Preschool

educational establishment offering early childhood education to children

Preschool is a term for early childhood education. It is education for very young children between the ages of three and six, before the start of compulsory education at elementary school/primary school. There are theories of child development which influence preschool activities, with the ideas of Jean Piaget that categorise this age group as a “preoperational” stage of development being the most influential.

In Europe the terms 'nursery' and 'kindergarten' are used to describe preschooling.

Learning change

Early childhood education usually encourages children to learn by playing. But basic topics like counting or the alphabet may start to be taught.