Parents face a multitude of decisions when it comes to deciding the best educational path for their children. In Hong Kong, this includes choosing between public and private schools, which are further divided into government schools, aided schools, direct-subsidy scheme schools, and much more. Normally, making a choice requires parents to take into account what kind of education they want their children to receive, whether it’s the language of instruction, curriculum, culture, or other factors. To add on to this list of choices, one more important consideration that parents need to think about is whether their children should attend half-day or full-day kindergarten.
Should I choose half-day or full-day kindergarten in Hong Kong?
We know that choosing between half-day and full-day kindergarten can seem like a big deal, but at the end of the day, this decision is often based on practical factors rather than academics or learning. What is the real difference between half-day and full-day kindergarten? Half-day kindergarten typically runs for a shorter duration (around three hours), while full-day kindergarten is similar to primary school schedules (around six to seven hours). Before you decide between half-day or full-day kindergarten, it’s important to understand how they work, their differences, and the pros and cons of each option. This article will examine the potential benefits and drawbacks of both options, allowing you to make the best decision for your child.
How do half-day kindergartens work in Hong Kong?
In Hong Kong, most kindergartens have options for half-day and full-day. Half-day kindergarten generally runs in either the morning or afternoon. For example, Tutor Time’s half-day morning Kindergarten runs from 9AM to 12PM, while half-day afternoon Kindergarten runs from 1PM to 4PM. Other schools will probably have similar schedules, but it’s still best to check with your preferred kindergartens. Other than the scheduling differences, half-day kindergartens usually run similarly to full-day kindergartens in terms of their routine and lesson content.
Pros of half-day kindergarten
Half-day kindergarten provides various advantages, including a shorter school day, which helps young children adjust more easily to a new schedule. It offers a more gradual transition to full-day learning and supports developmentally appropriate pacing. Families can also benefit from more time together, lower school fees, and a more flexible schedule that helps parents better balance activities and work.
Shorter School Day
Attending half-day kindergarten means your child has a shorter school day. That gives them more time to do other things that are non-school related, such as spend time with family and friends, or explore interests and hobbies. In Hong Kong, children often have busy schedules, balancing school, extracurriculars, and family time. Due to less time spent in school, half-day kindergarten allows for a more balanced schedule and time to do other activities.
Gradual Transition
Children who attend half-day kindergarten have a more gradual transition from Nursery (which is usually also half-day) to Kindergarten. They can get used to their new routines, teachers, peers, and school environment without feeling too overwhelmed by having to attend a full school day. This is particularly helpful for children who take a bit more time to warm up to new routines and people. Parents who want to begin this transition earlier can also opt to join a ‘transition class’, which is available at select preschools such as our Tutor Time Midlevels Campus.
Developmentally appropriate
Kindergarten-aged children are still building up their attention span and focus. As a general rule of thumb, children can focus on a single task for about 2 to 3 minutes per year of age. That means a 4 year old can normally focus for 8 to 12 minutes on one task. Taking this into account, half-day kindergarten aligns better with children’s developmental stage, allowing for shorter periods of focus and better engagement. Some kindergarten programs will take this into consideration and structure their daily routine so that children have breaks in between tasks that require high concentration, so that the children have time to recharge.
More family time
Contrary to popular belief, children do not only learn at school. They learn equally as much, if not more, from spending time with their family, friends, and community. Half-day kindergarten allows children to spend more time with their family, building stronger bonds with parents, grandparents, and siblings.
Cost-saving
Half-day kindergartens have lower tuition fees compared to full-day kindergartens, which can be a consideration for many families. However, this isn’t the only way to save on school fees. There are also other ways such as choosing between public and private schools.
Scheduling flexibility
The shorter school hours of half-day kindergarten allow parents to be more flexible with scheduling additional activities for their children throughout the day. Additionally, half-day kindergarten gives children more time to complete assignments and homework.
Cons of half-day kindergarten
Half-day kindergarten has drawbacks too, including limited instruction time, reduced social interaction, faster-paced learning, fewer opportunities for socializing, and challenges in aligning work schedules, which can make it harder for parents to balance school with their professional and personal responsibilities.
Limited Instruction Time
Since half-day kindergarten is limited to either morning or afternoon, children spend less time in class under the teacher’s guidance. In schools like Tutor Time where classes are fully-immersive in English and Mandarin, this also means less exposure to the languages that you want your children to learn.
Reduced Social Interaction
Less time spent in school also means less opportunity for social interaction with friends and teachers. This can be a crucial factor for parents who are looking to develop their children’s social skills, such as playing with others, cooperating, taking turns, and sharing. Some preschools may also have dedicated social and emotional learning programs integrated into their curriculum, such as Tutor Time’s Second Step Program and Emomo Program.
Faster-Paced Learning
Half-day kindergarten can sometimes also feel like accelerated learning. Even though children in half-day kindergarten technically learn the same things as those in full-day kindergarten, they only have half the amount of time to absorb the same concepts. This faster-paced learning can be a good or bad thing depending on how well your child can focus and stay engaged in class.
Aligning work schedules
Arranging drop-off and pick-up can be a challenge for working parents who choose half-day kindergarten. Additionally, parents also need to arrange a caretaker to look after their children when they are not in school, which can be a challenge for those without domestic helpers or supporting family members.
