Connecticut parents and teachers debate the need for full-day kindergarten

With the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) being implemented in states across the nation, many school districts with half-day kindergarten programs see an imminent need to extend the amount of time kindergartners spend in the classroom. However, in Westport, Conn., educators and parents are split on whether or not a move to full-day kindergarten is required, according to The Daily Voice.

The implementation of the CCSS is a big influence on educators' desire to provide kindergartners with more time for instruction. It is their belief that children will require longer days if they are to meet the new Standards.

Under the CCSS, English language arts and mathematical instruction is expected to become more rigorous if students are to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in college and the workforce. According to the Common Core's website, children will need to know how to compose opinion pieces, understand addition and subtraction and much more. If they are covering multiple subjects in a short period of time, this may not be possible.

Still, some parents do not see the need for a longer kindergarten schedule, as Westport kindergartners have been meeting and exceeding several of the Standards for many years, the news source reported.