What are your thoughts on full day virtual kindergarten?

[mommyoffive]

I have seen a lot of people talking about their schools plans for virtual 4k and kindergarten.   They show schedules of full day on the computer from 8 to 3:30 for 4 and 5 year olds.  I am shocked.   My kids have been in a virtual public school for years and they do not require that for 4k or kindergarten.   I feel so bad for any kid that age doing that full day on the computer. 

Edited August 27, 2020 by mommyoffive

[TheReader]

it's utterly ridiculous, impossible, impractical, and just.....ugh. 

The district near me is having 4 Zoom sessions per day, of 1-2 hrs each, for the PreK (K4).  The kids in high school, middle school, etc are getting way less. 

I teach K at a homeschool co-op, and specifically opted for in person b/c there is no way to really adequately provide virtual school for that age group. 

However, the schools had to offer the option, and had to offer something, and so I don't know what it *should* look like, but.....yea, it's a mess. 

[Sneezyone]

It's awful. I would pull my child in a heartbeat. Full day screen time isn't developmentally appropriate. I've seen at least two of my friends saying that their elementary students have this kind of schedule too. I wouldn't do it but it's not my place to parent their kids. Even my MS student will only have 3 hours, max (three classes) on any given day, usually it's two. Full day is too much.

Edited August 27, 2020 by Sneezyone

[vonfirmath]

15 minutes ago, TheReader said:

it's utterly ridiculous, impossible, impractical, and just.....ugh. 

The district near me is having 4 Zoom sessions per day, of 1-2 hrs each, for the PreK (K4).  The kids in high school, middle school, etc are getting way less. 

I teach K at a homeschool co-op, and specifically opted for in person b/c there is no way to really adequately provide virtual school for that age group. 

However, the schools had to offer the option, and had to offer something, and so I don't know what it *should* look like, but.....yea, it's a mess. 

When the kids can't read and you can't rely on parents/guardians being there to guide the education -- it almost has to be more time live with a teacher and if the whole school is virtual, that has to be virtual time.

Older kids can do more on their own because they can read instructions, etc.

 

This is one reason that, in a transition plan, some schools are opting to bring back the special needs and the youngest students first.

Edited August 27, 2020 by vonfirmath

[BusyMom5]

I think its very close to child abuse.  It us forcing them to sit in front of a screen all day- which is not developmently appropriate.   You would think education professionals would realize this.  My vote- PBS, play, and read.

[Tanaqui]

Stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life. How about: send the parents all a set of practical supplies, toys, and books with a weekly suggestion of projects to do. Tell them to have fun and that this year is a freebie.

Seriously, watching TV all day would be better.

[mommyoffive]

4 minutes ago, BusyMom5 said:

I think its very close to child abuse.  It us forcing them to sit in front of a screen all day- which is not developmently appropriate.   You would think education professionals would realize this.  My vote- PBS, play, and read.

Your thoughts on the pros knowing better is my thoughts exactly !!!!

[TheReader]

3 minutes ago, vonfirmath said:

When the kids can't read and you can't rely on parents/guardians being there to guide the education -- it almost has to be more time live with a teacher and if the whole school is virtual, that has to be virtual time.

Older kids can do more on their own because they can read instructions, etc.

 

This is one reason that, in a transition plan, some schools are opting to bring back the special needs and the youngest students first.

This is true, but I did Zoom with my K kids from March through May; expecting that the kids will actually be engaged with the teacher is a pipe dream.  Particularly if the reasoning is "because you can't rely on parents/guardians being there to guide" -- someone has to be there logging them on, and off, and on, and off, etc. Someone needs to be in the room to keep them paying attention. My group of <10 Kindergartners couldn't focus for more than about 20 minutes at a time, staying engaged, and that was with a highly interactive session (we were doing show & tell via Zoom, mostly, and I did YouTube videos for other stuff). 

Plopping a kid in front of Zoom, at that age, for hour-long sessions is nothing more than putting on a video (and less so, because even though it is theoretically "live" it's just next to impossible to make it actually interactive).  

