Since the fall of 2003, teachers in Head Start preschool programs around the country have been sitting down with their students and having conversations like this:

I want you to look at some pictures with me. I'm going to say some words. For each word I say, point to the picture that best shows what the word means.

Let's try one. Put your finger on "ball."

Good! Let's try another one. Put your finger on "dog."

Using exercises like the one above, Head Start teachers across the country have been asking their students to demonstrate their understanding of certain words, to identify letters, to recognize geometric shapes, and to solve simple addition and subtraction problems as part of the National Reporting System (NRS), a standardized assessment for Head Start instituted by the federal government. The NRS reflects a nationwide movement toward testing in preschools that is gathering force state by state.

This article is part of an ongoing series on the education of children from preK through grade 3, made possible through the support of the Foundation for Child Development.