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Parents are aware of some of the pros and cons of full-day kindergarten.
However, some believe that more learning occurs during the extended day than could ever be accomplished in a half-day classroom. Educators are paying attention to the sentiments of the parents. A combination of parental demand, educators' concerns about early childhood learning, and a fast-paced culture with early pressures to succeed are transforming a kindergartner's day from a few hours of learning to adjust to a classroom setting, to five hours or more of a curriculum of reading, writing, math and social sciences. Full-day kindergarten was the norm in this country before the Depression. After the Depression hit, the kindergarten day was cut in half due to financial constraints.