The for kids

Full-day kindergarten is great for kids, so why isn’t it required?

NASHUA, N.H. — “Fact or opinion?” teacher Patricia Lemoine asked her kindergartners on a blustery April morning: “Ms. Lemoine has a rug in her classroom.”

“Fact!” shouted her 5- and 6-year-old students, who sat on the rug in question. Whether or not it’s the best rug in the whole school, they ceded, was a matter of opinion.

Lemoine, who teaches at Dr. Norman W. Crisp Elementary School in the small city of Nashua, New Hampshire, nodded. A fact, she told her students, is “true, true, true, and we can prove it.”

It’s also a fact — true, true, true, and we can prove it — that full-day kindergarten classes like Lemoine’s help kids do better in early elementary school, researchers say. But state policy has been slow to catch up with this point.

Only 14 states and Washington, D.C., require districts to offer full-day kindergarten, according to kindergarten policy data collected by the Education Commission of the States, a national think tank. And even though most states require school districts to offer at least half-day kindergarten, only 17 states and the District of Columbia mandate that children attend it. Of those, two offer a waiver to children who are assessed as ready to start first grade.

Early learning advocates and politicians have spent a lot of time in the past five years talking about preschool. Former President Barack Obama made preschool a key part of his education agenda during his eight years in office. Spending on state-funded preschool programs for 4-year-olds has risen in both red and blue states, especially since 2008.

But for the benefits of preschool to be sustained, experts argue, children must continue to receive a high-quality early elementary education. Full-day kindergarten, which has been shown to boost academic gains for students well into elementary school, could be critical.

“The opportunity for full-day K should be available for all,” said Harris Cooper, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University. Cooper is the lead author of a 2010 review of all the research examining the impact of full-day kindergarten, which found that children who attended for a full day had better academic outcomes the following year, more self-confidence, and were better at playing with others.

In the 36 states that don’t require schools to offer full-day kindergarten, many districts have gone ahead with it anyway, using a combination of federal funding, available state dollars and parent-paid tuition to cover the cost of the approximately 540 extra hours of instruction time each school year.

Related: Why is it so hard to stop suspending kindergartners?

New Hampshire is the latest state to approve legislation to fund full-day kindergarten in districts that want it. However, districts here are not required to offer kindergarten at all, nor are children mandated to attend it. The new funding doesn’t kick in until 2019, but many New Hampshire school leaders aren’t waiting until then to offer full-day programs.

In Nashua, full-day kindergarten has long been provided in schools that serve a majority low-income population, but 2017-18 is the first school year full-day has been available at all 12 district elementary schools.

“It feels good to be able to offer parents what they’ve been asking for for years,” said Kelley Paradis, principal of Main Dunstable Elementary School in Nashua. Paradis, whose school offered full-day kindergarten for the first time in the 2017-18 school year, said that by April 2018, every class for the 2018-19 school year was full and the school already had a waiting list.

During the summer of 2017, Paradis said, she and Main Dunstable’s three kindergarten teachers focused on the logistics of doubling their students’ time in school. How would the kids behave in the new classroom? How would they find the bathrooms? Where would the kindergartners sit at lunch? How would teachers handle dismissing kindergartners at the same time as all the older kids? But those things all fell into place with some extra planning and “what we learned about were the unanticipated social-emotional benefits,” Paradis said.

“The best thing has been being able to teach every subject every day.”

Simple things like socializing during lunch and participating in “specialty classes” like art and music have made the kindergartners more comfortable in their building and with each other, the school’s teachers said. Friendships have blossomed, kids have received more individual attention each day and the academic gains at this middle-class school have been significant, they said.

“The best thing has been being able to teach every subject every day,” said Wendy Lundquist, who has taught kindergarten for 19 years. During previous school years, she said, she was only able to get to science or social studies on any given day, not both.

“My kids who are struggling are doing better,” said Mary Plouffe, who began teaching 15 years ago. They have extra hours to practice and more teacher support, they are “more motivated” and are improving more quickly, Plouffe said. “We should have done this years ago.”

Related: Cramming for kindergarten

In a bit of a twist for an initiative usually vaunted for its ability to boost reading and math scores, Nashua teachers said they were pleased to be spending much of the extra time offered in their full-day programs on the things kindergarten used to be famous for: art, free play and recess, among other not-strictly-academic activities.

