Preschool education is the provision of education for children before the commencement of statutory education, usually between the ages of two and five, dependent on the jurisdiction. Preschool is also known as nursery school, day care or kindergarten (other than in the USA, where kindergarten is part of the statutory education system, preceding first grade). A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of three and five staffed by qualified teachers and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than Day care or child care is care of a child during the Day by a person other than the child's Parents or Legal guardians typically someone outside ( German, literally means "children's garden" is a form of education for young children which serves as a transition from home to the commencement of more formal schooling First grade (called Grade 1 in some regions is a year of Education in the United States and other nations

Developmental areas

The areas of development which preschool education covers varies from country to country. However the following main 'themes' are represented in the majority of systems. ^[1][2]

• Personal, social and emotional development
• Communication, including talking and listening
• Knowledge and understanding of the world
• Creative and aesthetic development
• Physical development
• Mathematical awareness and development

Ages for and importance of preschool education

Preschool is generally considered appropriate for children between three and five years of age, between the toddler and school stages. Toddler is a common term for a young Child who is learning to walk or "toddle", generally considered to be the second stage of development after infancy A school (from Greek σχολεῖον - scholeion) is an Institution designed to allow and encourage Students (or "pupils" During this stage of development, children learn and assimilate information rapidly, and express interest and fascination in each new discovery. These qualities make them prime candidates for education, although most are not ready for structured primary or elementary education. Primary education is the first stage of Compulsory education.

Aspects of preschoolers' abilities

For four- and five-year-olds, the average vocabulary span is between 1500 and 2000 words. One word concept that becomes very confusing to the preschool age students is metaphorical statements, which are those phrases that explain something figuratively but not realistically. An example is “when pigs fly”; if you say this a preschooler will picture a pig actually flying.

Mathematical skills also come into use a great deal at this age. Mathematics is the body of Knowledge and Academic discipline that studies such concepts as Quantity, Structure, Space and Preschoolers begin to recognize numbers better and understand the concept of numbers and their use. Rote counting, the ability to recite numbers in their proper order, is a very popular part of the curriculum for this age.

They like to do more things on their own. They love to help with anything they can and have responsibility. At this age their coordination has improved a lot and their body proportions have changed. They also become responsible for their own simple hygiene.

Methods of preschool education

Parents are a child's best resource for education before school. Research shows that the more time and effort parents, caregivers, or teachers at preschools give to the child, the better a preschool child will be able to adjust to their environment.

Some preschools have adopted specialized methods of teaching, such as Montessori, Waldorf, High Scope,^[3] The Creative Curriculum^[4] Reggio Emilia approach, Bank Street and various other pedagogies which contribute to the foundation of education. The Montessori method is an educational method for children based on theories of Child development originated by Italian educator Maria Montessori (1870-1952 Waldorf education (also known as Steiner or Steiner-Waldorf education is a Pedagogy based upon the Educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, the founder The Reggio Emilia Approach is an educational philosophy focused on Preschool and primary education Bank Street College of Education, or simply Bank Street is located in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, in New York City.

In the United States most preschool advocates support the National Association for the Education of Young Children's Developmentally Appropriate Practices. History In the 1920s concern over the varying quality of emerging nursery school programs in the United States triggered Patty Smith Hill to gather prominent figures Universal Preschool is the notion that access to preschool should be available to families in a similar way to compulsory elementary education. See also Preschool Universal Preschool is the notion that access to Preschool should be available to families similar to Kindergarten. Primary education is the first stage of Compulsory education. There are different perspectives on priorities for access and how it is to be funded.

Day care

Main article: Day care

In the USA Child Care Centers provide a preschool curriculum and do not just "babysit". Day care or child care is care of a child during the Day by a person other than the child's Parents or Legal guardians typically someone outside Daycare/childcare centers provide services to children whose parents work or go to school. Child Care Centers should have a preschool program built into their morning routine. Regulations for requirements that must be met to ensure licensing vary from state to state. Programs are designed to provide children with the best quality programs for an entire day. In 2006, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), a non-profit organization, introduced an accreditation program for these centres, which measures the quality environment for early learners and requires that staff have degrees in early childhood education. History In the 1920s concern over the varying quality of emerging nursery school programs in the United States triggered Patty Smith Hill to gather prominent figures

References

See also

• Child development
• Early childhood education
• Nursery school
• Universal preschool
• Comenius Foundation for Child Development