Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, “We cannot always build the future for our young people, but we can build our young people for the future.” Roosevelt indicated that education is essential to ensuring a positive future for our country. Years have passed since his presidency and many can argue that the American education system has improved, but this still remains to be seen. While it is true that education has received more attention in recent years, as evidenced by the No Child Left Behind Act, this does not mean that the system is sufficiently developed to help all American children. Now, the average American is just that: average. Children generally receive Bs and Cs, average grades, in school if they are fortunate enough to be in a good school system. Literacy rates are lower than they appear and there are not enough adequately motivated people to do well in school. Forms of entertainment and parental influence, which also play an important role in children's development into productive and successful adults, are not where they should be when it comes to education. There is still a lot to do to improve the education system of the entire country. Preschool should be made compulsory to help individuals reach their full potential and achieve what only a minority of today's society is capable of. American children have experienced increasing difficulties in school. The curriculum in schools claims to be more difficult at higher levels, but the lack of focus and direction in younger grades has led to lower academic levels and less mastery in several basic areas such as mathematics, writing and reading skills. Standardized test scores are at an all-time low, as a growing number of children advance through the education system having…half of the task…a child who doesn't want to or doesn't have the skills and mindset to do it. Preschool allows children to combine learning with fun and prepares them to move on to higher levels with more knowledge than those who don't read or attend preschool. (paragraph on family education) Children need preschool at its most basic essence: defining motor skills, acquiring basic socialization skills, and learning the alphanumeric system which will undoubtedly help improve their understanding in grades to come , enabling the advances in education that America wants and certainly needs. Making preschool mandatory as part of the education reforms that America so desperately needs will combat the lack of existing educational programming and allow children to receive an education at a younger age than they would in a home where the education is not the main focus of the family..