What is the term for a learning environment that takes place before regular school?

The term for a learning environment that takes place before regular school is preschool. This setting is specifically designed for younger children, typically ages 3 to 5, to help them develop foundational skills in a structured yet playful environment. Preschools focus on early education, social skills, and readiness for the more formal learning that occurs in kindergarten and elementary school.

In contrast, elementary school refers to the formal education that begins after preschool and continues through grades 1-5 or 1-6, depending on the district. Kindergarten serves as the first year of formal schooling for children, usually for ages 5 to 6, focusing on the transition from preschool to more standardized education. Daycare, while providing care and supervision for young children, does not necessarily emphasize academic learning and is not specifically designed to prepare children for school in the same structured way that preschools do.