I get that part of the issue is they can't read yet, but no matter what delivery service for this age group, an adult has to be involved or it doesn't work. And from what my neighbors are saying, the expectation of requiring the kids to log on to Zoom that often/long throughout the day is more of a burden, by far, than sending assignments that mom/dad can supervise when they do have the time. 

[SKL]

I foresee schools changing the plan very soon.

I think it is fine for the kids to watch some educational shows, play educational computer games, and have some zoom type stuff, but not all day.  Honestly, even my high schoolers will not be in front of a screen all day.

When I was a kid, KG was not required, and maybe it's time to go back to that in a time like this.  We know they will catch up.

[vonfirmath]

9 minutes ago, SKL said:

I foresee schools changing the plan very soon.

I think it is fine for the kids to watch some educational shows, play educational computer games, and have some zoom type stuff, but not all day.  Honestly, even my high schoolers will not be in front of a screen all day.

When I was a kid, KG was not required, and maybe it's time to go back to that in a time like this.  We know they will catch up.

I remember seeing --in the one room schoolhouse (And even a pace based private school my friend put her oldest in before they decided to pull her and homeschool from home) Kids were not sent to school until they could read. The parents taught reading (Or outsourced it if they could not?)

 

[Ottakee]

58 minutes ago, BusyMom5 said:

I think its very close to child abuse.  It us forcing them to sit in front of a screen all day- which is not developmently appropriate.   You would think education professionals would realize this.  My vote- PBS, play, and read.

Problem is, most of the teachers and staff that KNOW this have no power to make the decisions.

59 minutes ago, SKL said:

I foresee schools changing the plan very soon.

I think it is fine for the kids to watch some educational shows, play educational computer games, and have some zoom type stuff, but not all day.  Honestly, even my high schoolers will not be in front of a screen all day.

When I was a kid, KG was not required, and maybe it's time to go back to that in a time like this.  We know they will catch up.

In Michigan, kindergarten isn’t compulsory, but most people seem to think it is.  It is hard to find half day kindergarten anymore.  I think they should drop k requirements completely this year.

[Ellie]

It's a terrible idea. I'm horrified that the schools are offering it, and I'm horrified that parents are not refusing outright to let their dc participate.

Kindergarten is only mandatory in a couple of states. There's one state, I have forgotten which one, where kindergarten is not mandatory, but children who are compulsory school age (six years old by the cut-off date) must have been in kindergarten before they'll be allowed in first grade. o_0

[ktgrok]

I'm of a mind that it is borderline child abuse. 

[Frances]

3 hours ago, SKL said:

I foresee schools changing the plan very soon.

I think it is fine for the kids to watch some educational shows, play educational computer games, and have some zoom type stuff, but not all day.  Honestly, even my high schoolers will not be in front of a screen all day.

When I was a kid, KG was not required, and maybe it's time to go back to that in a time like this.  We know they will catch up.

It’s not required in my state. The mandatory age of attendance is seven here. Although I’m not sure how widely this is known outside of the homeschooling community.

I’m guessing the plan to have full day online pre-K and K will quickly fall apart once implemented due to a lack of participation by the kids. It’s completely inappropriate.

Edited August 27, 2020 by Frances

[Katy]

If this was my friend I'd introduce them to Daniel Tiger, Sesame Street, and Leapfrog Letter Factory, and even then you know little ones aren't going to be sitting still staring at the screen.  90% of the time they'll be up, moving around and playing with toys instead of watching.

Aside from this pandemic, I wish that we would call kindergrten what it is - daycare that teaches kids to follow directions, keeps them safe, and beyond that, have some fun.  Some countries in Europe have free public preschool starting at age 3.  It isn't academic, it's socialization.  The French teach kids to eat exotic foods and stinky cheeses.  There is a rule that you don't have to eat it, but you do have to taste it. In I can't remember which Scandinavian country (maybe Sweden?) a friend whose family is from there told me that preschool means spending a lot of time playing outside, making friends, singing songs, and maybe by the end you learn to write your own name.

