My name is Clare McAuliffe. I am a Consultant Teacher of Reading at the Helen H. Hansen Elementary School in Stoughton, Massachusetts. Prior to  my present position, I was a Title I Reading Specialist, a stay-at-home-mom for eighteen years, and a first grade teacher for nine years. I am a strong advocate for early intervention and I believe that schools have an ethical and legal responsibility to make sure that every child that can learn to read, does.
           Stoughton implemented full-day kindergarten for the first time in the fall of 2000. The following school year as I assessed the incoming first graders, I began wondering if a full-day of kindergarten would impact the reading assessments of these first grade students. This questioning led to my inquiry on the comparison of the reading performance of first grade students after full-day and half-day kindergarten. I have researched the advantages and disadvantages of full-day kindergarten, as well as, monitored the students and the kindergarten, first, and second grade teachers. This web site demonstrates the culmination of my investigation.