Universal preschool has the potential to close the knowledge gap--but only if we consider how to best teach preschoolers. Unbridled enthusiasm for universal preschool must be balanced with thoughtful consideration of what goes on in these classrooms, and what activities will most support children's learning. Content-centered classrooms help preschoolers develop skills and functions of literacy, and as these new abilities become meaningful, they help these children understand their world. This approach builds on five research-based principles about how young children develop the schemas necessary to construct basic knowledge networks. They include: Learning benefits from integrated instruction; Learning requires guidance; Teacher interaction enhances learning; Play supports learning; and Competence enhances motivation. The author introduces the observer to a classroom for at-risk preschoolers where content-rich instruction is being practiced. In content-rich settings, early literacy skills support children's developing thirst for learning and such classrooms have the potential to close the knowledge gap.