How is kindergarten beneficial to children?

Kindergarten is very important in today's world. Years ago it was just a place to send little 4 or 5 year olds to learn the alphabet. Intoday's world that is what nursery school is for and before your child can get into kindergarten he/she must pass a kind of test to see if they know their A B C's and can count. Today's kindergarten has become part of the learning cycle a child goes through and prepares them for 1st grade