The goal of MOST teacher-directed preschools is:

A) promoting individual achievement.
B) encouraging informal social interaction.
C) shaping student behavior.
D) teaching children to read by the end of the year.

The goal of teacher-directed preschools is to shape student behavior by providing structure, routine, and discipline. These programs typically focus on preparing children for formal academic settings by teaching basic literacy and numeracy skills, as well as social norms and behavioral expectations. While individual achievement is important, it is typically subordinate to the larger goal of creating a cohesive and well-behaved group of students who are ready for kindergarten. Encouraging informal social interaction may be a secondary goal, but it is not the primary focus of teacher-directed preschools. Similarly, while some programs may focus on teaching children to read by the end of the year, this is not a universal goal of all teacher-directed preschools.