Commentary; Posted: 3/17/04

Explore kindergarten education, care options

Melissa Reese Felland
Guest Columnist

As a parent of children attending the Forest Lake schools and an educational professional, I have tried to support district representativesí efforts to provide a safe, appropriate learning environment for the districtís children. After attending the March 8 school district kindergarten information meeting, I am writing to share additional information that families may find useful as they make kindergarten program decisions for next fall.

I applaud the school district faculty, administrators and parents who have participated in recent kindergarten task force meetings in order to make the all day, every other day kindergarten program transition, hopefully, an easier one for families to make.

The district has identified various education and care options for parents. These options include district programs and outside-of-school programs (for the days and times children are not attending the kindergarten program).

In both the kindergarten task force meeting I was invited to attend and the kindergarten information meeting, I heard parents voicing concerns about their future kindergarten childrenís education. Many parents attending these meetings and whom I talked with at my daughterís ECFE preschool are concerned about making the ìrightî educational and economic decision for their family and future kindergarten student.

Specifically, parents have voiced the ìfearî that if they do not send their children to the Kindergarten Plus district option (tuition-based, all day, every day kindergarten) their children will be ìbehindî other children. If one looks at the available research, children attending all day, every day kindergarten and those attending half day, every day kindergarten have been comparatively studied. Results from limited research studies have shown increases in some childrenís skills and abilities, but these are usually insignificant or ìlostî by the time children reach the third grade. Very little research has been done comparing all day, every other day kindergarten, and all day, every day kindergarten and half day, every day kindergarten programs.

In light of this, will children really fall behind if they do not attend all day, every day kindergarten programs (i.e. Kindergarten Plus)? Families may need additional information in order to make this determination.

What would be helpful for parents to have are the districtís identified competencies for children upon exiting kindergarten (or entrance to first grade). At the kindergarten information meeting I attended, this was referenced but not provided to parents in their packets. This would be helpful information for all future kindergarten parents to have. Equipped with this information, families would have more information in order to make the kindergarten program option decision easier and more appropriate for their unique childrenís needs.

District representatives have prepared a list of ìgeneral readiness guidelinesî to help parents prepare their future kindergarten children. These are being shared with parents attending the kindergarten information meetings. These guidelines are helpful for families to see what skills and abilities are helpful for children to have upon entrance to kindergarten. These are suggested readiness guidelines which have been associated with childrenís success in kindergarten.

What else do young children need to be successful in kindergarten and beyond?

After working in programs with children, families, caregivers and educators for over 15 years, I have learned much about what children appear to need to be successful in school. Children need adults who are willing to read to them daily, carry on meaningful conversations with them, play games with them that involve language and math concepts, take them outside to explore their environment, and a whole host of other experiences that are developmentally appropriate for their needs.

These things can be done in a stay-at-home parent environment, in a home schooling environment, in a high quality child care center, school-age care or family day care home, in a private kindergarten, with a caring set of grandparent caregivers in a whole host of appropriate education and care environments. This can be done without buying expensive math manipulative and language curriculums. This can be done without worksheets. This can be done without spending lots of tuition money to do so.

Your children will be successful in kindergarten if they are in caring, supportive and appropriate environments. Itís true, this is an economic decision and an educational decision for your future kindergarten child. Please donít feel pressured into choosing one option over another in the fear that your child will be left behind. They wonít if we realize that many different settings can help children develop their skills and abilities. I encourage parents to carefully explore their education and care options, ask lots of questions of various program representatives, and inform themselves of the competencies and skills their children will be expected to know.

Writer Melissa Reese Felland is a parent and Forest Lake resident. She is an early childhood instructor at Pine Technical College, Pine City.

Top of Page