Podcast: The Need for Full-Day Kindergarten

It is probably no surprise to hear that preschool programs are still unavailable to many children around the country, especially those whose parents cannot afford them. But what about kindergarten? Did you know that in some school districts, kindergarten is still not a full part of public education? Full-day kindergarten, especially, is a luxury in many parts of the United States, with parents having to pay tuition to enable their children to attend for the same length of time as first- and second-graders, or parents having no option to send their children to a full-day program at all. In fact, as we reported earlier this year, despite research showing the benefits of a full day, budget tightening is leading some districts to cut back to half-day programs.

In this podcast, we talk with two early education experts who have been delving into the seemingly forgotten policies of kindergarten: Kristie Kauerz, project director of PreK-3rd Education at the University of Washington and Harvard University, and Cathy Grace, director of early childhood development at the Children’s Defense Fund.  They provide a sneak peek at what they will be presenting at the annual conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children later this week. Kauerz and Grace will be conducting a session titled “Full-day kindergarten: Possibly the stepchild of the early childhood educational continuum?”  (If you’ll be in Orlando for the meeting, don’t miss it:  Room W224E/F in the Orange County Covention Center at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5.)  

Podcast: The Need for Full-Day Kindergarten

With our guests:

Kristie Kauerz, project director of PreK-3rd Education at the University of Washington and Harvard University, and

Cathy Grace, director of early childhood development at the Children’s Defense Fund.

CORRECTION 11/8: In the podcast, it was erroneously stated that all states now require school districts to offer at least half-day kindergarten. In fact, six states (Alaska, Idaho, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania) still do not require school districts to do so.