Starting this fall, Harvard parents will have a new option for schooling their kindergartners—full-day kindergarten. Thanks in part to a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Education, parents who feel that their children would benefit from a full day will now have that choice. Administrators at the elementary school applied for the grant last year, but were not notified until the end of January that they would receive it. This one-time grant allows the school to implement the program outside the school budget, because the grant will fund all the costs associated with moving classrooms from half-day to full-day programs. Ongoing costs, such as teachers, aides, materials, and other expenses, will be funded by tuition.
The new program reflects continuing staff efforts to “put forth programs that work for the kids and the families of the town,” said Mary Beth Banios, principal of the elementary school. It also comes at a time when the state is pushing to implement full-day programs for all kindergartners. Governor Deval Patrick announced that one of his goals is to provide free full-day programs for all 5-year-olds in the state. Currently, half of all Massachusetts kindergartners have access to this option, including many surrounding towns, such as Bolton, Acton, and Shrewsbury, while other communities such as Boxborough are introducing the program next year.
Banios said that both half-day and full-day programs must meet state-level standards and that the learning outcomes for both will be the same. The extra time in the full-day program will include lunch, nap time, and a second outdoor playtime and snack, and will allow more time to explore topics in depth. Teachers will also have the chance to teach at a more leisurely pace, reducing the ratio of transition time to learning time, Banios said.
National studies conducted by John Cryan, Doris Fromberg, and others show that children benefit from full-day programs socially and academically. Some studies have found a wide range of effects, including more independent learning, more positive social behaviors, and a better school performance later. However, some observers of the trend emphasize that the length of the kindergarten day is not as important as making sure that the individual child is provided with a program that is developmentally appropriate.
It is an important point that Mary Beth Banios also stresses. “It is great to offer [the full-day kindergarten] as part of a menu of programs that parents can choose from. For some kids, the full-day program is a good match. Some kids will benefit from the slower pace, more social opportunities, and greater exposure to enrichment activities. For other kids, for example, those who may require more unstructured playtime or for whom the five-day all-day schedule would be too much, the half-day program is better,” she said.
The full-day option has proven to be a popular one. Currently, the elementary school is expecting 68 to 72 kindergartners in the fall. Of the 55 already registered, 32 have requested the full-day program and the remaining 23 are opting for the half-day option, filling two full-day classes and two half-day classes, one morning session and one afternoon session.
Originally, a lottery was scheduled for March 2 to select children for the full-day program, but there was enough space for families who applied by the deadline, Banios said. There is now a waiting list, which will be prioritized first-come, first-served.
