This study was designed to explore the effectiveness of balanced literacy instruction in two pre-kindergarten programs in a North Eastern suburban school district. The researcher used a mixed-methods design which included classroom observations, student performance data, and teacher interviews to determine if the language arts program produced favorable learning outcomes for full-day pre-kindergarten and half-day pre-kindergarten students. In this study, the researcher examined highly effective balanced literacy components including read a-louds, shared reading, phonics/word study, guided reading, and guided writing. The results indicated that correlations were found between the frequency of literacy practices utilized during instruction and student achievement outcomes. This report also includes information regarding the implications of this work and suggestions for future study. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]