A school that offers supervised educational experiences for prekindergarten children.
A separate school for children of pre-kindergarten age, from ages two or three to five; a type of preschool educational program. Many nursery schools are cooperative, local groups, in which parents donate some of their time to serve as teachers’ aides, in such areas as dressing or undressing children (and teaching them to do both themselves) and serving as an extra adult on a field trip. Because of parents’ help, cooperative nursery schools generally have lower fees. Some are staffed, managed, and financed entirely by parents. Nursery schools follow various approaches to teaching and play for children, such as the Montessori method.