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kindergarten
noun the first year in primary school. Compare preparatory class, reception class, transition. [German: lit., children's garden; coined by Friedrich Froebel, 1782--1852]
Editor's comments: Kindergarten can be the first year at school as part of the usual infants or primary school, or it can be a pre-school institution. In NSW, a child can attend a kindergarten from about the age of three, then graduate to 'big school' where they find themselves in kindergarten again! Does this happen in other states, or is it one or the other?
Contributor's comments: Same meaning, also used in W.A., especially in earlier years. Not heard as much here now.
Contributor's comments: Definitely used throughout the Brisbane area. It is an independent educational institution for children to attend for 2 or 3 days per week for the 2 year period prior to the child starting Grade 1. The Government equivalent is a "Pre School".
Contributor's comments: Always said kindergarden here in WA until it became Pre-School in the early 80's. 'Kindy' was what I used to call it.
Contributor's comments: In Qld what you've described here is referred to as preschool. Kindergarten is an optional year for 3-4 year olds which precedes (Qld) preschool.
Contributor's comments: As a child in Canberra, Pre school was the first year of schooling, followed by Kindy, (pre school age 4 kindy age 5) Now I live in WA and the terms are reversed. A child goes into Kindy the year they turn 4 (well 4 by June cutoff date) and then Pre Primary the year they turn 5.
Contributor's comments: In the NT, SA and Vic 'kindy' or 'kindergarten' is a few years before school starts. It may be "3 year old kindy" or for 4 year olds, depending on how the system works - it's different in the different states.
Contributor's comments: I grew up in Adelaide and went to kindergarten, although we abbreviated it to "kindy".
Contributor's comments: Growing up in Sydney, preschool was the option if mum wanted to get rid of you for a few hours a week in the year or so before you started school. My preschool was in a hall out the back of the local church, and consisted of drawing pictures, drinking milk and having little sleeps in the arvo. Kindergarten was the official first year of school; you actually started to learn things like vowels, times tables etc. and once this year was completed you progressed to first class.
Contributor's comments: The word is german for "child's garden" and has been in use for more than a century. I trained as a preschool teacher in Sydney the late 1960s at the Kindergarten Training College and qualified to teach 2-5 year olds. There was an alternative college where people trained to care for 0-5 year olds (I can't recall the name of the college) and they generally worked in child care centres which had longer hours and younger children than kindergartens which were also referred to as preschools.
Contributor's comments: We have kindergarten in Tasmania. We usually call it Kindie though.