Length of classes for primary grades

[MaryAnn Karre <Karres@AOL.COM>]

Thank you in advance for helping us in a time of crisis.=A0=20

Due to budgetary restrictions, one library position is slated to be=20
eliminated from our Pre-K to grade 5 building next year.=A0 We just recently=
=20
merged schools, with one librarian teaching 30 minute classes twice a week t=
o=20
grades PreK-2, the other teaching one 45-minute class per week to grades=20
3-5.=A0 Next year, in order to reduce the staff to one librarian, the=20
administration has suggested increasing class length to 45 minutes for all=20
grades.

My question to the group is: Does anyone have documentation that supports=20
shorter (35 minutes or less) classes for primary grades?=A0 We feel certain=20
that the younger children will not be able to handle 45-minute classes, but=20
we need documentation to prove that this is too long for their attention=20
spans.=A0 The children certainly do not focus on one activity for that lengt=
h=20
of time in a classroom.  How long are your classes in the Pre-K to 2 area?=
=A0=20
On what basis did you decide the length of the class?=20

Any support you can give us will be appreciated. =20

MaryAnn Karre, Librarian for now
Chenango Forks Elementary School
Binghamton, NY
karrem@cforks.org

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