The issue of high standards and high expectations for public school students has even reached the kindergarten level of instruction. The paper suggests that the informal readiness approach can be used with a more formal curriculum in order to prepare students for state mandated testing to ensure readiness for first grade. Many educators believe that children are able to move beyond the traditional kindergarten readiness program to a more formal subject centered curriculum, such as developmentally appropriate activities for kindergarten children that introduce phonics and early reading skills, and several ways of assessing the achievement of early reading objectives. If state mandated objectives are formulated in terms of a psychological sequence in which each student acquires the background needed for success, then assessment of kindergarten students' progress is possible. (SLD)