It’s unclear if this anecdotal finding is part of a trend. Research from 2016 indicates that children spent a smaller percentage of their kindergarten day on activities like art, music and theater in 2010 than they did in 1998, according to a study led by Daphna Bassok of the University of Virginia and published in AERA Open, a peer-reviewed education research journal. The pattern of how kids spent their days held true for both full-day and half-day programs, according to the report.

After a morning filled with reading picture books, learning sight words, practicing addition, making weather graphs, counting backwards and singing songs, a class of Main Dunstable kindergartners stood in a circle in the school’s music room. They grasped each other’s hands and raised them high, making a series of spaces for a classmate to weave in and out of as they sang: “Bluebird, bluebird, in and out my window!”

When they switched to the next verse, the “bluebird” traded spots with another classmate and the dance continued.

“It’s fun,” said Hadassa Aguiar, 6, when asked what she liked about kindergarten. “I like play time every day. I know everybody. I can read a whole entire book.”

Since children from low-income families are more likely to be unprepared to do well in school when they show up on the first day of kindergarten, time to catch up to their peers is important. The extra time is also important for children who speak a language other than English at home and for students with learning disabilities.

“What full-day kindergarten does is push up the starting point,” says Cooper, the Duke professor. That means children who enter kindergarten behind the curve can potentially make enough progress to start first grade on par with wealthier classmates, he explains.

The first-grade teachers at Dr. Norman Crisp Elementary in Nashua are used to getting students who have spent a year in full-day kindergarten. They love it. And they can tell immediately when one of their students hasn’t been in kindergarten at all.

“By the end of the first day, I realize, ‘Oh, I have six who have not been to kindergarten,’” said Shauna DeRosa, who has taught for eight years.

“If they’re coming out of kindergarten, even if they’re struggling, they’ve had some support,” said Kendra Raymond, who has taught for 10 years. It’s a big help to their progress in first grade that students arrive in her classroom already connected to reading specialists or special education staff, she said.

New Hampshire had considered paying for full-day kindergarten in the past. The most recent failed effort lost on a party-line vote in 2015, with Republicans voting against. Then, in the months before he was elected in 2016, Republican Governor Chris Sununu came out in favor of full-day kindergarten and, within the year, had signed a law to cover the new cost with money from the state’s lottery system.

14 — Number of states that require districts to offer full-day kindergarten

In 2019, New Hampshire will provide interested districts with about $2,900 per full-day kindergartner, more than is offered for half-day kindergartners, but just two thirds of what is offered for first- through 12th-grade students. By 2020, the state will raise kindergarten funding to match that provided to the higher grades. The full amount is still just about a third of the per pupil cost for a year of education, according to reporting from Jason Moon of New Hampshire Public Radio. The rest comes from local taxes.

Related: Rethinking grade levels and school design for personalized learning

Before the new law was signed, a smaller percentage of kids attended full-day kindergarten in New Hampshire than in almost any other state, reported Moon, who has followed the issue carefully since the measure was first introduced in the state legislature. In March, Moon called several districts that weren’t offering full-day kindergarten and found that the new funding from the state would not sway them to start offering it.

Despite his support for offering full-day kindergarten as a matter public policy, Cooper said attending six hours of school may not be appropriate for some 5-year-olds. “Parents and educators should consider characteristics of the child in addition to potential effects on achievement,” he said. “That they’re ready cognitively doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ready emotionally.”

Back in Lemoine’s kindergarten classroom, it was 2 p.m. and school had been in session for nearly six hours. Justin Pichardo-Morban, 6, was painting “things about spring” with some well-used watercolors. Jaliyah Carrion, 5, was sitting next to him drawing trees. Jeraliz Rosario, 5, was “drawing spring” too.

All three children looked happy and energetic as they added bright greens and yellows to their sopping wet paintings. In fact, no one in the room, not the kids playing the math-based card game, or the ones building cities out of Legos, looked tired.

If anything, said Leianny Menendez, 6, kindergarten might be just a bit too easy. “I like it,” she said, “but I wish I could be in fourth grade so I could learn even harder things.”

This story about kindergarten was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter.

