Do you support mandatory pre-k in the US?

Question

Kids would need to be enrolled by age 4. While i know that a lot of less advantaged areas do have pre-k programs they're optional. But this would be a mandatory pre-k program for all children.

Answer 1

Absolutely NOT!



I believe in parental rights and smaller government, adn this policy would interfere with both of those beliefs.



Kindergarten was started as an experiment to prepare children for school. Now we have preschool to prepare children for Kindergarten, which is more academically focused than it was initially intended to be (it was for social preparation, mainly). Now even preschool is becoming academically challenging. I believe in stimulating children, but not pushing them and such a focus on academics at an early age is unnatural.



What woudl be next? Mandatory schooling at 3 to prepare them for preschool, and then mandatory schooling at 2 to prepare them for the 3 year old program? Why not just hand them over to the government at birth?



Who would pay for this mandatory preschool? The taxpayers. And it WOULD cost, though they would try to tell you otherwise. More children in school would mean more classrooms needed (construction costs), more teachers needed (salary costs), transportation (fuel and bus costs), etc.



Most other countries lead the US academically and many do not start formal education until 7 or later. Starting earlier is not necessarily related to a better outcome.



Preschool should be an OPTION for those that want to go that route, but no- it should NOT be mandatory.

Answer 2

No I do not support mandatory pre-k in the U.S.! I have a 4 year old and I have no regret not putting him in pre-k program , I also feel that the all day pre-school and Kindergarten classes are rediculous. They didn't do that when I was a child I am 25years old now. There is no reason to push our children into growing up any faster than necessary. They will expierence enough pressures the older they get. What good reason is there to have a stressed out 4 year old? So they know how to do thier ABC's. I work with my son on all those things and when I see him start to get stressed and overly frustrated we stop. I could read books that second graders were reading when I was in preschool as can my son, because it is the parents job to teach thier children. The only reason for making such things mandatory is because soo many people do not take being a parent seriously. Children do not ask us to be brought into this world we bring them into it. I work a full time and a part time job and go to school full time at an institution not online. I still find time to teach my son and play with him. Many parents are lazy and leave the parenting to other people.

Answer 3

Only if we're switching systems of government, which it looks like is entirely possible. You know, the earlier you can get them an indoctrinate them, the better. Plus it frees up both parents to be working.



My daughter took 2 years of Pre-K. I unfortunately had to work full time back then. She was only 3 the first year and couldn't get into the state program, but her daycare had a private Pre K they said she was advanced enough to enter. She learned a great deal there, and even started reading. Granted, she was read to at home and probably inherited the "smart" gene from my husband. The next year she was old enough for the state program and honestly learned nothing. The teacher even told me that she unfortunately didn't have the resources to foster the more advanced kids and recommended I enroll her in a private school the next year. I didn't for many reasons.



I think kids that young don't HAVE to be in school. When our educational system was actually good as a whole, most kids never went to school until first grade. My father started school when he was 7 and never understood why we want kids in school earlier and yet they learn less.



If parents pay attention to their kids, talk to them and involve them in mundane details, kids will learn. They want to. You don't have to buy "My Baby Can Read" or Baby Einstein. Just pointing to a picture of a cow and saying "cow," "moo," and spelling it out on a sheet of paper will teach a child.



For parents who have to work, the OPTION of sending their kids to Pre-K would be valueable. But other than that, I'm not for it. I think there are many other areas of education far more in need.

Answer 4

I don't think children should be rushed into the school system. Kindergarten is intended to be the preparation for "real" school; I don't believe there needs to be mandatory preparation for kindergarten. What would be next - pre-pre-K?



However I do believe that free or low cost publicly funded preschool should be made available to all families (not just low income) on an optional basis. This would solve a great many child care problems, insure that all children would have access to high quality care, and would allow staff members to identify potential problems at an early stage. .Lower income parents would be less dependent on public assistance because they would be able to work while their children are in preschool and would not have to pay for child care. This kind of system has been used in some European countries, such as Italy, with great success. Not only has it been a wonderful support for parents, it has also resulted in high quality preschool programs for all kids.

Answer 5

No way. First off there is nothing taught in pre K that i could not teach my child and as for socialization my son has a lot of friends and plays well with other kids. We have play dates, we go to the park, and we go to the library several days a week. They make it mandatory and i will be homeschooling my son. I believe that his place until he is 5 is at home with me.

Answer 6

No. Things like this are why we will be homeschooling. What is beneficial about taking away another year of a young childs life and throwing it into a desk with 30 other students and one teacher trying to "teach" them things that are going in one ear and out the other? Children don't learn this way. Going to the park and identifying plants, reading, play groups and trips to a museum. All great opportunities for a 4 year old to learn. Pre- K, in my opinion, is not.

