Meaning & use
kindergarten
Last updated
UK/ˈkɪndəɡɑːtn/
US/ˈkɪndərɡɑːrtn/
Meaning
nouncountable or uncountable
A school class or program for young children, usually ages four to six, that comes before first grade.
Grammar: Can be used as a countable noun (a kindergarten) or uncountable (go to kindergarten).
Patterns
- go to kindergarten
- a kindergarten teacher
- start kindergarten
My daughter starts kindergarten next week.
He teaches at a kindergarten in the city.
She went to kindergarten in a small town.
Word forms
| plural | kindergartens |
|---|
Common combinations
- kindergarten teacher
- The kindergarten teacher read a story to the class.
- kindergarten class
- The kindergarten class went on a field trip to the zoo.
- start kindergarten
- Children usually start kindergarten at age five.
- go to kindergarten
- In many countries, children go to kindergarten before primary school.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nursery school
- In British English, a nursery school is for slightly younger children, often ages three to five.
- preschool
- Preschool is a more general term for any early childhood education program before formal schooling.
- pre-K
- Pre-K is an American term for a program for four-year-olds, often the year before kindergarten.
Word family
- kindergartener noun
- A child who attends kindergarten.
- kindergarten adjective
- Used before a noun to describe something related to kindergarten, as in 'kindergarten teacher'.
Practice
In the US, children typically attend ______ before first grade.
Choose one answer.
Kindergarten is the year before first grade. The other options are later stages of education.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “kindergarten”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.