Preschool

"Pre-school" redirects here. For the South Park episode, see Pre-School (South Park).

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).^{[citation needed]}

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.The foundation stage: education for children aged 3 to 5A Curriculum Framework for Children 3 to 5

• 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. 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.^{[citation needed]}

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 literal 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. 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.^{[citation needed]}

Some preschools have adopted specialized methods of teaching, such as Montessori, Waldorf, High Scope,High Scope The Creative CurriculumThe Creative Curriculum Reggio Emilia approach, Bank Street and various other pedagogies which contribute to the foundation of education.

In the United States most preschool advocates support the National Association for the Education of Young Children\'s Developmentally Appropriate Practices. Universal Preschool is the notion that access to preschool should be available to families in a similar way as Kindergarten. 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 often work with preschools in providing Early Childhood services to children whose parents work or go to school. Some Child Care Centers have a preschool program built into their morning routine. Still others collaborate with different preschools, child care services, Head Start programs, or Special education Programs to provide children with the best quality programs for an entire day.

References

See also

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

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