Unless a kid is so interested they are begging you to teach them I think it's totally appropriate to wait until 7 to require any formal academics.  And totally NOT appropriate to expect them to sit still all day.  A friend of mine who used to be a daycare director (now she's a pastor) likes to say, "Little kids need to jump off big rocks, learn their parents love them, and learn to be kind.  That is all."

[ktgrok]

41 minutes ago, Bagels McGruffikin said:

Yes! Even adults have a hard time with virtual meetings and classes for that long, let alone squirrelly little children. They’d be better off with Netflix and a toy box in a closed room, at least they could stop and play or let their attention wander as needed 😞

Amen! And I'd bet money they'd learn more from PBS kids shows than they will in virtual kindergarten all day!

Seriously, kids here have to be logged in, camera on them, for 6 hours and 30 minutes (actually, a bit less as they get a combined lunch/recess break at some point...but total that's an hour or less). 

It's cruel and unusual punishment. 

And because it is syncrhonous live instruction, they have one window open with a view of the teacher, another window to type in questions (except they don't know how to type) and another window with the assignment/slides to look at/etc. And opening one of those apps tends to crash the other. Families are posting pictures of 6 yr olds with THREE monitors in front of them trying to track it all, and I've seen half a dozen posts about kids in tears. Daily. 

Like I said, I consider it child abuse. 

And, I was thinking of how few steps my husband gets a day when in meetings online all day (like...it can be noon and he is under 1K), and what damage that is doing to those little bodies!!!!

I keep offering to help anyone who wants to withdraw and homeschool for real. But many are at charter school/magnet schools and will lose their spot for next year if they do that. By doing the live instruction option with their regular assigned class they keep their spot. It's awful....they feel held hostage. Oh, and a few have tried to sign up for the regular virtual option here, FLVS, which is asyncrhonus (still too much busy work in my opinion, but only a few hours a day for K, not SIX!), but they are full up. 

But yeah, I see these posts of crying kids, and I want to scream "it doesn't have to be that way!!!!" 

ESPECIALLY kindergarten!!!! I have told more than one person flat out that PBS kids and rolling in mud would be better. 

[ktgrok]

2 hours ago, TheReader said:

This is true, but I did Zoom with my K kids from March through May; expecting that the kids will actually be engaged with the teacher is a pipe dream.  Particularly if the reasoning is "because you can't rely on parents/guardians being there to guide" -- someone has to be there logging them on, and off, and on, and off, etc. Someone needs to be in the room to keep them paying attention

My friend has 3 kids doing it, all elementary, and kept track one day (after doing this a full week, so not the first day or anything) and she had to help her kids 98 times during that school day. NINETY-EIGHT!!!!

And these are the same parents that think they can't homeschool because they don't have the patience! they have WAY more patience than me if they haven't thrown a laptop against the wall yet!

[mommyoffive]

13 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

Amen! And I'd bet money they'd learn more from PBS kids shows than they will in virtual kindergarten all day!

Seriously, kids here have to be logged in, camera on them, for 6 hours and 30 minutes (actually, a bit less as they get a combined lunch/recess break at some point...but total that's an hour or less). 

It's cruel and unusual punishment. 

And because it is syncrhonous live instruction, they have one window open with a view of the teacher, another window to type in questions (except they don't know how to type) and another window with the assignment/slides to look at/etc. And opening one of those apps tends to crash the other. Families are posting pictures of 6 yr olds with THREE monitors in front of them trying to track it all, and I've seen half a dozen posts about kids in tears. Daily. 

Like I said, I consider it child abuse. 

And, I was thinking of how few steps my husband gets a day when in meetings online all day (like...it can be noon and he is under 1K), and what damage that is doing to those little bodies!!!!

I keep offering to help anyone who wants to withdraw and homeschool for real. But many are at charter school/magnet schools and will lose their spot for next year if they do that. By doing the live instruction option with their regular assigned class they keep their spot. It's awful....they feel held hostage. Oh, and a few have tried to sign up for the regular virtual option here, FLVS, which is asyncrhonus (still too much busy work in my opinion, but only a few hours a day for K, not SIX!), but they are full up. 

