Education		school	grade	ages	mandatory?
		preschool	–	3 – 4	no
		kindergarten	K	5	sometimes
		elementary school	1 – 5	6 – 11	yes
		middle school / junior high	6 – 8	12 – 14	yes
		high school	9 – 12	15 – 18	yes
		college	–	18 / 19 +	no

1. At what age do most children begin school in the country that you come from? Does everyone go to school? Do children go every day (Monday through Friday)?

2. In the United States, we have elementary school (grades K – 6), middle school or junior high (grades 6 – 8), and high school (grades 9 – 12). (See chart above) How are schools structured in _________________? (the country where you grew up)

3. What kinds of things do children study in elementary school? (ages 6 – 11) What do they study in middle school? (ages 12 – 14) What do they study in high school? (ages 15 – 18)

4. What was your best subject in school? What was your worst subject?

5. Describe an experience in school that made a big difference in your life.

6. In the country that you come from, what do most kids do when they finish high school? Do they go on to college? Technical school? The military? Stay home and work on the farm?