In the United States there is a variety of pre-school, nursery school and kindergarten programs. The history of the kindergarten movement reveals four distinct stages in its development: the pioneer stage, having Boston as its center; the philanthropic stage, which began in the village of Florence, Massachusetts, and reached its climax in San Francisco, California; the national or strictly educational stage, which began at St.Louis; and the so-called maternal stage, which from Chicago as a center is spreading over the entire country.
During the first stage public attention was directed to a few of the most important aspects of Froebel’s teaching. During the second stage the kindergarten was valued largely as a reformatory and redemptive influence. During the third stage the kindergarten became part pf the public school system of the country. The fourth stage, which like the third, is still in existence aims at making the kindergarten a link between the school and the home.
The majority of American educationalists consider that the aim of pre-school education is the child’s individual development rather than the mastery of particular skills or academic subjects. Nursery schools and kindergartens are regarded as a means of helping children make the transition from home to school. Though kindergartens were first started as private enterprises, now they have become a part of the public schools. Also a large number of private nursery schools and kindergartens continue. It is estimated that presently over half of all five-year-old American children are enrolled in nursery schools or kindergartens.