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16 of Our Favorite Videos for Kids About How Things Are Made

Remember that classic Sesame Street video about how crayons are made? We watched in awe as crayons were rolled off the assembly line, wrapped in paper, and then slipped into those familiar cardboard boxes. Kids today are just as fascinated by how things are made, and they’ve got a lot more videos to choose from! Watching these videos together is a terrific way to encourage the next generation of engineers, designers, construction workers, and more. Here are some of our favorites.

1. Crayons

The original Sesame Street classic is still worth watching, but for older kids who’d like more details about the process involved, try this up-to-date version.

2. Cheese

Most kids probably know cheese comes from milk, but do they know what it takes to turn milk into cheese? This video has the answers.

3. LEGO Bricks

This detailed video shows how the factories work to make LEGO bricks, including some really cool automation. You’ll learn the whole process from plastic granules to finished LEGO kits, ready for sale.

4. Toilet Paper

After widespread shortages in early 2020 during the pandemic, toilet paper is something we’ll never take for granted again. This video about how they make it will help you appreciate TP even more.

5. Baseballs

Sports fans will love learning how things are made for their favorite game. This video about baseballs details the painstaking hand-stitching that still goes into each professional baseball. You can also learn about rubber balls (like basketballs), baseball bats, and footballs.

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6. Sprinkles

Who wouldn’t be mesmerized by a cement mixer full of chocolate sprinkles? (OK, it’s not really a cement mixer, but it sure looks like one.) Bonus tip: Enjoy a bowl of sprinkle-covered ice cream while you watch videos about how things are made!

7.

Speaking of sweet things, kids will definitely love learning where one of their favorite breakfast treats comes from. From maple tree to bottle to pancakes … that’s how things are made into something delicious!

8. Pencils

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWp3IwBgeY8

This video on how things are made is perfect for kids and teachers. Science teacher Doug traces the history of pencils, then shows what it takes to make the pencils we use today.

9. Silk

When kids learn that silk fabric comes from caterpillars, they might be a little surprised. But that’s just part of the fascinating process that goes into making this luxurious fabric.

10. Balloons

First, listen to the song “Where Do They Make Balloons?” by They Might Be Giants. Then, get the answer by watching this cool video that tours a balloon factory.

11. Paper Money

So-called “paper” money is usually made from a mix of paper and fabrics, with special dyes and other counterfeiting measures. Science Doug shows you how it all comes together to make the dollar bills you know so well.

12. Coins

Pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters are familiar sights, but where do they come from? This video by the U.S. mint has the details.

13. Fireworks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cBu_-byLcY

There’s no more exciting aspect of chemistry than fireworks! Learn how they’re assembled and tested, what makes them work, and how professional displays are planned.

14. Gum Balls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bus4OQHcmgM

Oh, the joy of blowing a giant bubble of gum! Get a little history of gum, then discover the five-day process of making those brightly colored gumballs.

15. Books

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhA6IYyj5Qo

Kids do a lot of reading and writing, but do they ever stop to think about how books are made? Take a tour of a book-printing factory to find out.

16. Glass

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOwk2QIfDqY

Ask kids what their sandbox and the windows of their classroom have in common, and they’ll probably have no idea. Watch this video from science teacher Doug to find out!

Looking for more videos about how the world works? Check out these Online Resources for Fantastic Free Science Videos.

Plus, check out Amazing, Creative, Must-See Videos To Promote Recycling at School.

"Are you kidding me?!" In the regional center of Bashkiria, where children study at the cinema, another school will be closed

In the regional center of the Karmaskaly district, the village of Karmaskaly, at the end of February 2023, another school will be closed, this time No. 2. Parents were informed that the school would undergo a major renovation, which would last until about October of this year. Students will be sent to the buildings of the kindergarten, the Yubileiny cinema and the gymnasium, which is already overcrowded and works in two shifts due to the fact that school No. nine0003

- Are you kidding me?! We have two huge schools in the area closed. Where should our children study? Is there anything in the shed? What are you doing? - the local resident Alfiya was indignant, who provided us with a list of places where children from the second school will now study. – Thousands of our children are forced to study anywhere. There are more kids in the area! At the same time, one school was taken away from us, declared dilapidated and closed! They can’t build a new one for several years, they can’t really give an answer, what’s going on! Who is responsible for this disgrace?! Why is our problem no one needs? nine0007

Literally a week ago, the principal changed at school No. 2. "Director Klimkin (Mikhail Klimkin - ed.) quit, said he would not be able to withstand this repair," local parents say. To get through to him, by the way, failed. The Kartoteka.ru service indicates that from January 20, 2023, the position is occupied by Yulamanova Lena Vilevna.