How do full-day kindergartens work in Hong Kong?
Full-day kindergartens in Hong Kong typically run for about 7 to 8 hours, starting in the morning at 8am or 9am and finishing at 4pm or 5pm. With full-day programs, schools will usually work in appropriate break times, snack times, lunch times, and sometimes nap time or rest time into their daily schedule to ensure that children are not too tired.
Pros of full-day kindergarten
Full-day kindergarten has its advantages, including more instruction time and a more structured routine. Since morning and after kindergarten usually have different lesson plans, your child will also have more comprehensive academic preparation. Children also spend more time with their peers, which allows for better social and emotional development. Families can also benefit from other childcare services that are built into the daily routine, which may be better for working parents.
More instruction time
Half-day kindergarten only runs for around 3 hours, while full day kindergarten runs for around 7 hours. That means your child has double the amount of instruction time. Morning and afternoon kindergarten also differ in their lesson plans, which means your child will have more opportunities to learn through different activities.
Structured routine
Children who attend full-day kindergarten benefit from a more structured weekday routine. Instead of going to school for half a day, then having to do various activities, children know what to expect everyday, which can help them with emotional regulation.
Comprehensive academic preparation
Kindergartens usually have different lesson plans for morning and afternoon classes, which means your child will get exposure to more areas of the curriculum. For example, Tutor Time’s Kindergarten program includes
Enhanced social and emotional development
Children who attend full-day kindergarten are more likely to stick with the same cohort of students throughout the year. This allows them to build deeper relationships with peers, collaborate in class activities, and enhance social and emotional skills.
Childcare integration
Full-day kindergartens usually have childcare services built into their curriculum, such as having snack time, lunch, break time, nap time – all under the supervision of experienced teachers and childcare professionals. This may be an important consideration for working parents.
Better when both parents are working
Full-day kindergarten is often the preferred option for parents who both have to work. The predictable daily schedule means that parents can establish a fixed routine for arranging drop off and pick up. Usually, working Hong Kong parents opt to arrange another family member, such as grandparents, or a domestic helper, to help with drop off and pick up.
Cons of full-day kindergarten
Just like half-day kindergarten, full-day kindergarten has its drawbacks too. In full-day kindergarten, children may experience fatigue due to long school hours. Since the school day ends later, full-day programs limit family time and time for children to participate in extracurricular or non school related activities. Lastly, full-day kindergarten costs more than half-day kindergarten, which may be a consideration for some families.
Fatigue and overstimulation
One potential drawback of full-day kindergarten is that children may get tired due to longer school hours. When children are tired, they can lose focus easily and get irritable. In addition, some children can also be overstimulated from being around other children and teachers all day, which can lead to a negative learning experience.
Limited family time
Full-day kindergarten programs can limit the amount of time children have to spend with their family. This means that parents will have to find other times to bond with their children, such as during the evening and weekends. This might be a bigger consideration for families that have a stay-at-home parent.
Less flexibility
Spending a full day at school also leaves less flexibility for scheduling other activities. For example, many parents in Hong Kong like to enrol their children in enrichment classes to allow their children to explore interests outside of academics. Sometimes, these class times clash with your child’s school schedule.
Higher cost
For many Hong Kong families, school fees are a top consideration. Seeing as full-day kindergarten lasts twice as long as half-day kindergarten, parents can expect school fees to be almost twice as much. If saving cost is a priority, you should check directly with your preferred schools about their school fee schedule.
How to make a decision for your child
Making a choice between half-day and full-day kindergarten is not easy, especially in a place like Hong Kong where there are so many choices between different types of schools. Remember to take into consideration the following key factors when making your decision.
Academic goals
If you believe your child will benefit from having more class time and exposure to peers, full-day kindergarten might be the right choice for you. However, if you prefer a more balanced schedule and approach to preschool education, half-day kindergarten might be more suitable instead. At the end of the day, it depends what your personal academic goals are for your child and how you believe it should be implemented.
Learning style and attention span
No matter what your personal beliefs are, it’s important to take into account your child’s learning style and personality. Are they the type to have brief periods of intense concentration but require frequent breaks? Are they able to stay engaged for longer periods of time? Identifying your child’s unique needs can help you make a more informed decision. An alternative arrangement that you might consider if you still can’t decide is half-day kindergarten followed by extracurricular activities. This allows for more flexibility and time for your child to rest in between classes.
Parental involvement
Some parents may have more flexibility than others when it comes to participating in their child’s education outside of school. For example, those who have flexible working hours or are stay-at-home parents may have more time to dedicate to play and learn with their children outside of school. If that’s the case, half-day kindergarten is a great option. However, full-time working parents may find that full-day kindergarten aligns better with their daily schedule.
Conclusion
Both half-day and full-day kindergarten have their pros and cons, but ultimately, there’s no need to feel too nervous about choosing either option. A study conducted by the University of Hong Kong found that there were actually no significant differences in the language, cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development of children attending either half-day or full-day programs. Therefore, it’s more important that you consider your child’s individual needs and circumstances when deciding between half-day and full-day kindergarten. In the end, the choice should be based on what best suits you, your child, and your family’s educational goals.
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