Do you think it is a bad idea to have kindergarten in an elementary school?

Question

I think it is a bad idea because at that age children are not emotionally ready to be in a stressful environment. Kindergarten should be a division of school which means it is for a specific purpose. The goal of kindergarten is to prepare children for elementary school. Do you honestly think that placing kindergarten in an elementary school will help children learn? I think the only reason why kindergarten is placed in an elementary school is it is cheaper and convenient. I think it is worth the money to have kindergarten separate. It is good for our children and that's what's important.

Answer 1

That exact thing is happening at my town's elementary school, and yes i beleive they are not ready for that stressful of environment, however kindergarten hardly even does work, and no matter what, if it's cheaper it will happen

Answer 2

That's what pre-school is for. Why should we make a whole other school just for kindergarten now?



It's not really stressful. It only gets stressful as you get older.

Children develop emotionally at all different ages. What difference will one year make?



And kindergarten in elementary school does help children learn.



On what experiences do you base the opinion that it's not good for their emotional development? Most kids have a blast when they're in kindergarten. Hell, as they get older they hardly remember kindergarten!



A lot of kids even like school when they're in kindergarten.



How do you know it's stressful environment for them?



They have to be ready sometime. And a lot of mothers hold off another year before putting their child in kindergarten if they're that nervous about them.

Answer 3

What better way to prepare children for elementary school that by being in the environment that they will be in for many years to come. It certainly won't be a shock when they get to grade 1 neither.



If you have a problem with your child's Kindergarten class in the school then you may need to find another facility that is outside of the larger school - or keep your child in preschool/playschool/nursery school for another year. It may cost you a whole lot more money to find a Kindergarten class outside a school - but if that's no problem then go for it, I know that other parents would love to have their child in your child's spot in the school - space is limited in many schools.



Kids adjust better than we think they do - don't sweat the small stuff.

Answer 4

They even have Head Start and DD-Pre housed in our elementary school. Though the littlest kids are only there a couple-three hours a day so its rare that any older kids interact with them. The rest of the kids are separated by grade nearly constantly. There are 6 wings of the main building, each holding one grade K-5. There are two playgrounds with different sized equipment which only kids in certain grades can use (i.e K-2 use the small one, while 3-5 use the larger). Even then, each grade has recess at a different time, and the "overlap" is actually where one grade is lining up to go in for lunch. Then in the cafeteria, they are seated in their grade level, and the next grade starts a new table. A class may pass one from a different grade in lines, but they had best not be talking while walking through the school anyway. The only times they are interacting with kids of different ages is on the bus ride to and from school. So no, I don't believe taxes should be raised to buy land, build new buildings and pay more workers just to "separate" kids who are already spending the entire school day with only their own grade.

Answer 5

I think you underestimate what a five year old is emotionally ready for. Kindergarten children look up to older children. They learn by watching them. They are also not taught in the same room with the older children. Most of the things that they do at school are only with children their own age. They only time they mix with others is at lunch, and even then they are at different tables. I am a kindergarten teacher, and I wouldn't recommend separating them from older children. However, if you are really against it, go to a preschool that does kindergarten also. There are many that do.

Answer 6

How can they get ready for elementary school if they have no idea what it is? Just a thought. Most kindergarten's are a little separated from the bigger kids. They usually have a different playground and stuff. But they get used to the school and other kids at the same time.

Answer 7

It doesn't matter where the classrooms are. What matters is that the program recognizes that these are still young children and doesn't expect them to act like the older kids. There should be time for play and interacting with their classmates. There should be time for a rest if it is a full day program. There should be time outside. Academic work should require a minimum of pencil and paper activities and a maximum of hands on experiences. Letters and numbers should be taught through real experiences,not by rote. Unfortunately, thanks to No Child Left Behind, the emphasis on testing, and parents who want to push their kids too hard it is hard to find a kindergarten that meets these standards in public or private schools, inside or separate from the elementary schools.

Answer 8

At what point do you want your child to be ready? Kindergarden needs to be in an elementary school, because it exposes them to a specific educational routine. Every school that I have been in Kinder is in a separate hall so there is limited contact with older children, but being in that slight chaos is important for them to adjust to the school environment before they enter 1st grade. At least in Texas first graders are already reading and working on addition and subtraction, so dealing with adjusting to elementary school quirks would take away from that learning. Unless you have attempted to work with students that are entering a school for the first time you don't understand how long it takes for this adjustment.