Last fall, schoolchildren from the collapsing building of school No. 1 in the same village were distributed with a scandal. It got to the point that the children were sent to study at the cinema and the building of the kindergarten. The authorities explained the situation by saying that due to the coronavirus pandemic, the decision to build a school had to be abandoned. nine0003

School No. 1 / Photo: Marina Karimova

We made a request to the Ministry of Education about whether it is possible to study in premises unsuitable for this, but received an unexpected answer. As it turns out, the rules allow for this.

“The direction of students MOBU secondary school them. S. M. Chugunkin to other schools, as well as to kindergartens, the Yubileiny cinema, the regional palace of culture, a sports and recreation complex, and even to the administration building, are provided for by the regulations,” the department told us. nine0003

If last time all the buildings had to be used, how will schoolchildren from the second school be distributed now? The district administration replied that "they will complete the second floor in the cinema with desks. "

- We are preparing for a major overhaul under the federal program, in our republic 65 schools are leaving for repairs. We distribute children to the gymnasium, to the kindergarten. But it used to be an elementary school building, then it became a kindergarten. Then there were slightly fewer children there, we [requalified] him back as a school, primary classes [are studying] there. Preschoolers had two buildings, they will be completed in one building, and this is the second building of the kindergarten, we will put schoolchildren there. There are separate rooms in the cinema upstairs, we have additional education working there, we will staff them with desks, there are four large, good rooms, - said Gulnara Isanbayeva, deputy head of the administration for social issues. nine0003

She also noted that there is no definite date for the relocation of children from school No. 2 to other buildings yet, and they study at their school. As for the timing of the repair, it is also not clear when it will begin and end, but it is assumed that by September 1 everything should be done and the children will be able to return.

Context.

• The scandal surrounding schools in Karmaskaly has been going on for quite a long time. In 2020, school No. 1 named after CM. Chugunkin, the head of the district Alfir Sabirov said that the building was recognized as emergency and cannot be restored. At the beginning of the school year in 2022, they also tried to send students to the first school, but after the indignation of the parents and the publication of our materials, the district administration abandoned this idea and placed the students in the gymnasium and the second school. Now they will close it too, and now the children will certainly not be able to avoid studying at the cinema. Thus, in the district center, where the population is more than 11 thousand people, there is only one school left. nine0003

• We wrote about what Alfir Sabirov, the head of the Karmaskaly district, is known for.

• Sabirov has already expressed his opinion about the situation at the school. So, when asked if he would send his children to study at the cinema, he answered: “It’s not discussed!”

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Read also

- "He travels to Donbass like a macho, loves cards, sat on his knees in front of Nazarov." What is Alfir Sabirov, head of the Karmaskaly district, famous for? nine0050 - "Not discussed": the head of the Karmaskaly district became furious after the question, would he send his children to study at the cinema
- "Mom, this is dumb!" In Bashkiria, officials sent schoolchildren to the cinema

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Comment

Children evacuated from schools and kindergartens in Bratsk due to reports of mining

nine0061 Continuation of the news:

Schools and kindergartens in Bratsk continue to receive reports of mining

Screenshot of the video from Sergey Serebrennikov's telegram channel

On January 25, pupils of kindergartens, schools, visitors to institutions of additional education and culture in Bratsk were evacuated due to reports of mining. Mayor of the city Sergei Serebrennikov wrote about this in his telegram channel. nine0003

Sergey Serebrennikov:
— Dear brothers, I ask everyone to remain calm. Such calls were repeatedly addressed to various institutions of the city: federal structures, economic facilities, social institutions. All checks confirmed false mining. Calls most often come not from Bratsk, not even from Russia. We will do everything to keep our children and the city of Bratsk safe.

The children were transferred to other institutions or their parents were asked to pick them up earlier. Employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the police, and the Russian Guard checked the buildings, in which, according to an anonymous person, explosive devices were planted. According to the results of the audit Mining reports turned out to be false .

Oksana Norkina, Head of Kindergarten No. 97 in the city of Bratsk:
— Today, around 3:40 pm, the kindergarten's work phone received a call that the building was mined.

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