When asked whether pre-K program should be voluntary or mandatory, Dr. McMahon said there are too many variables involved in setting a participation policy. It depends on family situation and the individual child s ability at that stage, Dr. McMahon added. Regarding the potential danger of forcing children to start schooling too early, Dr. McMahon said pre-K programs must be developmentally appropriate. Not only is knowledge important, but social skills are important too, Dr. Zheng said. Zheng, who is originally from People s Republic of China, said, Kindergarten is not required in China, but in the U.S., when you go to kindergarten, children are treated like a student.
Society expects kids to go to a real school in kindergarten.
If a child has no pre-school experience, he or she will be behind. Dr. Zheng said he hopes the pre-K program will help his daughter gain confidence when she goes to kindergarten next year. When asked his criteria in selecting a pre-K program, Dr. Zheng said the first priority is reputation and the second is location. He picked the program based on recommendations from neighbors, adding that he also picked a program near his home so his daughter could develop friendships with other children in the neighborhood who attend the same program. For kindergarten programs, academics are important and location not important, Dr. Zheng added.