A model of reading development was tested by examining preschool children's knowledge of print, their interactions with a teacher, and their parents' perceptions of children's attitudes toward printed materials. The central tenet of the tested model was its hierarchical notion of children's progress in learning to read, leading to the assumption that instruction must first be compatible with the learner's conceptual understanding of the topic before providing more complex instruction. Fifteen three- to six-year-old children participated in ten prereading lessons as members of either story-oriented groups (lower level of reading understanding) or print-oriented training groups. The story-oriented lessons emphasized activities matched to the children's level of reading understanding, while the print-oriented lessons utilized activities both at the children's level and at the next level of reading understanding. Posttest data confirmed that the prereading lessons fostered children's interest and improved their knowledge about how to read. Analyses of teacher-student interactions indicated that the activities matched to the children's level of reading development were more effective than those that were not. (RL)