March 4, 2024 —As a parent, Xiaoxiao Du says she’s seen the benefits of full-day kindergarten up close — from how the welcoming, play-based approach in Ontario’s system helped her kids as they started school, to how the longer day allowed her more flexibility as she finished her degree and later joined the workforce. Now, as an assistant professor in the University of Manitoba’s faculty of education, she said she’s also seen the research that backs up the advantages of that model. “From a parent perspective, it does offer a lot of freedom for parents to do what they need to do,” said Du.
