The framework
This page follows the Course of Study for Kindergarten (MEXT) and the matching guidelines for day nurseries and certified centres, which share five areas and ten "images of the child by the end of early childhood". It is a plain-language guide for parents, not an official document; schools and regions differ in the detail.
| Class | Age |
|---|---|
| Nenshō (youngest class) | 3–4 |
| Nenchū (middle class) | 4–5 |
| Nenchō (oldest class) | 5–6 |
| Elementary school begins | 6–7 |
The areas of learning, with games that fit
Health (kenkō)
A strong body, daily routines done independently, safety and plenty of outdoor play.
Human relationships (ningen kankei)
Playing and working in a group, responsibility, consideration for others.
Environment (kankyō)
Curiosity about nature, seasons, living things, and numbers, quantities and shapes met in daily life.
Language (kotoba)
Listening, speaking, enjoying picture books and stories; interest in letters through play.
Expression (hyōgen)
Music, movement, drawing and making — sensitivity and the confidence to express.
A typical day, and what helps at home
A yochien day typically opens with free play as children arrive, then a morning gathering with songs and greetings, a main activity — often seasonal craft, music or outdoor play — lunch that the children serve and clear themselves, tidying and cleaning together, and a farewell circle. Whole-school events such as sports day, the summer festival and the winter performance shape the year. At home, the matching habits are independence — carrying their own bag, folding their own clothes — greetings and thanks, and noticing the season together.
By the end of the preschool years
Broadly, the framework hopes a child leaving the last preschool class:
- Looks after their own belongings, dresses, tidies and serves food with little help
- Plays and works co-operatively in a group and sticks with a task to the end
- Notices the seasons, plants and small creatures, and is curious about how things work
- Is interested in numbers, shapes, signs and letters met in everyday life — most children read hiragana before school, but it is not formally taught
- Expresses thoughts in words and listens to others
- Enjoys singing, making and moving, and expresses what they feel
These are expectations for a whole year group, not a test for one child. Children reach them over a wide range of ages, and a child who is younger in the class, or learning in a second language, should be given more time, not more pressure.
Good questions to ask a preschool
How much of the day do children choose what they do? How long are they outdoors? How do you handle a child who is upset or who hits? How will you tell me how my child is doing — and is it a conversation or a report card? May I see the room in use? In every country on this list, a setting that answers these well is a better sign than one that promises early reading.
What is different here
Visitors are often surprised by how much Japanese preschoolers do for themselves — serving lunch, cleaning the room, settling their own arguments while the teacher watches. Independence and belonging to the group are the curriculum. Academic content arrives later and catches up fast.
Using this site alongside school
Fifteen minutes of Golu's Day covers every area above in rotation: a story, two games, something to move or sing, something to make and a thinking game, chosen for your child's age. For reading and number, the reading ladder and maths ladder put the games in teaching order, so you can find the first stage that is not yet easy and start there. Everything speaks thirty-four languages, which matters if your child's school language and home language are not the same.
If you are moving between countries
The class names change more than the children do. Compare ages, not labels, and expect a settling-in term before judging anything. See all seven systems side by side on the curriculum by country page, and what is typical at each age on the milestones pages.
Now do it for real
When the screen goes off, do something with your hands. Try 🎺 Make a straw flute — an easy science experiment for ages 4-6, with every step read aloud in your language. You will need three drinking straws, scissors (grown-up), tape; nothing that needs a trip to a shop.
There are 56 more on the things to do at home page, and free printable worksheets if you would rather have something on paper. Ten minutes on a screen and twenty minutes off it is a good shape for a day at this age.
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