Kindergarden
The German expression kindergarten usually refers to the first level of official education, according to the K-12 educational system. Kindergarten is usually administered in an elementary school.
The Australian equivalent of this is the preparatory grade, which is the year before the first grade.
The first kindergarten was opened in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg, Germany by Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel.
The first kindergarten in America was established by the wife of Carl Schurz.
Youngsters, usually aged 4-6 attend kindergarten to learn the finer points of meeting friends (and enemies), professional authority (in the form of a teacher), playtime, naptime, drawing, music, the basics of reading and writing, and various other activites.
The youngster continues to Grade 1 after kindergarten.
The actual word "kindergarten", as one may guess, translates to "children's garden". Many private businesses in the USA name their day-care businesses 'Kindergarten' or 'Kindergarden'. Kindergarten establishment (day-care) in Germany are for pre-school children of all ages and are often run by churches, city or town administrations. Kindergartens (German plural Kindergaerten) in Germany are not a part of the actual school system, such as in the USA.
Referenced By
List of German expressions in English | List of German expressions in common English
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