Why does kindergarten precede grade 1, and why does kindergarten exist in schools?

hunni123

It is like a Nursery but an American way of saying it. Jun 03 06, 2:25 AM

Babba06

Actually in the US we have Nursery School for 4 year olds, Kindergarten for 5 year olds, and 1st grade for 6 year olds. Kindergarten is a German word. Jun 03 06, 7:07 AM

zbeckabee

Kindergarten--(German for children's garden) Formal education used to consist of grades 1-12 with kindergarten being much like a part-time nursery where children were initiated into the educational system and as a result, often hit grade one ahead of the pack. Since then, kindergarten has evolved into the following: In the United States and Canada kindergartens are usually administered in an elementary school as part of the K-12 educational system. Children usually attend at ages 5-6. Kindergarten is considered the first year of formal education although the child may have gone to pre-school/nursery school. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindergarten#United_States_and_Canada Jun 03 06, 8:38 AM

peasypod

Here, in Australia, (or at least Tasmania), Kindergarten precedes 'Prep' (for 5-6 year olds) which they then go onto Grade One the year after. Jun 03 06, 5:26 PM

lanfranco

In the U.S., kindergarten has traditionally been directed at 5-year-olds, while 6-year-olds enter the first grade. However, the growth of nursery and "pre-schools" that claim to provide the skills and socialization once expected of kindergarten education has resulted in "pre-kindergarten" programs that are expecting their students to learn to read and write and acquire basic arithmetic and social skills. Many 4-year-olds, of course, aren't quite ready for this experience. This is becoming something of a problem: http://www.hartfordinfo.org/issues/documents/education/htfd_courant_051705_a.asp Jun 03 06, 5:43 PM

dreamxtj

Traditionally kindergarden was to "socially prepare" a child to enter school. But it has come to a point where the schools expect 5 year old children to be able to do basic reading, writing and some math before entering 1st grade. Jun 03 06, 9:45 PM