Full-Day Kindergarten: The Families Perspective
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate why parents choose full-day kindergarten programs over half-day kindergarten programs. Five parents of full-day kindergartners elected to participate in this study. Interviews were conducted with each of the five parents in either their home or a local establishment in the spring of 2006. Interviews with their children were also conducted during the child's school day. Parents stated two major factors in deciding which kindergarten program to enroll their child in: daycare and academics. Parents felt that having their child in one location all day, would be a better alternative than bussing them to daycare for the other half of the day. While daycare was a concern for the parents, they also cited concerns about giving their child an extra advantage going into first grade. The parents concluded that building the child's self-confidence early in education would help foster life long learning.