Kindergarten
Teaching
The Tough Task Ahead for 1st Grade Teachers
Many children missed out on kindergarten or experienced a more disrupted version. Now, 1st grade teachers will have to fill in the gaps.
Early Childhood
What the Research Says
Starting School After the Pandemic: Youngest Students Will Need Foundational Skills
The earliest grades saw the biggest enrollment drops in 2020-21. Experts say these students will need significant help come fall.
Early Childhood
Will Kindergartens Be Empty This Fall?
As cases of COVID-19 continue to grow, parents around the country are struggling with whether to send their child to kindergarten this fall. Some say they won't.
Equity & Diversity
Classroom 'Circle Time' Moves Online During Coronavirus Pandemic
Virtual face time with teachers and classmates can be comforting for young children, experts say. Still, researchers caution against too much screen time.
Early Childhood
Video
Academic Redshirting, and Why It’s Not So Simple
It's the time of year for students to go back to school, but some 5-year-olds won't be making the transition to kindergarten.
What’s known as academic redshirting has become a more popular option, most often for upper middle class parents. This is when parents hold their child back from kindergarten by a year. Required school entry varies across the U.S., and in 42 states attendance is mandatory at age 6 or later.
Academic redshirting has benefits and disadvantages on a child’s development that parents should keep in mind.
Advantages may include higher passing rates on exams and being more attentive in classes. Disadvantages may include an increase in classroom difficulty for both students and teachers due to age gaps between students and self-esteem issues.
Research shares pros and cons on academic redshirting but there are still no clear results. Before considering the option to hold a child back from elementary school, teachers at a child’s preschool may be helpful in deciding if the practice of academic redshirting may be the right option.
Early Childhood
Could 'Redshirting' Become A Thing of the Past in Illinois?
Lawmakers in Illinois are considering a bill that would require children to start kindergarten if they are 5 on or before May 31, with exceptions for summer birthdays.
Early Childhood
Photo Essay
Teacher Keeps Up Long Tradition of Hatching Chicks With Kindergartners
Cynthia Christopher's kindergarten class receives chicken eggs to hatch at Stonehurst Magnet School in Sun Valley, Calif.
Early Childhood
New Governors Aim to Funnel Money Into Early Education
After campaigning on the expansion of preschool and other early-childhood programs, governors in California, Colorado, and elsewhere are reflecting those priorities in their budget pitches.
Teaching
Kindergarten Homework: Too Much Too Early?
Listen to parents and educators, and you’ll hear some strong—and mixed—opinions on how or even whether kindergartners should be swept into the homework swirl.
Early Childhood
The Keys to Student Success Include Starting Early and Following Through
States are concentrating their policy efforts on early-childhood education as well as transitioning young adults from high school to college.
Early Childhood
Practicing Kindergarten: How a Summer Program Eases Kids Into Learning
The start of kindergarten can be overwhelming for students, and for their parents. In Portland, Ore., a summer program is working to ease that transition.
Early Childhood
Video
Kindergarten Can Be Overwhelming - Some Educators Try to Ease the Way
Kindergarten isn’t just about crayons and nap time anymore – it’s serious academics. And whether a student succeeds in kindergarten can have an impact into elementary school and beyond. But nearly a third of the estimated four million children who will start kindergarten this school year haven’t been in a classroom before. Many will be behind from day one. In Portland, Ore., they’re running a summer program to help such students keep up with their peers. Located at a dozen of Portland’s high-poverty schools, the program offers students and their parents three weeks of “practice” kindergarten. The idea is to get them comfortable in school and ready to hit the ground running on the first day of classes.
Early Childhood
Most States Still Don't Require Full-Day Kindergarten, Report Finds
The Education Commission of the States report on policies concerning early learning finds that only 15 states and the District of Columbia require full-day kindergarten.
Early Childhood
How Children's Socioeconomic Differences Play Out Over Summer Break
A new report from the National Center for Education Statistics shows how access to summer activities differs for students based on their socioeconomic status.