Bethesda Magazine: Surviving Kindergarten

They’re making Venn diagrams, writing poetry journals and doing homework. Being 5 just isn’t what it used to be

By Leah Ariniello

September/October Issue 2010—My son emerged from school glassy-eyed and wired, looking like my old college roommate after a coffee-fueled all-nighter. Barely glancing in my direction, he chucked his backpack and tore off after a buddy. He knew that even though he had just completed six hours of work, he didn’t have much time to let loose. This Thursday, like every other weeknight, there was still homework that needed to be completed before he could hit the pillow.

Such is the life of a kindergartner.

What used to be a kind of extended playdate centering on the arrival of chocolate milk is now a hard-core schedule of reading, math, science and social studies. The Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act of 2002 mandated that all Maryland schools provide full-day kindergarten for students by the start of 2007. That mandate took effect in Montgomery County with the 2006 school year. Today, kindergartners in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) attend school from roughly 8:50 a.m. to 3:05 p.m...

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