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Full Day Kindergarten

A young girl with pigtails is intently focused on drawing or writing with a pink marker on a colorful table in a bright, green-colored room.

Community Consolidated School District 62 is excited to announce the implementation of Full Day Kindergarten at our elementary schools. This transformative initiative will be launched next school year, beginning with Iroquois Community School in July of 2026, and our 10-month elementary schools in August of 2026.Our journey begins fall of 2026

A young girl with a sparkling bow headband is smiling brightly, surrounded by other children in a colorful classroom setting.
A group of young students, some wearing colorful shirts, are raising their hands enthusiastically in what appears to be a classroom setting, with a %22Peer Corner%22 sign visible in the background.
A young girl with a bright smile is sitting at a desk, surrounded by other students in a classroom setting.

Why is District 62 moving to Full Day Kindergarten?

While all schools in the state of Illinois are expected to implement Full Day Kindergarten by the 2027-2028 school year, we intentionally decided to begin our work a year in advance. This decision is a testament to our unwavering commitment to providing the best possible educational foundation for every child in our district.
 
For our youngest learners, the benefits of a Full Day Kindergarten program are well-documented. The benefits include building essential literacy and math skills while also nurturing the social emotional development that is so critical at this age.  

What does the full-day program look like?

The full day kindergarten schedule will include time for literacy, math, science, social science, PE, music, and art. It will also include the use of developmentally appropriate practice including play.
 
Play will be used to support language development, social-emotional development (collaboration, problem solving, emotional regulation, etc), and executive functioning skills (organization, etc)

What are the benefits of purposeful play?

Purposeful play is intentional and allows students time to practice their skills. It promotes language development, supports social emotional growth and helps develop executive functioning skills.

Here's a peek at a day in the life of a Full Day kindergarten student

  • 90 - 100 minutes of literacy
    • Explicit and Systematic Phonics Instruction
    • Vocabulary Development
    • Comprehension
    • Writing
  • 80 minutes of math
    • Number Recognition and Correspondence
    • Problem Solving
  • 60 minutes of Specials (Art, Music, PE, Science)
  • 40 minutes of intentional play
    • Oracy and Language Development
    • Social-Emotional Skills
    • Executive Functioning
  • Lunch, recess, social emotional learning, What I Need (WIN), social studies
A group of young children, including a boy wearing glasses, are sitting together and interacting in what appears to be a classroom or educational setting with a blue background.
A young child wearing large blue headphones and a Halloween-themed shirt is sitting on the floor, seemingly engaged in an activity or game.
A young boy is intently focused on drawing or writing something on a table in a room with a green wall in the background.

How can I prepare my child for taking this big step into kindergarten?

As partners in your child’s educational journey, there are skills that we encourage your child to practice in anticipation of entering kindergarten.

  • Build independence
    • Getting dressed
    • Packing bags
    • Solving problems independently
    • Cleaning up toys
  • Fine motor skills
    • Coloring with crayons
    • Writing with a pencil
    • Cutting with scissors
  • Social emotional
    • Ask for help
    • Sharing
    • Following two to three step directions
  • Literacy
    • Engage with books for extended time
    • Recognize / write name
    • Know letter names
  • Math
    • Counting
    • Identify numbers 1-10
    • Recognize shapes