PRE-HIGHER EDUCATION

Pre-Higher Education

In the USA, school education is compulsory for children from six to eighteen years old. From nursery school to higher education, families have the option of sending their children to free public schools, or to pay for private ones.

Pre-Primary

Type of school providing this education:

A) Kindergarten
B) Nursery Schools
C) Preschool programmes
D) Child/Day Care Centres

Length of program in years: 2

Age level from: 4 to 6

Certificate/diploma awarded: Practice varies. Certificates may be given, especially if needed, to prove attendance for entry into Elementary School.

Nursery or Pre- Kindergarten School:

Generally, before sending their children to Primary School, a nursery or a preschool happens to be an inevitable choice.A nursery school or preschool is a school for the education of very young children (generally five years of age and younger). These schools range from schools which seek to teach young children to schools that only provide childcare with little educational benefits. Schools which focus on education generally teach early social skills including interpersonal interaction, being a part of a group of peers, and classroom skills such as following the instructions of a teacher. Some formal education also takes place, such as early reading or language skills. Some nursery schools have adopted specialized methods of teaching, such as Montessori, High Scope, Reggio Emilia approach, Bank Street and various other pedagogy. Most preschools are supported by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Difference between Kindergarten and Pre-kindergarten schooling: Pre-kindergarten is defined as: “center-based programs for 4-year olds that are fully or partially funded by state education agencies and that are operated in schools or under the direction of state and local education agencies”.(http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~ncedl/pages/pre-k_study.cfm).

Difference between Pre-K and Child Care:

Pre-kindergarten is an educational experience, while child care tends to be care-giving so that both parents can work (one parent in a single parent head of household). Good child-care programs can be just like a pre- kindergarten class as long as there are experienced, well-educated teachers who promote children's cognitive and social development. State-funded pre-kindergarten programs have set standards and are able to provide the necessary resources to ensure that every student is offered a high-quality learning environment that prepares a child for further schooling. It is therefore essential to know how pre- kindergarten can prepare children for schooling. Good pre-kindergarten programs instruct children in different skill areas that they will need in further schooling. Such skill areas include learning to read, to do math, to progress in science, and to understand the world and how it works. Through pre-kindergarten programs, children are able to become familiar with books, words, language use, numbers and problem solving, as well as important social skills for classrooms (like paying attention and developing peer relationships).