Full Day Kindergarten
Academic Achievement 1. Children who attend full-day kindergarten learn more in reading and math over the kindergarten year than those in half-day programs. (Lee, Burkam, Honigman, Meisels, 2002) This is after adjusting for learning differences associated with race/ethnicity, poverty status, fall achievement level, sex, class size, relative amount of time for subject area instruction, and the presence of an instructional aide.
(ECLS study)
2. Children in full-day kindergarten have higher achievement test scores in all areas tested except handwriting. All other areas children attending full day programming have significantly higher total test scores (including readiness tests) at the end of kindergarten, reading tests in grades one, two, and three, and a battery of standardized tests in grades three, five, and seven. (Evansville-Vanderburgh
School Corporation, studies 1978 through 1983)
3. Children who attend full-day kindergarten have higher report card academic marks in both the primary and middle school years. (Evansville-Vanderburgh studies, 1978-1983)
4. Full-day kindergarten students have more time and opportunity to play with language, explore subjects in depth, have a more flexible, individualized learning environment, and have more individual and small-group interactions with the teacher and less time in large group instruction than is possible in most half-day classrooms. (Martinez and Snider, 2001; Elicker and Mathur, 1997; Hough and Bryde, 1996)
5. Full-day kindergarteners exhibit more independent learning, classroom involvement, productivity in work with peers and reflectiveness than half-day kindergarteners. (Cryan, Sheehan, Wiechel, Bandy-
Hedden, 1992)
6. Full-day kindergarteners are more than twice as likely as half-day kindergarteners to reach grade levels without repeating a grade. Researchers calculated a savings of $2 million for every 1000 kindergarteners in improved retention rates. (Viadero, 2002)
7. Full-day
(ECLS study)
2. Children in full-day kindergarten have higher achievement test scores in all areas tested except handwriting. All other areas children attending full day programming have significantly higher total test scores (including readiness tests) at the end of kindergarten, reading tests in grades one, two, and three, and a battery of standardized tests in grades three, five, and seven. (Evansville-Vanderburgh
School Corporation, studies 1978 through 1983)
3. Children who attend full-day kindergarten have higher report card academic marks in both the primary and middle school years. (Evansville-Vanderburgh studies, 1978-1983)
4. Full-day kindergarten students have more time and opportunity to play with language, explore subjects in depth, have a more flexible, individualized learning environment, and have more individual and small-group interactions with the teacher and less time in large group instruction than is possible in most half-day classrooms. (Martinez and Snider, 2001; Elicker and Mathur, 1997; Hough and Bryde, 1996)
5. Full-day kindergarteners exhibit more independent learning, classroom involvement, productivity in work with peers and reflectiveness than half-day kindergarteners. (Cryan, Sheehan, Wiechel, Bandy-
Hedden, 1992)
6. Full-day kindergarteners are more than twice as likely as half-day kindergarteners to reach grade levels without repeating a grade. Researchers calculated a savings of $2 million for every 1000 kindergarteners in improved retention rates. (Viadero, 2002)
7. Full-day