In September 1996, the Ferguson-Florissant School District began an all-day kindergarten program to bolster student success in school. All-day kindergarten, which doubles learning time in the crucial first year of learning, is supported by parents, students and teachers at the kindergarten and first-grade levels. The program is provided free of charge to all kindergarten students. Ready to Read Reading skills build readiness for all that lies ahead, and all-day kindergarten is rich with literacy to help students enter first grade ready to be readers. At the beginning of first grade, the Gates-McGinitie standardized test measures students' abilities in vocabulary, comprehension and word decoding. A comparison between District first-graders who had been in half-day kindergarten and first graders who had completed all-day kindergarten demonstrated slightly higher results on the test and less remedial reading service in first grade for all-day kindergarten students. Ready for Math All day kindergarten provides more time for students to grasp math concepts. As all-day kindergarten students reach first grade, more students demonstrate number sense and the ability to conserve. When children are able to conserve, they can match the number "one" to a single object and the number "two" to two objects and so on. Once children master this skill, they are ready for addition and subtraction, the heart of first-grade mathematics. Language Development Socialization is a critical component of language development. All-day kindergarten provides more opportunities for students to express themselves to the teacher and each other. By stimulating oral language development, all-day kindergarten provides opportunities for children to learn to focus their thoughts before they speak. Individualized Instruction Additional time with the same group of students gives all-day kindergarten teachers more opportunities to determine the learning style and learning needs of each child. Kindergarten children have a wide range of abilities and a common need for experience. In all-day kindergarten, teachers can support each child individually and provide appropriate interventions when they are having difficulties. A Solid Learning Foundation All-day kindergarten students come to first grade better equipped to get information and solve problems. With more experience in the school environment, students are ready to become active learners in first grade.