But yeah, I see these posts of crying kids, and I want to scream "it doesn't have to be that way!!!!" 

ESPECIALLY kindergarten!!!! I have told more than one person flat out that PBS kids and rolling in mud would be better. 

Yeah I have seen the kindergartens in years on their zoom meetings.  So sad that is their introduction to school.   Yep I think a workbook,  activity box, tell the the parents to let them watch pbs, and then have them play.  Done.  

[Carol in Cal.]

In answer to the OP, it's tantamount to child abuse.  
And I don't say that often, and never lightly.

Edited August 27, 2020 by Carol in Cal.

[KungFuPanda]

3 hours ago, happysmileylady said:

I don’t like full day in person kindy, virtual full day is, IMO, an awful idea.  

I feel the same way.

[rebcoola]

The schedules here aren't quite all day on screens they get breaks for independent learning.  Their is no difference in how much time the Kindergarten is doing 5 the grade.  Which just doesn't make sense.  I would never sign my kids up for this. Our schools start next week so we will see.

[Katy]

I wonder if a social worker was called in if it WOULD be ruled child abuse.  I know day cares that leave kids strapped into car seats during the day have been found to be abusive.

@Ktgrok What would happen if you informed a local news station that these requirements might be abusive?

[Lanny]

1 hour ago, Ktgrok said:

Amen! And I'd bet money they'd learn more from PBS kids shows than they will in virtual kindergarten all day!

Seriously, kids here have to be logged in, camera on them, for 6 hours and 30 minutes (actually, a bit less as they get a combined lunch/recess break at some point...but total that's an hour or less). 

<snip>

 

I am searching for a polite word that isn't political, but to me, this seems to be Insane. Something that people who hate young children would do to them. The only people I can see benefiting from this are the Public School Administrators who will receive money from their states, because these children are "enrolled" and their attendance is being recorded and they are paid by the state for those students. And the "teachers" who are "teaching" those students.

My DD is a second-year university student. Everything went  Online due to COVID-19.  One day each week she has  her heaviest schedule. That day, she has 3 courses and a Recitation and an Astronomy Lab.   That's a total of approximately six (6) hours of her attending Online,,,

[Hilltopmom]

1 hour ago, Katy said:

Aside from this pandemic, I wish that we would call kindergrten what it is - daycare that teaches kids to follow directions, keeps them safe, and beyond that, have some fun. 
 

Some countries in Europe have free public preschool starting at age 3.  It isn't academic, it's socialization.  The French teach kids to eat exotic foods and stinky cheeses.  There is a rule that you don't have to eat it, but you do have to taste it. In I can't remember which Scandinavian country (maybe Sweden?) a friend whose family is from there told me that preschool means spending a lot of time playing outside, making friends, singing songs, and maybe by the end you learn to write your own name.

Unless a kid is so interested they are begging you to teach them I think it's totally appropriate to wait until 7 to require any formal academics.  And totally NOT appropriate to expect them to sit still all day.  A friend of mine who used to be a daycare director (now she's a pastor) likes to say, "Little kids need to jump off big rocks, learn their parents love them, and learn to be kind.  That is all."

Except that K is not just daycare anymore. And it’s not really fun. No toys or playtime.

One recess if lucky, no naps, all day.

By the end of the year they are expected to know 40 sight words, 25 spelling words, write complete sentences using those words. Read a set of 80 easy readers using those words and CVC words.  Count to 100 and addition & subtraction facts to 20.

Im not saying I agree with all that or think it’s appropriate, but that’s what K is these days in the US.

preschool & daycare before it is for learning to get along with others and follow instructions, not K. Letter names and sounds are covered in preschool, not K.

If they all take the year “off” for K, First grade will be impossible next year. The govt is not going to just let schools skip K content this year.

