Dictionary Definition
preschool n : an educational institution for
children too young for elementary school
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Adjective
preschool- of, or relating to early childhood, especially to those years before attendance at primary school
Noun
preschoolExtensive Definition
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).
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.
- 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.
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. 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, The 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.