Primary education in usa

PRIMARY EDUCATION IN USA
Primary education in the United States (also called elementary education) refers to the first seven to nine years of formal education in most jurisdictions,^[3] often in elementary schools, including middle schools. Preschool programs, which are less formal and usually not mandated by law, are generally not considered part of primary education. The first year of primary education is commonly referred to as kindergarten and begins at or around age 5 or 6. Subsequent years are usually numbered being referred to as first grade, second grade, and so forth. Elementary schools normally continue through sixth grade,^[4] which the students normally complete when they are age 11 or 12. Some elementary schools graduate after the 4th or 5th grade and transition students into a middle school.
In 2016, there were 88,665 elementary schools (66,758 public and 21,907 private) in the United States.
Preschool
Some private schools, and public schools, are offering pre-kindergarten (also known as pre-K) as part of elementary school. Twelve states (Alabama,Florida, Georgia, Iowa, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Vermont) as well as the District of Columbia offer some form universal pre-kindergarten according to the Education Commission of the States (ECS).^[6][7]
The first three to five years of an individual’s life can be the most critical period of their education (preschool). During this time period young minds work on several physical, intellectual, and emotional developments, including curiosity, formation of character, personality, cognition, language skills, and social skills.^[8]
Since 1965, the federal government has promoted the growth of state-funded programs such as Head Start, a program under the United States Department of Health and Human Services. By 2020, it had served over 37 million preschool-aged children and their families; in fiscal year 2019 alone it served over 1 million children. Head Start also works to educate the whole child in addition to providing health and nutrition services to low-income families.^[9]