Edited August 27, 2020 by Hilltopmom

[Guest]

I have had several piano students online who are in the 4-6 yr old age group, and the only way it works-and this is with a very hands on, interactive lesson, is if an adult or older sibling sits with them and helps-they need someone to point to the keys, to help redirect, and keep them on task. And it STILL doesn't always work. I gave a lesson yesterday to a mom while the 4 yr old sat under the piano-he eventually came in for the last 3 minutes of a 30 minute session. I don't think I have yet had a child in this age range who doesn't occasionally have a "not having it" day that they just plain refuse, or actively melt down. It happens in person, too-but in person, I can usually meet them where they are, even if we spend the entire period lying on the floor beating drums to the rhythm of the things the kid is mad about that day---but I can't do that online. 

 

The preschool at my center, last Spring, put up short videos of a teacher reading a story, with instructions for a simple craft (and parents could do a porch pick up of materials), I'd record a song that they could sing and play along with using whatever they had on hand, the yoga instructor for our center recorded some kids' yoga videos (she doesn't normally teach the preschool classes, but she was making them for her mom/child yoga students, and used them for our preschoolers too), the dance teacher shared some of the videos she was making for her preschool pre-ballet classes, etc. Once a week, the preschool teachers would have a live show and tell type session where the kids would all share an item that was green, or began with the letter A, or whatever, and got to see each other. 

[ktgrok]

18 minutes ago, Lanny said:

 

I am searching for a polite word that isn't political, but to me, this seems to be Insane. Something that people who hate young children would do to them. The only people I can see benefiting from this are the Public School Administrators who will receive money from their states, because these children are "enrolled" and their attendance is being recorded and they are paid by the state for those students. And the "teachers" who are "teaching" those students.

My DD is a second-year university student. Everything went  Online due to COVID-19.  One day each week she has  her heaviest schedule. That day, she has 3 courses and a Recitation and an Astronomy Lab.   That's a total of approximately six (6) hours of her attending Online,,,

Yup. It's all about the money. If they parents sign them up for the state virtual school the money follows the kids there, away from the local district and local school. The local district/school gets 0 dollars.  If they do regular old homeschooling, the county doesn't get any funding either (I think). If they sign up for the county version of our state virtual school the county/district gets 75% of the normal funding, at the completion of the year/course. Nothing up front. And I don't know that any goes to local schools. If the parents sign the kid up for the "innovative" live virtual option, all the money goes to the school just like if the student was there in person. So of course, the schools pushed for that - HARD. And the teachers did, because otherwise they'd lose jobs. 

No one really cared what was best for the kids. 

[Condessa]

I am reminded of the scene in Wall-e, where it shows the class of obese babies strapped in to their seats while the ABC video plays in front of them.

[Soror]

9 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

Yup. It's all about the money. If they parents sign them up for the state virtual school the money follows the kids there, away from the local district and local school. The local district/school gets 0 dollars.  If they do regular old homeschooling, the county doesn't get any funding either (I think). If they sign up for the county version of our state virtual school the county/district gets 75% of the normal funding, at the completion of the year/course. Nothing up front. And I don't know that any goes to local schools. If the parents sign the kid up for the "innovative" live virtual option, all the money goes to the school just like if the student was there in person. So of course, the schools pushed for that - HARD. And the teachers did, because otherwise they'd lose jobs. 

No one really cared what was best for the kids. 

Our school had a 2 week enrollment for virtual learning. 2 weeks after the deadline passed they sent out an email pushing the online school with a tidbit about how when you sign up the money goes to the local school. Seems they must have more pulling out to homeschool than they thought.

[medawyn]

It’s why my neighbor’s kids are joining my homeschool this year.  They were very much on the fence in general this year, but as soon as the kinder schedule came out, it was a big no.  6-7 hours of meetings via a screen is really not possible for anyone, let alone a little five yo person.

[Farrar]

My thoughts cannot be posted on this forum.

🤬

[Farrar]

Okay, two thoughts that are fit to print.

1. I have been trying, desperately, to convince parents of K-2nd graders that I know that doing their school's program will be MORE WORK. It will be HARDER than homeschooling. They aren't buying it. I think that's what's frustrating me more than anything else. Like, people, you think doing your own thing for an hour a day is going to be more difficult than forcing your kid to be at that screen doing stuff for 6-7 hours?!? You're off your rocker.

