Early childhood typically referrers to the period between birth and age eight. Schools and centers that serve an early childhood population typically cater to infants through six-year-olds who are not yet ready for kindergarten. although there is no general age for starting a preschool or nursery school program, many schools/centers differentiate the two by age. The term preschool often literally means the pre-school year or the year prior to kindergarten. Students in a preschool program may be four to six years-old, and almost ready to start the elementary school years. In contrast nursery schools may offer programs for four to six year olds, but also have classes and groups for toddlers or older infants.
One major difference between a nursery school and preschool is the educational focus or overall learning and development goals of the program. A nursery school may focus less on academic learning or educational attainment, and instead center on themes and methods that support social development and free play. In contrast, a preschool program may follow a more school-like curriculum focusing on academic content areas such as science or math. This is not to say that preschools forgo social and play experiences in favor of academics, instead these programs transition between he two and are generally inclusive of both academic and social-play goals.
Parents can find early childhood programs in a variety of environments that range from in-home services to public schools. Nursery schools are typically independent or private institutions or organizations. Although there may be some programs linked to other schools, a nursery school usually is not associated with a public district or elementary learning environment. Preschools, unlike nursery schools, may be either private or public. Many city and regional school districts offer a preschool program that situates early learning directly in a specialized area of the same elementary school that the child will later attend.
Weekly schedules and the amount of time spent in school may vary between nursery schools and preschools. With a less academic and more social play oriented focus, nursery programs may be limited in days per week or hours per day. For example, a child in nursery school mat attend the program on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for either a morning or afternoon session. A preschool program, especially those that are highly academic, may be longer in duration and days. Unlike nursery school preschool may look more like elementary school, with a daily six or more hour schedule.