Students entering Kindergarten need to obtain readiness skills to make their first year of school a successful one. Many students may appear overwhelmed with the activities and expectations that are placed on them in a kindergarten classroom. Many families and teachers would like for kindergarten to be conducted the way it was many years ago, but it does not seem that is going to take place. Education standards have become more advanced at this grade level. Early childhood settings need to attempt to prepare the students as much as possible. Learning how to hold a writing utensil, trace and write their name, along with naming at least some letters and sounds should be happening before students enter kindergarten. It is time for the students and families to take this step with confidence and reduce the number of retentions. Literacy is the foundation of all learning, and early childhood settings should be doing their part in providing the first steps. To determine some of the best practices in kindergarten readiness, the author completed a mixed methods study that included the quantitative Brigance kindergarten readiness scores from the 2019-2020 and 2022-2023 school years. The study examined the difference in readiness scores of students coming from Head Start/Preschool as compared to the home setting. These scores examined overall Brigance readiness scores from both years and the alphabet recognition scores from 2022-2023 school year. The Guided Reading program was introduced in Martin County Head Start and Preschool classes during the 2021-2022 school year. The study also included a survey of six questions that inquired about the readiness perceptions from all seven kindergarten teachers in the county. The results from the 2022-2023 Brigance scores demonstrated that there was a significant difference in the readiness scores of students who attended Head Start/Preschool and were provided with the Guided Reading curriculum compared to the students who came from the home setting. The alphabet recognition section of the 2022-2023 Brigance screening also demonstrated a significant difference in the number of letters recognized from the students attending Head Start and preschool and participating in the Guided Reading program as compared to the students who came from home. The study found it is time for the teachers and families to take this step and pay close attention to what is needed so the students can enter Kindergarten ready to learn. Much time is spent on state testing, preparation for high school graduation and eventually college, but how much time are we spending on the young students? After all, birth to five is when all the learning begins. [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.]