2. States that have bought into platforms like Acellus, Pearson, Edmentum, and Compass have turned kids into dollar signs for corporations. Of course the corporations want them on there to justify their cost.

[itsheresomewhere]

6 hours ago, happysmileylady said:

It’s interesting how differently all the schools are handling this stuff.  

My nephew is a high school freshman.  He is on a “hybrid” where some days are in person, some are “e-learning” on a 2 week rotation.  My sister said that none of his e-learning stuff is live.  So on days where he is at home, he will get up at like 5:30, start working at like 6 or 6:30, and then be done by like 10am.  

I think it is fantastic that a district has it set up that way.  Perfect for parents who work in the mornings but want to be involved/need to help the child.  A live option would be nice in addition to that.  In my area, this is a common complaint of some districts only have the live option with no recorded option. 

[itsheresomewhere]

This a completely horrible idea to me for both the kids and the teachers.  Unfair to both. 

[hippiemamato3]

3 hours ago, Katy said:

I wonder if a social worker was called in if it WOULD be ruled child abuse.  I know day cares that leave kids strapped into car seats during the day have been found to be abusive.

@Ktgrok What would happen if you informed a local news station that these requirements might be abusive?

It's not developmentally appropriate IMO, but it's not abusive. A social worker would not say it is, and parents are doing the best they can in this weird time. 

[lmrich]

And can you imagine being the teacher? My early childhood education classes taught me that children learn through play and need to be active and creative. I think regular school kindergarten is not developmentally appropriate so this is a nightmare! Do K classrooms even have a kitchen center anymore? 

 

[Spy Car]

Our local schools are doing about 2 hours of online learning time (including breaks every 45 minutes of so) for kindergarten students.

Bill

[Kanin]

I agree with everyone. Out of curiosity, how much time do you think would be appropriate for a kindergartner to spend on Zoom each day? Would 10 min of letters, 10 min numbers/ counting, and a read aloud be enough? From what I see of K students, 20-30 min is about all they can do, focus wise, especially on a Zoom lesson. 

Sometimes I find Zoom meetings almost unreal.... I know the people are real, but it doesn't feel very real. I wonder what a 5 year old thinks...

[Terabith]

For middle class kids with parents who are able to be at home, who are providing an environment where they do things like read to them, have them help with chores, play outside, build with legos, absolutely.....full day virtual kindergarten is cruel and unusual and awful.  And mandatory attendance for six hours on Zoom is insane.  

But I can also envision situations where at risk kids get more focused attention by all day Zoom and the opportunity to interact with a caring adult than not.  And it's easier to leave the Zoom call open and kids sort of "come and go" than to have them all get on at 9, and come back at 11 and 1 for 10-15 minutes at a time.  

[PrincessMommy]

It is unacceptable for a child that age to have to sit online school for that long.

My granddaughter was supposed to go to full day virtual kindergarten in her county.  Her parents have pulled both their kids out of public and enrolled them in a virtual religious school which requires much less screen-time.  

It's amazing how no one in authority is talking about excessive screen-time in kids anymore.  

 

Edited August 28, 2020 by PrincessMommy

[ktgrok]

32 minutes ago, Terabith said:

For middle class kids with parents who are able to be at home, who are providing an environment where they do things like read to them, have them help with chores, play outside, build with legos, absolutely.....full day virtual kindergarten is cruel and unusual and awful.  And mandatory attendance for six hours on Zoom is insane.  

But I can also envision situations where at risk kids get more focused attention by all day Zoom and the opportunity to interact with a caring adult than not.  And it's easier to leave the Zoom call open and kids sort of "come and go" than to have them all get on at 9, and come back at 11 and 1 for 10-15 minutes at a time.  

But thy are not able to come and go - if they are not "in class" they are marked absent, and have already been told they will be subject to a truancy charge if they miss too much. 

[Terabith]

1 minute ago, Ktgrok said:

But thy are not able to come and go - if they are not "in class" they are marked absent, and have already been told they will be subject to a truancy charge if they miss too much. 

