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Typical day
Kings Park is fortunate to be among a selected number of Fairfax County Public Schools that offer a full-day kindergarten program. Full-day kindergarten allows the teachers and children time to explore topics in depth and in a less-rushed atmosphere. The ratio of transition time (arrival and opening, clean up and departure) to class time is reduced so there is more instructional time. Students are able to participate in activities offered to other primary children, such as music and PE classes with specialists, and lunch.
What is a typical day in kindergarten like?
A kindergarten day must include a balance of large group, small group and center activities, as well as many opportunities for movement, active play, and hands-on investigations. The following sample is one way for organizing a full kindergarten day. The actual plan will vary according to teaching styles, classroom needs, and special programs. Any schedule must be flexible enough to allow for the “teachable moment,” unplanned events, and time of year. For example, Total Group Times may be shorter in September.
| 8:20 – 8:45 |
Arrival and KPOV (Kings Park Student TV) broadcast/announcements
followed by “Networking;” students choose “table activities” such as Legos, puzzles, library books, paints |
| 8:45 – 9:05 |
Circle Time (Total Group); attendance, calendar, weather, greetings, morning message , music and movement, plan for the day |
| 9:05 - 9:30 |
Language Arts (Total Group) Shared reading and introduction of reading/writing skills |
| 9:30 – 10:45 |
Individual and small group work, and centers; children are working at centers independently or in small groups with an adult based on their individual needs |
| 10:45 – 11:15 |
Recess |
| 11:15 – 11:45 |
Lunch |
| 11:45 – 12:10 |
Quiet reading time; children choose to read individually or in pairs, listen to story read by staff |
| 12:10 – 12:30 |
Math Opening (Total Group), math read aloud, music/movement related to numbers and counting, introduction of new concepts |
| 12:30 – 1:30 |
Individual and small group work, and centers, related to math |
| 1:30 – 2:45 |
Special subjects such as Art with the art teacher, Computer lab, Music with the music specialist, PE with the PE specialist, Guidance lessions with the guidance counselor, Library, and special projects |
| 2:45 – 3:00 |
Closing (Total Group) |
My child still takes a nap. Will there be nap time?
The full day kindergarten schedule includes a “quiet time” for books, reading, and listening to stories, as well as comfortable areas of the classroom for quiet activities. Not all children need a nap, but all children benefit from periods of relaxation to balance their active play. Teachers anticipate that the need for quiet time may be greater in the beginning of the school year as the children become acclimated to school. The transition back to school is hard for children…and teachers!
What does the research say about full-day kindergarten programs?
Research studies confirm that attendance in full-day kindergarten results in academic and social benefits. After comparing half-day and full-day kindergarten programs in a statewide longitudinal study, researchers found that full-day kindergartners exhibited more independent learning, classroom involvement, and productivity in work with peers. (Cryan et al., 1992; Karweit, 1992). In a later study, full-day kindergartners outperformed half-day students on every criterion measured by norm-referenced achievement tests. Attendance was found to be significantly higher, and fatigue, sometimes assumed to be a problem for children attending full-day, was not a significant factor. Fewer than 8% of all students were identified by parents, teachers, or independent observers as experiencing significant loss of engagement in school (Hough and Bryde, 1996).
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Your Child's Day 
Your Child's Day