Is It Time for Kindergarten?

Questions and Answers

by Lindy Buch, Supervisor, Office of Early Childhood Education and Family Services, Michigan Department of Education

Q: When can a child start school? Must s/he start then?

A: Section 1147 of the Michigan Revised School Code requires school districts to provide kindergarten programs for children who turn five on or before December 1. However, five-year-olds are not required to attend kindergarten. Compulsory education rules in Michigan indicate that a child must be enrolled in school or home-schooled from the beginning of the school year when s/he will turn six on or before December 1 until their 16th birthday.

Q: What happens if my child doesn’t attend kindergarten?

A: The school district may decide that a child who hasn’t been to school before, even though s/he is six, must be placed in kindergarten. The school district has the right to determine the child’s placement.

Q: Do schools get money for kindergarten?

A: Yes, students in kindergarten count in school membership for purposes of receiving state aid. Schools get the same amount of money from the state for each child in regular membership in grades K-12. Currently, the amount is a minimum of $6,700 per year and is scheduled to remain at that level unless the amount must be cut because state revenues are too low.

Q: Why is kindergarten only half-day in Michigan? We recently moved here and the state we moved from had full-day kindergarten.

A: In Michigan and many states with a long tradition of kindergarten programs, kindergarten is often only half-day, morning or afternoon. Many years ago, kindergarten was children’s first experience away from home. In 1965, when the federal government started funding Head Start (see page 3), only half the states offered kindergarten; now they all do. States that started offering kindergarten later often began with full-day programs. Michigan only requires districts to offer kindergarten for half the amount of time that children in grades 1-12 must be in school. Michigan allows districts to offer full-day programs, but doesn’t offer any additional funding, since students in kindergarten are already funded at the full membership amount.

Q: Is full-day kindergarten better for kids?

A: There is a small but growing amount of evidence that children who attend full-day kindergarten programs progress more in their learning; they have more time in school to master the curriculum. Nationally, kindergarten curriculum demands have changed a good deal over the last generation. More than 70 percent of children attend classroom preschool programs the year before they enter school, so most children are not experiencing kindergarten as their first group activity. With modern medical advances and immunizations, children do not spend weeks of their kindergarten year home sick with the measles, mumps, and chicken pox, as they did in the past. This means that it is possible to move some appropriate learning activities to kindergarten, because most five-year-olds will be there regularly and are usually eager to learn the material. With the emphasis on more curricular requirements in kindergarten, it is certainly advantageous to have more time to learn.

Q: Why is my district offering a full-day kindergarten program but requiring parents to pay for the afternoon? We also have to fill out “child care” forms. Will my child fall behind if I don’t send her/him all day?

A: Technically, this district is not offering full-day kindergarten, but half-day kindergarten plus half-day child care. Districts cannot charge for kindergarten; kindergarten is a free educational offering (see Section 112 of the State School Aid Act). However, districts may offer services beyond the required school day. Public Act 116 of 1973 requires that these programs be approved by Child Care Center Licensing, since they are technically not school-day programs. Districts cannot require that children enroll in the child care portion of the day if tuition is charged. The full curriculum must be offered as part of a free public education. Districts offer child care as a service to families. Of course, children will learn while they participate—just as it is hoped they will continue to learn when they go home or to another child care arrangement during their out-of-school time.

Q: How can I decide if my child is ready for school? Can s/he take a test?

A: Legally, your child has a right to attend a regular kindergarten program if s/he is old enough to do so. Many parents may be very concerned about their children’s abilities when they enter school. “Readiness” is a very tricky concept. There is no single, simple test currently available that can predict very well if a child will be successful in school. Many preschool tests are really designed to screen children and determine which children might need further individualized assessment to determine whether they have special learning needs.

Q: What do you mean that “readiness” is a tricky concept?

A: The word ready implies a one-dimensional kind of activity—either you’re ready or you’re not, and if you aren’t, you just need a little more time to get ready. Being prepared for school success is much more complicated than getting ready for work in the morning. With a little more time before work, you might be able to iron your shirt or eat a better breakfast! Being prepared for school success implies that a child is socially, emotionally, intellectually, and physically healthy and able to do many complex activities. Many children will be prepared in one area and quickly be able to “catch up” in an area where their development may lag behind a little. Strengths in one area may make up for some problems in another. Legally, children who are age-eligible have the right to attend kindergarten, and the school must be ready to educate them. A child who has a mild or moderate disability cannot be distinguished from a child who might be described as not. Just waiting to enter school may lengthen the time before the disability can be identified and appropriate intervention provided. In addition, a child who seems “ready” in one school with a particular program, may not seem as “ready” for the curriculum in another school, or when compared to the children in another school.

Q: My school suggests that my son attend a Young Fives or Developmental Kindergarten or Begindergarten program. Does he have to? He’ll go to school half days for two years!

A: No, you have the right to enroll your child in the regular kindergarten program if s/he is of the age to enroll. However, you may want to evaluate the reasons the school recommends your child for this two-year kindergarten program. It’s also helpful to look at the kindergarten curriculum and determine if you think your child will be able to be successful. If you have concerns about your child’s development, you may want to consider a more thorough or special education evaluation.

For more information, contact: Lindy Buch, Michigan Department of Education, P.O. Box 30008, Lansing, MI 48909, (517) 373-8483, (517) 335-4565 fax, BuchL@michigan.gov.

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