Information About ™Kindergarten |
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( German for ''children's garden'') is used in many parts of the world for the first stages of a child's classroom Education . In some places kindergarten is part of the formal school system; in others it may refer to pre-school or daycare. HISTORY Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel officially opened the first Kindergarten in 1840 to mark the four hundredth anniversary of the invention of movable type by Gutenberg . It was founded at Bad Blankenburg , in the small Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt , Germany , where Fröbel had opened a Play and Activity Institute in 1837. The first kindergarten in the United States was founded in Columbus, Ohio by Louise Frankenberg, a student of Fröbel who came to the city in 1838. Another early kindergarten was established in 1856 by Margarethe (Margaretta) Meyer Schurz (wife of activist/statesman Carl Schurz ), in Watertown, Dodge County, Wisconsin . It was run as a public institution beginning in 1873. KINDERGARTEN SYSTEM AND... THE WORLD Australia/New Zealand In the state of New South Wales the first year of Primary School is called kindergarten. In Victoria , kindergarten is a form of, and used interchangeably with, Pre-school . In Queensland kindergarten is usually an institution for children around the age of 4 and thus the precursor to preschool and primary education. Other states and territories may or may not follow either model. In New Zealand , kindergarten consists of the first 2 years before Primary School, from age 3 to 5. China In China , the equivalent term to kindergarten, ''you er yuan'', designates Preschool . France In France , the equivalent term to kindergarten, ''maternelle'', designates also Preschool . Welcoming children aged from 2 to 6, it is not compulsory yet almost 100% of children aged 3 to 6 attend it. It is regulated by the French department of education. Germany Kindergartens (German plural ''Kindergärten'') in Germany are not a part of the actual school system, as they are in the USA. The German translation of "pre-school", ''Vorschule'', is used for educational efforts in the Kindergarten, which are handled differently in every German State . Kindergarten establishments (day-care) in Germany are normally for pre-school children between 3 and 6 years of age, and are often run by churches, city or town administrations. They are often in a ''Kita'', a short form of ''Kinder'''ta'''gesstätte'' ("children's daycare centre"), which may also house a crêche (''Kinderkrippe'') for children under age 2 years and 9 months, and/or a ''Hort'' which is facilities for school-age children. Attendance is neither mandatory nor free of charge. India In India , kindergarten is divided into two stages- lower kindergarten (LKG) and upper kindergarten (UKG). Typically, an LKG class would comprise of children 3 to 4 years of age, and the UKG class would comprise of children 4 to 5 years of age. After finishing upper kindergarten, a child enters Class 1 (or, Standard 1) of Primary School . Often kindergarten is an integral part of regular schools. In most cases the kindergarten is run as a private school. Younger Children are also put into a special Toddler/Nursery group at the age of 2 - 2 1/2. It is run as part of the kindergarten. Japan See the article Preschool And Daycare In Japan Korea In South Korea , children normally enter into kindergarten around the age of 5, and leave it just before 7, to go to primary school. Normally the kindergartens are graded on a three-tier basis. They are called "Yoo-chi won" ( Korean : 유치원) Mexico In Mexico , Kindergarten is optional before the age of 5, it may be offered in either Private Schools or Public Schools , it is attended primarily by children not old enough to attend Primary School (between ages 3 and 6). In public schools, it may be only one year. But in some private schools it may range between 2 or 4 grades, the latter including nursery, for children age 2. Recently the S.E.P. promoted a new change in the educational system, which requires children to attend pre-school at the age of five. United States and Canada In the United States and Canada kindergartens are usually administered in an Elementary School as part of the K-12 educational system. Kindergarten is considered the first year of formal education. In Ontario and Wisconsin there are two grades of Kindergarten; Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten (JK and SK), although a child often only attends one of the two, not both. In Ontario, for example, Senior Kindergarten is a requirement while Junior Kindergarten is optional. Unlike in France, kindergarten is called ''la maternelle'' in Canadian French . After kindergarten a child moves to the First Grade . Singapore Kindergartens in Singapore provide up to three years of pre-school programmes for children aged 3 to 6. The three-year programme, known as ''nursery'', ''kindergarten 1'' and ''kindergarten 2'' prepares children for their first year in Primary School Education . United Kingdom The first year of school in England and Wales is called Reception, or to a lesser extent '''Year 0'''. Pre-school daycare (which is not part of the school system) is called Nursery School and there are also part time Playgroup s. Kindergarten is very occasionally used instead of nursery school, but this is mainly for marketing purposes. Kindergarten is not a commonly used term in Scotland, where Nursery School is also a form of pre-school daycare with structured activities and learning. The first year of classroom education in Scotland is called Primary 1. FUNCTION OF KINDERGARTEN Children usually aged 5-6 years old, attend kindergarten to learn "how to learn" to communicate, play, and interact with others appropriately. A teacher provides various manipulative materials and activities to motivate these children to learn the Language and Vocabulary of Reading , Mathematics , Science , and Computer s, as well as that of Music , Art , and social Behavior s. For children who previously have spent most of their time at home, kindergarten may serve the purpose of training them to be apart from their parents without anxiety. Kindergarten also allows parents (especially mothers) to go back to part-time or full-time employment. After kindergarten, depending on the school, the children would advance to the next level which is usually referred to as first grade. Many private businesses in the USA name their day-care businesses 'Kindergarten' or, misspelled, 'Kindergarten'. Kindergarten may be half a day in length, (either morning or afternoon), or may be a full-day kindergarten. WHAT SHOULD KINDERGARTEN ACTIVITIES INCLUDE? There seem to be many positive learning and social/behavioral benefits for children in kindergarten programs. At the same time, it is widely felt that what children are doing during the kindergarten day is more important than the length of the school day. Gullo (1990) and Olsen and Zigler (1989) warn educators and parents to resist the pressure to include more Didactic academic instruction in all-day kindergarten programs. They contend that this type of instruction is inappropriate for young children. Also, an all-day kindergarten program can provide children the opportunity to spend more time engaged in active, child-initiated, small-group activities. Teachers in all-day kindergarten classrooms often feel less stressed by time constraints and may have more time to get to know children and meet their needs. READINGS All day Kindergarten is becoming increasingly popular to helping close the achievement gap. School districts that have not yet moved to full day kingergartens are looking for funds to extend the school day. States are offering incentives for school districts, especially in the poorer districts. Benefits of full day Kindergarten include an easier transition into 1st Grade. According to an Education Week article teachers feel that students are exposed to more than they would in a two to three hour day. Students adjust well to the extended day. There are opponents who question the reason for full day Kindergarten. There are those who feel that all day kindergarten is not an effort to improve student achievement, but more of an effort to fulfill obligations of the No Child Left Behind. They feel that full day Kindergarten is a contributing factor for the teacher shortage.
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