Abstract: Primary school orientation in the preschool education is an urgent issue in the preschool education in China, which has attracted extensive attention from the society. However, the misunderstanding and misuse in academic research and policy governance leads to the confusion in preschool education practice, and even affects the implementation of kindergarten education. Compared with the term “schoolification” used abroad, “primary school orientation in the preschool education” lacks a logical test and has an ambiguous connotation. Therefore, it is necessary to “suspend” the relevant value judgment and clarify the factual description of it. The value judgment of “primary school orientation” involves the function of preschool education, but it is still controversial at present and its function orientation in the practice is unsettled. The stance of “centering on children's development” is conducive to linking children with other educational factors closely, guiding preschool education to follow the rule of children's growth, ensuring their health and promoting their development. By analyzing the international trend of early education and the differences in the functional orientation of preschool education at home and abroad, it can be found that the topic of “zero-starting-point teaching” in primary schools is so ambiguous that it faces the dual challenges of parents' questioning and kindergartens' confusion, so it is urgent to establish the stance of “centering on children's development” in order to cope with the challenges successfully.

Key words: primary school orientation in the preschool education, the function of preschool education, transition from kindergarten to primary school, centering on children's development