In a kindergarten classroom at Maywood elementary in Burnaby, a group of five-year-olds is engaged in a popular daily activity: math.

Granted, math concepts are taught at this level by giving them blocks and flat shapes to build with, and yarn to string into patterns on peg boards, but it's all introducing kids to a wide variety of geometric shapes.

When teacher Tricia Dolton was teaching half-day kindergarten classes, she was lucky if she could fit the math unit in twice a week.

But with Maywood in its second year of a full-day kindergarten pilot project, Dolton now has time to do daily math-related activities. It's much more relaxed, she said.

Maywood, along with Morley elementary, which is also part of the pilot, will be joined by numerous other public schools around the province in September 2010 in offering

full-day kindergarten.

The province has committed $151 million to establish the program for half of B.C. children next school year, and for all five-year-olds in the province by September 2011. It's already in place in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec, with Ontario planning to have it fully implemented by 2015.

Judging by Maywood's experience, there's ample evidence of the program's benefits in preparing children for future success in school.

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Maywood, like Morley, was chosen for the pilot because many of its Metrotown-area students are eligible for additional Education Ministry funding, available for students who are English-as-a-second-language, aboriginal or special needs.

For Samara Najei, whose daughter Sara Abdulkarim was in the first year of the Maywood pilot, the transformation was amazing.

"She didn't know much English. After three months in full-time [kindergarten] she has perfect English ... She's correcting us now."

Maywood principal Sue Montabello stressed it's not just ESL students who benefit from having more time in kindergarten.

"Oral language development, if their first language is English or not, is the cornerstone of learning. Reading and writing develops from that."

In addition to developing language skills, the kids also have more time to work on their social skills, learning to get along and work with others, and their emotional sides. "They're not as anxious when their parents leave," Montabello said.

She stressed that full-day kindergarten is not about teaching kids more and turning them into mini Grade 1s. It's about going deeper into a curriculum which should always be play-based for that age group.

"I think that's the significant piece. It's not rushed."

On a recent afternoon in Tricia Dolton's class, her charges showed they'd mastered the class routine, cleaning up blocks and activities so efficiently it'd make any parent of young kids green with envy.

They donned their coats and lined up without fuss at the door, ready to head out to the playground, another activity they now have more time for.

One little girl, barely prompted by Dolton, proceeded to tell a reporter in accented but clear English about the gingerbread men they'd made that morning which "ran away."

Another girl shouted, "I'm so excited to go to school."

Indeed, the experience was so positive for Samara Najei's two daughters (Tara Abdulkarim is in kindergarten this year), she uses going to school as a bribe when they're misbehaving, she said with a laugh.

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Of course, any new programs, especially ones on a provincewide scale, cost money. Lots of it.

And that's where many school trustees' concerns lie.

The BC School Trustees Association is calling on the Education Ministry to defer implementing full-day kindergarten until there is "full, predictable and stable funding" for the entire public school system.

Burnaby school board chair Diana Mumford said the Burnaby district is already dealing with the recent loss of a $4.3-million facilities grant and salary increases set out in union contracts. Now it also faces higher Medical Services Plan premiums, the HST, a carbon tax, and the cost of government software to calculate how much carbon tax it should pay.

As a result, the district's deficit for next year is already at $5 million and growing, just to maintain the status quo, Mumford said, adding cuts to programs and services will have to be considered.

With full-day kindergarten, the province will increase its per-student contribution, but Mumford said there's no word yet on what other related costs it will cover.

Schools with space may require renovations to meet kindergarten needs, those without space will need portables installed on site. Mumford said she expects to see a provincewide shortage of portables, and likely qualified kindergarten teachers, as a result of the relatively short implementation timeline.

"If we couldn't [implement full-day kindergarten as planned] a year ago because of funding, where in this 'strong economy' do we have money for this?" she said with sarcasm.

Nevertheless, the district has submitted its list of schools where it believes the full-day program is most needed or can be most easily accommodated. The ministry will choose the schools that will get it in the coming months.

wchow@burnabynewsleader.com