer full-day kindergarten, and 10 schools will offer an extended half-day program of four hours. The remaining 19 schools will offer a half-day of three hours and 20 minutes.

Sacramento City Unified offers extended-day kindergarten at 16 of its sites. It has plans to add more time, but must negotiate with its employee unions.

‘You can play in an academic way’

Kindergarten helps children learn and more importantly develop social skills and self-regulation, experts say. Walk into any kindergarten classroom, and one will find teachers encouraging children to “use their words” and navigate tasks like following directions and sharing classroom items.

Some of the classwork is playful, giving students an introduction to a lifetime of learning.

“You can play in an academic way,” she said. “There is an academic way to teach a child math skills but make it playful. Chutes and Ladders is a great academic tool.”

Kindergarten helps foster “thinking, problem solving, developing social and physical skills, and instilling basic academic skills,” according to the National Education Association.

And for parents, full-day kindergarten allows less disruption in their day. They don’t need to shuffle children to after-school care if they need additional supervision.

But some parents say the day is simply too long. Paula Schneider McDonald of Rancho Cordova has had her son in childcare since he was 14 months but old. She said he was “traumatized” by the expectations of kindergarten.

“Full day would be fine if the curriculum was adjusted to allow more play and natural learning, but the current structure is bad for many kids,” McDonald said, adding that there is too much emphasis on meeting certain goals and with lengthy report cards

“It’s horrible and sets them up for failure, not success,” she said.

This story was originally published May 5, 2022 at 5:25 AM.