Yeah, that's bullshit.  I'm okay with OFFERING full day virtual kindergarten, especially in at risk environments, but I'm absolutely opposed to REQUIRING it.  

[Hilltopmom]

12 hours ago, lmrich said:

And can you imagine being the teacher? My early childhood education classes taught me that children learn through play and need to be active and creative. I think regular school kindergarten is not developmentally appropriate so this is a nightmare! Do K classrooms even have a kitchen center anymore? 

 

No, K classrooms do not have a play kitchen! They have a few tubs of manipulatives for rainy day inside recess.

Prek (4 year olds) seems about split 50/50 on if they have a house area with kitchen and a block area. Lots of our local district run prek rooms are academic only. Some are play based with academics. 
“preschool” (3 year olds) still has toys, blocks, house/ kitchen  area.

And yes, it’s rough on the good primary teachers too- we know kids learn through play & also need breaks. 

[ScoutTN]

That kind of a schedule for preschool and young elementary children is why so many public school families here have pulled their kids out.

Parents are figuring it out. The emperor has no clothes.

[ktgrok]

52 minutes ago, Hilltopmom said:

No, K classrooms do not have a play kitchen! They have a few tubs of manipulatives for rainy day inside recess.

Prek (4 year olds) seems about split 50/50 on if they have a house area with kitchen and a block area. Lots of our local district run prek rooms are academic only. Some are play based with academics. 
“preschool” (3 year olds) still has toys, blocks, house/ kitchen  area.

And yes, it’s rough on the good primary teachers too- we know kids learn through play & also need breaks. 

Honestly, what is even the point of preschool/kindergarten if there is no play kitchen? That was the best part! They had the best play house area with the stuff our parents couldn't afford for any one single family. 

Oh, and the really big blocks. 

 

[Matryoshka]

Freaking insane. I think when my kids were that age, they did at most 1/2 hour - 45 min of combined seatwork, spaced out, which was some math with manipulatives and some reading. Other than that, it was free play, because *that's how kids that age learn*. Hands -on, exploring the world. I did not allow any screen time at.all. No computers, no TV.  I think about an hour of time is plenty of Zoom class, preferably split up over two even shorter sessions.  

Heck, most in-person kindys (that aren't day care programs), even "academic" ones, are only half day!!  

Edited August 28, 2020 by Matryoshka

[Matryoshka]

9 hours ago, Ktgrok said:

But thy are not able to come and go - if they are not "in class" they are marked absent, and have already been told they will be subject to a truancy charge if they miss too much. 

Wait, do most states have compulsory schooling for 5yos? Here, I didn't even need to submit homeschooling paperwork till the year my kids turned 6 by Sept - that's when it starts here.  99% of kids attend kindy these days, but legally, it's not compulsory unless you redshirt and your kid is 6 before September of that year.

Edited August 28, 2020 by Matryoshka

[vonfirmath]

42 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

Wait, do most states have compulsory schooling for 5yos? Here, I didn't even need to submit homeschooling paperwork till the year my kids turned 6 by Sept - that's when it starts here.  99% of kids attend kindy these days, but legally, it's not compulsory unless you redshirt and your kid is 6 before September of that year.

No.

But once you sign up for school you have to actually attend. (And formally withdraw if you decide to)

 

[Matryoshka]

7 minutes ago, vonfirmath said:

No.

But once you sign up for school you have to actually attend. (And formally withdraw if you decide to)

 

Dear School Official: I am withdrawing my child from school.  Yours truly, X

There, I fixed it.  Really, how should it come to truancy?  If school that age isn't compulsory, there's nothing more to it.  Heck, there wasn't any more to it when my kids were compulsory age, except that I also had to file an ed plan (and I'm in 'strict' state). But at kindy age, there's no reason even to have to say 'I plan to homeschool' or 'these are my plans'.  What's above is enough.  Done.

[hippiemamato3]

10 hours ago, Terabith said:

Yeah, that's bullshit.  I'm okay with OFFERING full day virtual kindergarten, especially in at risk environments, but I'm absolutely opposed to REQUIRING it.  

It's not required in  most states. Only 8 "states" including DC, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico require it.