Attending Kindergarten

Gayle Eve McCormick in Lakeland, Florida, writes:

I have a theory that the move toward compulsory kindergarten (and sometimes even compulsory pre-K) occurred partly because of pressure from dual-income families who wanted their kids to begin attending school at an earlier age so that these families could have an extra year or two of dual incomes (by both parents working outside the home). Is there any truth to this?

Marilyn responds:

I doubt it because these parents couldn’t accomplish that goal in a short-enough period of time to actually benefit themselves. It usually takes years to accomplish this kind of change. Regardless, I do believe that the majority of children of kindergarten age greatly benefit from getting out of the house and into a more stimulating environment.