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🏫 A preschool class 👶 Before kindergarten
prekindergarten

prekindergarten

1 2.8
A class for young children before they start kindergarten
  • noun
  • /ˌpriːˈkɪndərˌɡɑːrtən/
  • US
translation icon : clase preescolar
  • In our area, prekindergarten is often the first step in a child's educational journey.
  • prekindergarten class
  • prekindergarten programs
  • prekindergarten music

Examples

  • The school's programs extend from prekindergarten through Grade 12; children may enroll as early as 4 years of age.

    Academic text (1990)

  • The study was conducted in a Midwestern urban school that enrolled 654 students in grades prekindergarten through eighth.

    Academic text (2014)

  • All were designed to appeal to students in prekindergarten to grade 3.

    Academic text (2014)

  • The 16 elementary schools in this district serve students in prekindergarten through grade 4.

    Academic text (2012)

  • Three of the five students who were identified as nonreaders were in prekindergarten classes.

    Academic text (2008)

  • School A served 540 students in prekindergarten to fifth grade.

    Academic text (2013)

  • The District serves roughly 12,000 students from prekindergarten through the ninth grade.

    Academic text (1997)

  • Findings suggest that focused professional development can improve the quality of read-aloud interactions in prekindergarten classrooms.

    Academic text (2013)

  • The school offers prekindergarten classes for children who are not yet old enough for kindergarten.

  • Many parents choose prekindergarten programs to help their children prepare for school.

Synonyms

preschool
vsprekindergarten
94 1.3

A school for children ages three to five to learn and play

targets the single year just before formal school entry instead of a multiage program
nursery
vsprekindergarten
37 1.0

A place where young children are looked after and learn before starting school

emphasizes a single educational year before school rather than general childcare
nursery school
vsprekindergarten
12 1.6

A place where very young children learn before primary school

focuses on the year immediately before formal school rather than general preparation
preprimary
vsprekindergarten
3.9

A school or class for children before they start primary school

is specific to the single year before formal school entry rather than broader programs

How Early

daycare
106 1.0
nursery
37 1.0
preschool
94 1.3
prekindergarten
  • US
1 2.8
kindergarten
  • US
180 1.1

Surface Forms

prekindergarten singular
prekindergartens plural

Morphology

prekindergarten = kindergarten (transparent) = pre + kindergarten

The prefix 'pre-' clearly means 'before', so the noun means a class or program before kindergarten.

Etymology

Prekindergarten comes from pre- 'before' and kindergarten, a German word made of Kinder 'children' and Garten 'garden'. So a prekindergarten is a class or program that comes 'before' kindergarten to teach basic social and learning skills.