Preschool education is the organized educational provision for young children before entry into primary school, typically delivered through structured early childhood programs that support cognitive, language, social, emotional, and physical development [1][2][3]. It includes planned learning experiences, play-based pedagogy, and age-appropriate interaction designed to build foundational competencies for later schooling and lifelong learning [2]. Preschool education is characterized by developmental appropriateness, holistic child development, trained educators, and curriculum frameworks adapted to early childhood needs rather than formal school-style instruction [2][3]. In policy and statistical contexts, the term refers to institutionalized pre-primary education as a distinct level in education systems, separate from informal childcare without defined educational objectives.
- preschool education
- early childhood education
- pre-primary education
- school readiness
References
- OECD. Starting Strong 2017: Key OECD Indicators on Early Childhood Education and Care; OECD Publishing: Paris, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264276116-en.
- Yoshikawa, H.; Weiland, C.; Brooks-Gunn, J.; Burchinal, M. R.; Espinosa, L. M.; Gormley, W. T.; Ludwig, J.; Magnuson, K. A.; Phillips, D.; Zaslow, M. Investing in Our Future: The Evidence Base on Preschool Education. Society for Research in Child Development and Foundation for Child Development, 2013. Available online: https://www.fcd-us.org/resources/evidence-base-preschool/.
- W. S. Barnett; Effectiveness of Early Educational Intervention. Science 2011, 333, 975-978, 10.1126/science.1204534.