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School and education for parents

Pre-K

Prekindergarten: school-readiness classes for children, typically 3 and 4 years old, in the year or two before they start kindergarten.

What It Means

Pre-K, short for prekindergarten, is education for young children before they enter kindergarten. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) describes it as preprimary education for children typically 3 to 4 years old, and says a program may offer general or special education and may be run together with Head Start. Public schoolsPublic schoolA school run by publicly elected or appointed officials and paid for mainly with public money, including district, charter and magnet schools. See more offer pre-K, and so do Head Start programs and other providers, which is why the classes go by more than one name.

Try It: Pick an Age to See Which Programs Fit

Pick your child's age at the start of the school year to see which kinds of programs serve it. Availability depends on where you live.

Programs that serve this age

Pre-K and Head Start Preschool

In California, a child who turns 4 by September 1 can attend transitional kindergarten.

How Parents Say It

  • "She starts pre-K at the elementary school in September."
  • "Is it pre-K or just daycare?"
  • "We're on the waitlist for the free pre-K program."

The Breakdown

Early learning by age

AgeWhat's usually offeredSource
Birth to 3Early Head Start, for infants, toddlersToddlerA child from 1 to 3 years old, the stage CDC's parenting guidance places between infancy and the preschool years. See more and pregnant womenHead Start
3Pre-K; Head Start PreschoolNCES; Head Start
4Pre-K; Head Start Preschool; transitional kindergartenTransitional kindergartenCalifornia's free first year of a two-year kindergarten program, open to every child who turns 4 by September 1 of the school year, from 2025-26. See more in California if 4 by September 1NCES; Head Start; California Department of Education
5Kindergarten, once a child meets the state's age cutoffBuhata's kindergarten readinessKindergarten readinessHow prepared a child is for kindergarten, in social, emotional, language, thinking and physical skills, alongside meeting their state's entry age. See more page

Pre-K and preschool. NCES counts both as preprimary programs, along with kindergarten and nursery school. Programs use the two names in different ways, so ask any program which ages it takes and what a day looks like.

Who runs it. Public schools and Head Start programs both offer pre-K, and NCES notes the two sometimes run it together. The U.S. Department of Education has guidance on serving preschool children with Title ITitle I schoolA school that receives federal Title I, Part A money to help students from low-income families meet state academic standards, either schoolwide or for chosen students. See more money, so some districts pay for pre-K that way.

When to talk to a teacher or doctor. If you're worried about how your child talks, plays, learns or moves, raise it with the pediatrician and ask the school district about an evaluation. Under IDEA, special education can start at age 3; Buhata's IEPIEPAn IEP (Individualized Education Program) is the written plan a public school makes for a child who qualifies for special education under IDEA. See more page explains how.

Good to Know

Ask before you count on a seat: who qualifies, and what it costs, depends on the program. Head Start is a federal program for children from families with low incomes, and the Administration for Children and Families' Head Start site lists programs and eligibility. For state or district pre-K, check your state education department or your school district's early learning page for the age rules, the application dates and whether there's a lottery or waitlist.

FAQ

What age is pre-K?

Typically 3 to 4 years old, before kindergarten, according to NCES. Each program sets its own age rules, so check the ones near you.

What's the difference between pre-K and preschool?

NCES counts both as preprimary education, along with kindergarten and nursery school. Programs use the names differently, so ask each one which ages it serves.

Is pre-K free?

Some are. NCES describes Head Start as free for the children it serves, and California's transitional kindergarten is free for every child who turns 4 by September 1. Other programs set their own costs, so ask each one.

Do It in Buhata

Calendar, Countdown, Reminders

Put your district's pre-K application dates on the Buhata Calendar and add a Countdown to the deadline.

Open Buhata

Related Terms and Categories

  • Preschooler

    A child from 3 to 5 years old, the age band the CDC uses for its preschool parenting guidance.

  • Transitional kindergarten

    California's free first year of a two-year kindergarten program, open to every child who turns 4 by September 1 of the school year, from 2025-26.

  • Kindergarten readiness

    How prepared a child is for kindergarten, in social, emotional, language, thinking and physical skills, alongside meeting their state's entry age.

  • Kindergarten registration

    Enrolling your child in kindergarten with the school district, usually by showing proof of age, proof of residence and immunization records before the school year.

  • Title I school

    A school that receives federal Title I, Part A money to help students from low-income families meet state academic standards, either schoolwide or for chosen students.

School and education for parents

Sources

National Center for Education Statistics, Condition of Education glossary, "Prekindergarten"; NCES, "Prekindergarten in U.S. Public Schools: 2000-2001"; NCES, Digest of Education Statistics 2020, Appendix B: Definitions; Head Start, "Head Start Programs"; Administration for Children and Families, "Head Start Services"; U.S. Department of Education, "Serving Preschool Children Through Title I, Part A" (revised 2023); California Department of Education, "Universal PreKindergarten FAQs"

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