Approximately 20% of students experience reading failure each year. One of the difficulties associated with this large percentage is that it has been documented that pre-service teachers may not be receiving the most appropriate training regarding reading acquisition. The present study sought to determine if pre-service teachers were proficient in phonological processing skills and thus capable of learning concepts for which these skills are prerequisite. One-hundred sixty-four participants (85 pre-service teachers and 79 non-education majors) were administered the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP). The results indicated that pre-service teachers' phonological processing skills were sufficiently developed and not significantly different from non-education majors or from the CTOPP's normative sample. These students have the ability to learn the concepts related to the science of reading. Components of an appropriate curriculum for pre-service teachers such that they can acquire this knowledge are discussed.