This study investigated the types of reading instruction and opportunities prekindergarten children have both at school and outside of school to understand how their reading develops during the first semester of prekindergarten. An abundance of research suggests that many children enter kindergarten lacking foundational reading skills that they will need to become readers. This is especially true for children in poverty. However, prekindergarten alone does not impact reading development in the early years, as children's experiences with reading outside of school also play a significant role. Understanding how both factors may or may not influence reading development is necessary to provide recommendations to teachers and parents to help increase reading development and better prepare children for kindergarten. A simultaneous, convergent, mixed-methods study was utilized to collect reading assessment, teacher perception, and family survey data related to reading experiences and outcomes for children in prekindergarten. The findings of this study align with extant research that suggests that prekindergarten and reading experiences outside of school can positively influence reading development. Teacher interview data analyzed in the study suggests that prekindergarten reading instruction should be developmentally appropriate, multi-modal, differentiated, and embedded throughout the day. Parent interview data suggests that many parents read to their children at home and provide them with access to resources, but struggle with finding time to practice with their children. Furthermore, reading data analysis showed that the majority of students did make growth in reading skill development during the first half of the year but many are still below benchmark for their age. Recommendations include increased access to high-quality prekindergarten for children in the United States. Increased funding for prekindergarten programs nationwide may help better prepare children for formal schooling and decrease reading achievement gaps by developing foundational reading skills before they enter kindergarten. [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.]