The Manchester Enterprise
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Teachers prep for new kindergarten program
District increases options for families seeking day-long class
By Alexandra Sondeen, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: August 21, 2008
Beginning in September, Manchester kindergarteners will be attending school all day for each of the five school days.
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Manchester Community Schoools Superintendent Shawn Lewis-Lakin said the decision was made official this past spring.
"We wanted to provide students more time to meet stricter academic requirements," he said. "Young minds can do more."
The decision comes after the State of Michigan's push toward full-day kindergarten. A stipulation in the 2008-09 state school aid package passed by the State Legislature will reduce funding for half-day and alternate-day kindergarten programs while fully funding all-day kindergarten. The change will be worked in over the next few years.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm has been actively trying to expand early childhood education programs across the state. In her State of the State address in January, she also pushed for schools to make the switch to full-day kindergarten.
Manchester has been running an alternate-day program, where students attend a full day of school every other day with a half-day in between.
Lewis-Lakin said the Manchester staff is happy with the change.
"The staff is pleased," he said. "The consistency of being in school every day is going to be important."
Klager Elementary teacher Carolyn Supers agrees.
"I'm very excited," she said. "The state demands for what a kindergartener needs to know keep getting harder."
Having more time in school each day allows teachers to incorporate more learning activities for the students. Over the past few years, many play activities have been phased out because of increased academic requirements.
"We're going to have a chance to incorporate play activities again," Supers said.
She also said that play activities are important for learning social skills and motor development.
In the past, Manchester had two full-time kindergarten teachers and one part-time teacher. This year, five full-time teachers will handle the new requirements.
"We want to keep the class sizes below 20," Lewis-Lakin said. "We think that's really going to offer great support for our youngest learners."
Supers said she is looking forward to the new system.
"I'm going to get to know these children a lot better," she said. "You get to know their learning style and how to reinforce their learning."
For children who have not attended daycare or preschool, the transition to an all-day school program can be rough. Parents can do several things to make that transition easier for their child.
"Every family needs to start several weeks before school starts to get used to a regular routine," Supers said.
This routine is especially important for a consistent sleep schedule. Children need to be well rested in order to make the most out of their school careers.
Supers said it is also very important that a child have a good breakfast before coming to school in the morning.
"You would not believe how many kids are hungry by 9:30 a.m.," she said.
In order to keep a child interested in learning, parents need to stay involved.
"The most important thing anyone can do is read to their children," Supers said. "That turns into excitement to learn."
Even if a child does not know the alphabet, letter sounds or numbers, he or she will catch up quickly to those that have some familiarity with them.
"The kids are going to come in and they're like sponges," Supers said. "They're just going to soak it all up."
Alexandra Sondeen is an college intern with The Manchester Enterprise. She can be reached at asondeen@emich.edu.
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