Answer 7

I live in Florida where we have free pre-k. I am very thankful for this program, because I couldn't afford it otherwise. However, I don't think it should be forced on someone. I WANT my kids to go to pre-k so they can have an advantage. I don't work, so getting them there and back is easy. But I'm sure there are others out there who couldn't manage getting there kids back and forth or prefer to 'homeschool' pre-k. I think it should be available for all but NOT mandatory.

Answer 8

Absolutely not! Both of my kids attended a private pre-k, by choice of my own, my husbands and my kids.

That said- what would that law do for homeschoolers? They already have enough laws to follow. Some states require a ton of hoops for homeschoolers and this would only cause more. I am 100% against it for that very reason. While it was MY choice to send MY kids I can fully appreciate that it may not be the choice of others. I'm sick to death over all the control school systems already have over the lives of Americans and I think that would make it way worse.

Answer 9

i think in our rush to fill kids up with knowledge we've lost sight of the fact that the way little kids actually obtain knowledge is by going out in the world and doing things, not just sitting in a classroom. i am dismayed by the push for ever longer school days at ever younger ages. i'd be strongly against mandatory pre-k.



where i live kindergarten recently became full-day. i personally know a number of parents who decided they had to enroll their kids in full-day, 5-day-a-week preschool "so they'll be ready for kindergarten." give it a few years and they will be going with full-day toddler programs to get ready for preschool. i really don't think any of that is doing kids any favors.



i do support available and affordable high-quality pre-k for those who want or need it, however.



*i hate answering questions after violet because she always does a better job at it.

Answer 10

It's not necessary. There is absolutely nothing that a child would get from pre-k that almost any parent couldn't do better. Some kids with certain issue may benefit from the exposure to a structured setting so they could settle down by the time they hit k. But for a child without any issues, there is no reason their parent shouldn't have already taught them those skills.

Answer 11

I don't support it, nor do I support mandatory all day K. I do think these programs should be available because there are many, many children who do benefit from them, but I don't think they should be required for all students. Last time I checked K was not yet mandatory...

Answer 12

i think pre-k should be mandatory because kids have to do work just like us not sit around doing nothing if so than why do we send our children to school???

Answer 13

I'm all for having public pre - K available, and I do think preschool is beneficial. However, it should be the parents' choice whether or not to send their children. No child *needs* preschool before going to kindergarten. They can prepare just as well with an involved parent and interaction with other children at story hours, play groups and just going to the playground.

Answer 14

Because it give the child a head start. Some people do not enroll thier child in pre-K but also do not even teach them the basics, ABC 123 or even how to write thier name! And so, so kids are not left out they make it mandatory.

Answer 15

It would be a benefit for the child. The child would get social interaction and school style structure that they may not be getting if they are at home all the time.



Should it be mandatory? No, however it should be made available to parents who would like to take advantage of it. Parents who have children with special needs like mine did with speech impairment - delaying early learning, parents who work long hours over long distances and gone 12 hours out of the waking day (I didn't have other support systems to help work with my child, to include my husband - I'm glad I had the daycare help me prepare him for Kindergarten). It should also NOT run a full day - only half a day. Let them be kids the rest of the day.

Answer 16

Yes, i support children having to enroll in pre-k ( in canada we call it junior kindergarten) because to often many children get to kindergarten and are lacking the social skills, routine of school and the basics in learning that is expected at that age. Giving them a chance to get some experience of what school is like expecially the children who do not go to daycare or any other educational instituation besides being taught at home. I mean of course mommy and daddy can teach them the things they need to know but unless you plan to continue home schooling, kindergarten is a lot different and at times can become overwelming as they are use to the pattern at home and one on one learning rather then team learning and participation so having them enroll a year before gives them some of that stability to face kindergarten in a positive way. I mean we all see the kids crying for mommy/daddy their first few days, and some continue to have a hard time adjusting so i think introducing something at an earlier age always will have it's benefits. I mean there shouldn't be a cost for pre-k it should become a grade like any other, at least that is how it is in canada.

Answer 17

No, I don't support it.



I teach my kids what they need to learn before pre-k.My oldest was enrolled in pre-k and hadn't learned anything different than my others whom I "home schooled" pre-k.

Answer 18

I think it should be up to individual parents. However, I think that if they don't enroll them in pre-k then they should have to teach them what they need to know at home. Otherwise, the child would be behind his classmates when he started school.

Answer 19

I definately support it. Children need to be somewhat educated to begin in kindergarden.