Full-Day Kindergarten in Ontario Schools

Three Canadian provinces introduced full-day kindergarten programs in their schools this fall. Of the three Ontario has perhaps received the most attention for its program, which is aimed at children four and five years old, and which also integrates optional extended daycare hours before and after school. The full-day kindergarten is offered in some 600 Ontario schools, as an option beside traditional half-day programs.

Benefits of full-day kindergarten
Two commonly mentioned advantages of a full-day kindergarten are the greater convenience for both parents and teachers, and a stronger foundation for elementary learning.

For parents who are away at work or school during the day, a full-day kindergarten is ideal. Having access to affordable daycare before or after school is also a bonus. Several of my own children attended all-day kindergarten in Quebec, and even those parents who were at home during the day appreciated the longer school day. In our kids' school, it allowed kindergarten students to participate in the bilingual English-French curriculum the school offered.

Do kids in full-day kindergarten have greater academic success? In "A Review and Critique of Research on Full-Day Kindergarten," Vincent Puleo says, "Much of the research on this subject suffers from serious problems in internal and external validity." Some studies show no difference at all between half-day and full-day programs, whereas others show that students who attend full-day kindergarten start first grade at an advantage. Longitudinal studies have measured increased academic success that lasts several years in some cases. It turns out the amount of time spent in kindergarten may be less important than other factors - such as class size, socioeconomic status of students, and what type of activities are carried out during the additional hours at school.

Double-dose of learning?
Children who attend full-day kindergarten classes spend roughly twice as much time at school as those in half-day classes, but generally only see 30 percent more teaching time compared to kids in half-day kindergarten classes. All-day kindergarten is not a double-dose of learning time.

Parents considering an all-day program should ask the kindergarten teacher how the extra time will be spent. Teachers who have a full day with their kindergarten students say they are less rushed when it comes to delivering the curriculum. They are also free to lead students in deeper exploration of the subject matter, and they have time to allow for small group or individual activities at learning stations placed around the classroom. Finally, there may be time devoted to student-initiated activities in addition to those led by the teacher.

Ontario's full-day kindergarten
It is often said that a young child's job is to play. Accordingly, Ontario has opted for a play-based learning approach that is preferred for younger students. All-day kindergarten classes will be taught by teams consisting of a teacher and an early childhood educator. The average class size is expected to be 26 students. A ratio of 13 children to 1 adult means more individual attention for each child. (Under the half-day program, a single kindergarten teacher in Ontario could have 20 or even 23 students per class.)

The full-day kindergarten option is available to Ontario parents at no charge. Extended daycare before or after school involves a modest fee. More detailed information on kindergarten in Ontario is available in curriculum documents published by the ministry of education. You can consult these documents on the Ontario curriculum web page.

Sources:
"Full-day kindergarten." Ontario Ministry of Education

Valerie E. Lee et al, "Full-day vs. half-day kindergarten: In which program do children learn more? American Journal of Education

Vincent Puleo, "A review and critique of research on full-day kindergarten." The Elementary School Journal