SCHOOLS EXTEND KINDERGARTEN LONGER DAYS GIVE KIDS MORE TIME, ATTENTION.

Byline: Sabrina Decker Staff Writer

The traditional kindergarten day - three hours of painting, singing the alphabet song and other pursuits - is making way for a longer academic schedule at some schools.

Madrona Elementary School in Thousand Oaks recently won approval to start full-time kindergarten in the fall, and three other Conejo Valley Unified School District campuses - Manzanita, Wildwood and Cypress - are considering extending their kindergarten hours next year.

Educators say many 5-year-olds are already veterans of preschool and ready to tackle a full day of class like the big kids.

``We found it has been a really wonderful experience,'' said Michelle Odle, principal of El Descanso Elementary in Camarillo, which has used the full-day schedule for the past two years.

``The children start first grade at a higher level, and traditional kindergarten teachers, even those who were reluctant at first, are saying that they can do so much more with the extra time.''

The additional time is particularly beneficial to students who are primarily non-English-speaking - about 30 percent of those at El Descanso - who are able to be split into smaller groups for instruction, Odle said.

While most kindergartens run separate morning and afternoon shifts, typical full-day programs go straight through and are about twice as long, officials said.

Most, like those at El Rancho and El Descanso, use the extra afternoon time for enrichment activities such as science, computers, art and dance that only get touched upon in the busy morning hours, educators said.

Teachers say they work to achieve the right balance with lunchtime, playtime and nap time, and that the children are generally able to make the adjustment.

Educators say the benefits - more relaxed instruction, more socialization and more hands-on activities - can be good for both kids and teachers.

``We've looked at a lot of research. We've spent a lot of time with this,'' said Wildwood Elementary School Principal Cheryl Freitas.

But the longer hours mean that classrooms can't be shared as they are with half-day programs, posing logistical problems on crowded elementary school campuses.

Running a full-day program in Thousand Oaks would require more space, which many schools don't have, explained Linda Vranesh, Conejo Valley Unified's director of elementary education.

``The driving factor for us is facilities right now,'' Vranesh said. ``Many schools just don't have the luxury of considering a full-day program.''

As kindergarten registration got under way this week throughout the Conejo Valley district, parents found some schools offering the longer-day choice.

At Madrona, whose program was approved recently by the school board, parents will have the option of enrolling kids in a traditional or a full-day schedule in fall.

At Wildwood, officials will be asking parents registering their little ones whether they want an extended program that dismisses at 1:20 p.m., but falls short of a full day.

The proposal would allow 45 minutes for lunch and an additional 70 minutes for teaching, as a way to offer a slightly longer program, officials said.

``So far we've received a very favorable response,'' Freitas said.

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Photo:

(1 -- 2) Teacher Kate Bartok helps Ana Valadez with her reading lesson, above, during an all-day kindergarten class at El Rancho School in Camarillo. At left, kindergartner Ellen Nurse practices her writing.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer