问题 for any Americans/people who understand the American education system...

Before Kindergarten is preschool. kids can start preschool at 3 years old. Usually they're in kindergarten at 5 years old.

Head start.
Preschool.
Daycare.
All the same.
That's usually what people go to before
Kindergarten.

Yes, We do have Head start which is basically Pre-school. Getting the children ready for kindergarden.

As others said, there's headstart and preschool, but those are optional. I didn't go to preschool, but it's becoming 更多 and 更多 popular.
Is Reception mandatory 或者 optional in Britain? Just curious, I'd never heard of it before.

Yes, Preschool 或者 Pre-K is what it is called. It is pretty much learning the alphabet, colours, and numbers.

preschool

before kindergarten is pre school. It can be either be like an actual school, 或者 in my case 日 care. The daycare I went to had a pre school set up to it once 你 were out of the baby and toddler rooms. If 你 go to pre school that's generally one 年 then 你 graduate up to kindergarten and actually start elementary school.

Why have school before school? To get extra smart 或者 to put 你 somewhere while your parents are at work/etc? What is the point of it?