Children attending Ontario’s full-day kindergarten are outperforming their half-day peers at the end of Grade 2, according to a new study that upends older research that found the Liberal government’s signature education program made little difference for pupils.
A team of researchers from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto are tracking almost 600 children through the primary grades and have found that full-day kindergarten (FDK) learners are “significantly ahead” in reading, writing and number knowledge. What’s more striking, said Janette Pelletier, a professor at OISE and the lead researcher, is that children enrolled in the all-day learning program showed significant gains in self regulation, which includes the ability to focus, follow instructions and co-operate with peers.
Source: Ontario children gain learning benefits from full-day kindergarten: study – The Globe and Mail
