Nursery Syllabus in India: What Kids Learn at Age 3–4

Nursery is an exciting year. Most children start it at around three to four years old, and it's often the first time they spend a full, structured morning at school. Parents naturally want to know what their child will learn, how much they should know already and how to help at home without adding pressure.

This guide explains the subjects and skills commonly covered in nursery classes in India, with simple activities you can do at home for each. A quick but important note: there is no single nursery syllabus for all of India. Each school, board and play school designs its own curriculum, and age criteria differ between states. Use this as a general picture of what's typical, and check with your child's school for specifics.

What age is nursery?

In most Indian schools, nursery is for children around three to four years old, after pre-nursery or playgroup and before LKG. The exact age cut-off varies by state and school.

India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 describes the years from three to eight as the "foundational stage", and the National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) 2022 recommends learning through play, activities, stories and conversation at this age. Many schools are moving in this direction, though approaches still vary widely.

English in nursery

Nursery English focuses on listening, speaking and early letter awareness.

Commonly covered:

• Rhymes and action songs

• Listening to stories and talking about pictures

• Recognising letters A to Z, often capital letters first

• Letter sounds (phonics) in many schools

• Words that start with each letter: A for apple, B for ball

• Pre-writing patterns: standing lines, sleeping lines, curves and zigzags

At home, try:

• Read aloud every day and point to pictures as you talk.

• Play "I spy something that starts with /b/".

• Trace letters in sand, flour or with a finger on the table.

• Sing alphabet songs.

For more ideas, see our guide on how to teach the alphabet to toddlers.

Hindi in nursery

Many schools introduce Hindi in nursery, especially listening, speaking and a few letters.

Commonly covered:

• Hindi rhymes and songs

• Swar (vowels) such as अ, आ, इ, ई

• Linking letters to words: अ से अनार

• Simple conversation and naming objects

At home, try: speaking Hindi during daily routines, singing rhymes like "Machhli jal ki rani hai" and introducing a letter or two each week. Our guide on how to teach Hindi to kids has many more tips.

Maths in nursery

Nursery maths is hands-on and visual.

Commonly covered:

• Counting objects from 1 to 10, sometimes up to 20

• Recognising numbers 1 to 10

• Basic shapes: circle, square, triangle, rectangle

• Colours

• Concepts like big and small, more and less, tall and short, in and out

• Sorting and simple patterns

At home, try:

• Count stairs, spoons, fruits and toys.

• Sort laundry by colour or size.

• Make patterns with beads or blocks: red, blue, red, blue.

• Go on a shape hunt around the house.

Our article on how to teach numbers to kids explains more ways to make counting fun.

EVS (the world around us)

Environmental studies, or EVS, in nursery is about the child's own world.

Common topics:

• My body and my senses

• My family

• My home

• Fruits and vegetables

• Animals and birds

• Colours in nature

• Seasons and weather

• Good habits: washing hands, brushing teeth

• Festivals

At home, try: naming body parts during bath time, talking about family members using photos, visiting a vegetable market and naming produce and celebrating festivals together. Our guide to festivals of India for kids is a great companion for festival topics.

Fine and gross motor skills

Before children can write comfortably, they need strong hands and good coordination.

Fine motor activities: playing with clay, tearing paper, threading big beads, using child-safe scissors with supervision, colouring large pictures and picking up objects with tongs.

Gross motor activities: running, jumping, balancing on a line, throwing and catching a ball, dancing and climbing in the park.

Art, music and drama

Nursery classes usually include colouring, finger painting, collage, music, dance and simple role-play. These activities build creativity, confidence, language and coordination.

Social and emotional skills

Nursery children learn to share, take turns, follow classroom routines, express feelings and make friends. These skills are just as important as letters and numbers.

At home, try: turn-taking games, talking about feelings and reading stories about friendship and kindness. Our collection of stories about friendship is a gentle place to start.

A sample week of home practice

Keep sessions short, around 10 to 15 minutes, and stop while your child is still enjoying it.

• Monday: English – read a story and trace two letters.

• Tuesday: Maths – count objects and find shapes at home.

• Wednesday: Hindi – a rhyme and one new letter.

• Thursday: EVS – talk about fruits while making a fruit salad.

• Friday: Art – finger painting or a leaf collage.

• Saturday: Outdoor play and a nature walk.

• Sunday: Free play and a family story time.

How to use worksheets in nursery

Worksheets can be a useful, quiet activity for three- and four-year-olds when used in moderation.

• Choose sheets with large pictures and simple instructions.

• Start with tracing lines and patterns before letters.

• Use one or two pages a day at most.

• Combine sheets with hands-on activities: trace the number 3, then count three spoons.

• Praise effort, not neatness.

Stories and reading

Reading together every day is one of the best things you can do for a nursery child. Choose picture books, animal fables and simple moral stories. Short tales from the Panchatantra work well; see our Panchatantra stories with morals.

What should a nursery child know?

Parents often ask what their child "should" know by the end of nursery. While schools differ, many children by this stage:

• Recognise many capital letters and some letter sounds

• Count objects up to 10

• Recognise basic colours and shapes

• Speak in short sentences and listen to a short story

• Hold a crayon and draw simple lines and circles

• Follow simple two-step instructions

Children develop at different rates. If your child is not yet doing some of these things, that's often normal. If you have concerns about speech, movement or development, talk to your child's teacher or paediatrician.

Talking with your child's teacher

Teachers see your child in a group setting and can share useful observations. Attend parent-teacher meetings, ask what topics are coming up so you can talk about them at home and share anything that might affect your child, such as a new sibling or a move. Ask how your child is settling socially, not just academically. Working together helps your child feel supported in both places.

Tips for a happy nursery year

• Keep a steady routine with enough sleep. Our guide to a bedtime routine for kids can help.

• Talk positively about school and listen to your child's stories about their day.

• Limit screen time and encourage play.

• Avoid comparing your child with others.

• Celebrate small achievements.

When your child is ready to move up, see our guide to the LKG syllabus and worksheets.

Frequently asked questions

What is the nursery syllabus in India?

There is no single national syllabus. Most schools cover rhymes and stories, letter recognition, counting 1 to 10, shapes and colours, simple EVS topics, art, music and motor skills.

What age is nursery in India?

Usually around three to four years, but age criteria vary by state and school.

Should nursery children write?

Most schools begin with pre-writing patterns and tracing. Neat letter writing usually develops later in LKG and UKG.

How much should I practise at home?

Ten to fifteen minutes of playful activities a day is plenty, along with daily reading.

Are worksheets useful for nursery kids?

Yes, in moderation. One or two pages a day, combined with hands-on play, works well.