For parents
Nursery, LKG and UKG syllabus
NCERT's curriculum for the early years (NCF-FS 2022) calls the three pre-school years Balvatika 1, 2 and 3. Most schools still say Nursery, LKG and UKG. Here is what children learn in each, from the published syllabi of 28 CBSE and English-medium schools.
The names, and the ages
| Class | New name | Also called | Ages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursery | Balvatika 1 | Pre-KG | 3–4 years |
| LKG | Balvatika 2 | KG 1, Junior KG | 4–5 years |
| UKG | Balvatika 3 | KG 2, Senior KG, Prep | 5–6 years |
Playgroup (ages 2–3) comes before Nursery in many schools; Class 1 follows UKG.
Where children get to by March
Nursery syllabus
Recognises capital A–Z with their sounds and numbers 1–20, and traces both.
Term by term, with a checklist →LKG syllabus
Writes Aa–Zz and numbers 1–50, reads simple 3-letter words and knows number names one to ten.
Term by term, with a checklist →UKG syllabus
Reads 3-letter words and blends like sh and ch, reads short sentences, and adds and takes away within 10 with numbers to 100.
Term by term, with a checklist →