More Iowa school districts are offering all-day kindergarten. In the past five years, there’s been a nearly 16 percent increase in the number of Iowa public schools with all-day kindergarten programs. Last fall, 305 of Iowa’s 371 schools had all-day kindergarten. Susan Anderson, an early childhood education expert with the Iowa Department of Education, says studies continue to show kids do better later in school when they get a good foundation in preschool, kindergarten and the early grades.But Anderson says the other reason is convenience, as dropping a child off at all-day kindergarten is more convenient for moms who work. And all-day kindergarten’s less harrowing for the kids. Anderson says 30 years ago, kindergartens often started as a half-day proposition and were considered preparation for getting kids used to going to school.Iowa schools are not required by law to offer a kindergarten program, and there’s no requirement as to whether kindergarten should be all-day or half-day.
