Kindergarten, a school for children just below the elementary level. the ages normally ranging from four to six. The name is German for “children's garden. The kindergarten movement is based on the theory that the education of children should begin by cultivating their normal tendencies for play, exercise, observation, imitation, and construction. The kindergarten tries to supplement the home lives of children, broaden their childhood experiences, give them opportunities to explore and understand their world, and introduce them gradually into the academic work of the elementary grades.
A nursery school is for younger children, usually three and four years of age. A day nursery provides care for children of working parents and is generally not operated as a school.
The states authorize local school districts to establish kindergartens, but they do not require them to provide education for children below first grade. Most of the states help the local school systems bear the costs of kindergartens. Attendance in kindergartens is not compulsory. Most cities provide public kindergartens, but some smaller communities and rural districts do not. Many parochial school systems have kindergartens.
