why should kindergarten be mandatory?

Answer 1

As a first grade teacher, there's no doubt in my mind Kindergarten should be mandatory. I have some students in my class who recently moved in from other countries and have never been in a school setting before. Like other posters have mentioned, they are behind both educationally and socially. Kindergarten teaches children the routines of school in a way separate pre-schools can't (ie. lining up for dismissal, sitting still, sharing, working in a group). Additionally, it gives them the building blocks necessary for first grade. There is some review of letters and numbers at the beginning of the (first grade) year but after that we need to move on to using those letters and numbers. My kids that didn't have kindergarten have to work with me independently on catching up, which keeps them from some first grade activities.

Answer 2

Proponents say students who attend full-day kindergarten, instead of a half day, are better prepared for school.

Appointed by the governor and Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed, the roundtable is advisory. But its bipartisan recommendations will likely carry weight when the Legislature reconvenes in 2007.

Enrolling a child in kindergarten is optional in Indiana, and school attendance isn't mandatory until age 7, Reed said.

But philanthropist Christel DeHaan, roundtable member and chair of a family foundation, urged the governor and lawmakers to make kindergarten attendance mandatory. "My personal recommendation is that it becomes a regular part of our educational experience for the children in Indiana (on a mandatory basis)," DeHaan said.

A recent Indiana Department of Education survey showed 65,369 Hoosier children were enrolled in some

form of kindergarten - 60 percent half day, 40 percent full day, Reed said.

For the estimated 10 percent of kindergarten-age children statewide not enrolled, Reed said half-day transportation often was an issue.

"Many of our school districts now only offer transportation to kindergarten, or home from kindergarten (but not both)" Reed said. "Perhaps, were we able to offer full-day and two-way transportation, that those (enrollment) numbers would increase dramatically."

But the chairwoman of the state Senate Education Committee, Sen. Teresa Lubbers, cautioned that making kindergarten mandatory would greatly complicate efforts to get a full-day program passed in the Legislature. "If we have that discussion about whether kids are required to be in school at a different age than they are now, we may never get to the discussion about full-day kindergarten," said Lubbers, R-Indianapolis.

Whether the proposal calls for phasing it in or implementing it statewide at once would have a "tremendous impact" on the amount of money that would have to be carved out of the state budget, Lubbers said.

Terre Haute Mayor Kevin Burke, a roundtable member, said full-day kindergarten is a good investment. "I'm confused as to why we don't do it," Burke told the panel. "I realize it's always going back to money; everything does. Where do we want to invest? In the Department of Education or the Department of Correction?" he asked.

Crafting a uniquely Hoosier approach was unnecessary when other states already offer all-day programs that Indiana could replicate, Burke suggested.

"We have admitted in this room that, in the competition with other states, we're behind," Burke said. "I think it's time to swallow our pride: Let's not try to figure out our own way to do this. The models are out there. Let's set pride aside, let's find out the system that has worked elsewhere, let's implement it and let's get caught up."

Nothing was officially adopted Wednesday. Daniels said the fiscal impacts of a full-day program, among other things, would be discussed by the roundtable at its Nov. 8 meeting, so that a proposal could be drafted in time for the Legislature's 2007 session.

The Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corp. ended its full-day kindergarten in 2003 amid a budget crisis, but has since restored it for some low-income students, using federal grant funding.

EVSC has targeted the 2007-2008 school year for returning the full-day program universally at all its elementary schools, regardless of what the state does.

Answer 3

They learn so much more in Kindergarten.
My granddaughter who is 6 and in the first grade was in day care and preschool and when she graduated from kindergarten, she acted as if she had a personal sense of accomplishment!
We were so proud of her.
She entered the first grade in Aug. and she was looking forward to meeting new kids and seeing some of her old friends as well as learning something new.

Answer 4

Kids learn so much in kindergarten, not just reading readiness and numbers, but socialization skills, sharing with others, rules of games and order.

It might also be their first exposure to children of other ethnicities and customs. My son's preschool class had brothers from Ethiopia and had great fun learning with items they would bring from home and interesting stuff in their lunch box.

Answer 5

School itself is totally unnecessary. By the time Kindergarten came around, my sons were reading, knew greek mythology, knew fractions, addition, subtraction, knew american history.

What kids need is no day care, breastmilk on demand for years, never being left to cry, 15 minutes of attentive play with mom every hour the child is awake, lots of reading, walks, museum visits, playground fun, play, play, play.

Kindergarten was good when it was a refuge for kids from child labor. Now, if the parents can afford it - and most americans certainly can - they should stay home with their children as long as possible.

Keep kids out of those conformity factories.

Answer 6

i think its mandatory because it teaches all children tha basics of school before they reach that point like how to read their telephone number address and things like that it is a great way for them to learn

Answer 7

it determines if the child is mentally disabled or not

Answer 8

so they can learn the alphabet?