60 What is the origin of the term kindergarten? Reception is the first year of primary school in England and Wales. OUT-OF-HOME CARE When parents do not have the chance to look after their children themselves or at home, they may resort to out-of-home solutions. Pre-schoolers Nursery schools or nurseries (usually called kindergartens in the US) usually welcome children between the ages of 3 and 5. Their purpose is to help children learn about managing themselves in a classroom setting, preparing them for primary school with structured and educational activities. They have a trained teacher or headteacher with overall responsibility. They are attached to primary schools and follow the country s national curriculum. Pre-schools are settings which provide education for children between 2 and 5. Children learn and play in a structured environment to help them with the transition to Reception . Activities are usually play-based and designed to foster creativity, motor skills, and basic linguistic capabilities. buggy: passeggino commitment: impegno errand: commissione to resort: ricorrere 126 BABIES AND CHILDREN Day nurseries (or daycare centres) usually accommodate babies from as early as 6 weeks to 4 or 5 years old, offering flexible childcare options. They tend to include physical, social, and emotional learning as part of their programme, prioritising childcare and socialisation, but some of them also involve educational activities. Playgroups are facilities that cater for children between 3 and 5 for a few hours a day (around 2-3) and do not provide full-time care. They are usually voluntary groups run by a team of parents or voluntary staff. Some groups allow parents to drop the child off, others need parents to stay there with the child. Cr ches are childcare solutions that provide occasional care whenever parents have short-term commitments or errands to do. They usually accept children up to 6 years old. School-aged children Children who are of school age follow their country s national school system, choosing among the various possibilities offered to suit their abilities, skills, and desires.