Identifying and gaining admissions to the right kindergarten program is considerably more difficult than it is for preschool. Fortunately, the difficulty stems from a large number of high-quality programs, rather than from a lack thereof.

Choices range from exalted and highly selective private programs to vastly underrated public programs. Schools that offer kindergarten classes usually run from kindergarten through, at least, 5th grade. Many private schools go all the way through high school. If your child will be 5 years old by December 31, he or she is eligible to attend a New York City public school free of cost. Parents register their children at their zoned school in early September. The zoned school is determined by the family's home address. There are three different ways for you to determine your school zone: call 311, call the Department of Education (DOE) of Zoning at (212) 374-5426, or visit the DOE website to find the school for which your child is zoned. In addition to private schools, there are many public school which your child may attend if you are unsatisfied with your zoned school. Refer to the Selecting a Kindergarten section of Oldfashionedfamily.com for more information on identifying and assessing potential kindergarten programs.