ARGUMENTS AGAINST FORMALIZED READING INSTRUCTION IN THE KINDERGARTEN WERE PRESENTED. AFTER PRELIMINARY COMMENTS CONCERNING THE PURPOSE AND PLAN OF THE CONFERENCE, THE NEW JERSEY STATE BOARD STANDARDS FOR KINDERGARTENS WERE DISCUSSED IN LIGHT OF THEIR CRITERIA FOR ESTABLISHMENT AND THEIR ADMINISTRATION. THE CASE AGAINST MAKING READING INSTRUCTION A PART OF THE KINDERGARTEN CURRICULUM WAS DEVELOPED THROUGH AN EXAMINATION OF THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH (PARTICULARLY DURKIN'S). THE LONG RANGE EFFECTIVENESS OF READINESS WORKBOOKS AND OTHER FORMALIZED READINESS INSTRUCTION, LEARNING THEORY, THE PURPOSES AND GOALS OF THE KINDERGARTEN, AND THE VIEWS OF LEADERS OF NATIONAL REPUTE IN THE FIELDS OF READING, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING, PEDIATRICS, NEUROLOGY, CHILD PSYCHIATRY, AND PSYCHOLOGY. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT ALTHOUGH STUDENTS WHO COME TO KINDERGARTEN KNOWING HOW TO READ OR DESIRING TO READ SHOULD NOT BE PREVENTED FROM DOING SO, RESEARCH HAS NOT YET PROVIDED EVIDENCE THAT EARLY SYSTEMATIC READING INSTRUCTION GREATLY ACCELERATES READING ACHIEVEMENT. THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, MARCH 23, 1966. (LS)