I am a middle school teacher and my sixth graders take at least a month to adjust to the new schedules and responsibilities that differ from elementary school. As a parent of a son who is entering first grade this fall, I appreciate the fact that when the first day of school happens this year, the only thing I have to worry myself with is, whether or not he has a good teacher. We are comfortable with the school, its staff and its layout. My son won't be wondering what is to be expected from him, he knows already. He didn't get that in a Pre-K environment at a different location. That didn't even fully prepare him for kindergarden.



I think there has been research that says kinder should be in with elementary schools because it helps with the acclimation of the students to their environment. Is it cheaper and more convenient? You bet, but it isn't wise to keep kids separated forever.

Answer 9

Do you have any access to Kindergartens? I work in an elementary school. The K teachers can address their curriculum whether or not they are placed in an elementary school. These children aren't interacting with the older children unless it is bus hall before school or after school care. They are completely separate during the day. Your question makes it sound like they are thrown to the wolves in a classroom of 4th graders???



Just to let you know...most K classes are no longer a prep to elementary school class. These kids have a curriculum just like the rest of the grades. More and more systems ask that they come with the knowledge of their letters and numbers. Our kindergartners are reading simple words early on. K is more like 1st grade when we were in school.

Answer 10

What in the world can be stressful about kindergarten? Are they competing against the older kids? Getting beat up on the playground? Fighting for cafeteria privileges? No, they are separate, just like the other grades. Five year olds are pretty tough. It's not like putting the babies with the big kids in the nursery.

Answer 11

It is not necessarily bad according to the situation. It all depends on the other grades in the school. For example having K-6 is not exactly the best idea because a 5 year old can be badly influenced by a 12 year old. However if the school grades range from K-3 all the children are in the same area of development, having kids a year or two older than them can have a positive impact on them.

Answer 12

I, too, am a kindergarten teacher and I agree with the previous "K" teacher, that kindergartners do well in an elementary school. They are in separate buildings and in many cases pre-school is what you send your child to to prepare them for elem. school. And I teach in MS and our kindergarten has a state/county mandated curriculum that we are to follow to prepare them for 1st grade. So, "K" these days is a lot different from the "K" that we used to go to. They have report cards and standards that the other grades do. I think kindergarten is excellent.

Answer 13

I never remember stressing out myself over crowded hallways and other noisy kids. It was my mother that stressed me out with all her worries. I threw up three times before I even got to school. I think it is a number of factors that determine how good or bad the location is. It really depends on finding the best fit for the child. Some will thrive and succeed where others would waste away and fail just like plants in a garden. You put your tomatoes in the sun and your swiss chard in the shade. Some kids enjoy a busy environment.

Answer 14

my kids' school is K-5 ( a few years ago they moved the 6th grade to jr. highs making them middle schools)

my older boy was able to benefit from going to Head Start Preschool and did really well when it came time to go to Kindergarten ( they are teaching kids to read ealier these days and write too) my younger son's birthday was too close to the cut off date so he went into Kindergarten at 4 yrs old instead of 5, however he did 2 yrs of kindergarten andhe is right where he needs to be. it all depends on if the kid is ready. both my boys LOVE school, and they even have a special program at their school for preschoolers ( i couldnt afford it) called bridges to kinder. excellant program the kids also get used to the campus and staff.

Answer 15

My son's pre-K and Kindegarten are part of an elementary school. The pre-K is off in a seperate wing and they have their own private lunch room and bathrooms. The K class is in the hallway with 1st 2nd and 3rd grades. The K class also has their own bathroom in the classroom and they eat in the lunchroom with the lower grades and have recess with them but at recess they have their own play area. I see no problems with the way they do it at our school. I think it helps them feel a part of the school and feel comfortable with it from the start and they seem to love it.

Answer 16

No, it's the best place for it. Children get used to being in the school environment, being around other students in other grades, and just exposing them gently to the surroundings.

Answer 17

I think it is a good idea But, I think that it should have stayed the same as it was when I was a child....Half a day kindergarten.

Answer 18

My son just finished Kindergarten and did very well. I am also a teacher assistant. It is not a bad idea.

Answer 19

they r separated. the only people they see is their teachers and other kindergartens.

Answer 20

no i think its better because the children start interacting with the older ones and they make newer friends and it opens them up to another world in a sense

Answer 21

um... i thought that kindergarted IS elementary school- they have to start some time dont they??? and they generally do half days anyways.