Garden for Five-Year-Olds

A new kind of learning came into existence in 1837 when German thinker Friedrich Froebel designed a school just for three- and four-year-olds. Froebel called the school "kindergarten," which translates to "children's garden." His kindergarten was a place for youngsters to learn by playing.

Today, many youngsters in the United States attend kindergarten, but they have little time for play as their teachers strive to prepare them for the rigorous first grade. In fact, the American preschool has taken over as a play center for children, giving them a fun way to enter the school system. Children ages three and four can prepare for kindergarten in a less-restricted environment.

Most children are at least five years old when they reach kindergarten, depending on state laws. Studies show that older children attending kindergarten perform better than younger counterparts, at least in the elementary years. Thereafter, the younger children catchup.

And, in response to parents' daycare needs, many kindergartens run all-day programs, compared to the previous trend of half-day. The benefits of longer school time is debatable, but all-day programs do have more flexibility in providing children playing opportunities. After all, five-year-olds need to play just as much as preschoolers.