The National Reading Panel has highlighted the lack of educational opportunities that underprepared prekindergarten students are likely to experience. Traditionally, girls have outperformed boys in reading achievement. Local school districts are concerned with the increase of prekindergarten students who enter the primary grades deficient in emergent literacy skills. This quantitative correlational study examined the scores of prekindergarten students' emergent literacy skills by gender from informal and formal assessments. The research from the National Reading Panel was the theoretical framework for this study and it was based on students' need for a solid foundation in early reading skills. Using a cross-sectional design, this study determined the relationship between the commonly used informal Work Sampling System™ (WSS™) and Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills™ (DIBELS™) formal diagnostic assessment. Data were collected from archived early literacy scores from assessments from an intact group of 55 previously enrolled prekindergarten students at a private school. Spearman product-moment correlational measures found a significant positive correlation between the WSS™ and the DIBELS™, but no significant difference was found on either assessment between genders. This information is beneficial as educators search for methods to examine the readiness of prekindergarten students and ways to close the reading gap. The implications for positive social change include a focus on training teachers to assess prekindergarten students effectively and developing assessment mandates throughout prekindergarten programs. As a result, prekindergarten teachers will become more involved in kindergarten readiness initiatives. [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.]