Seven reading readiness skills essential for young children's language development are presented in this curriculum guide. Following an introductory overview of the curriculum and its philosophy (including the aims, rationale, and objectives), the seven reading readiness skills are described. These skills are (1) auditory discrimination of sounds appropriate for reading; (2) visual discrimination of letters and words; (3) alphabet knowledge; (4) concept vocabulary and language development necessary for reading; (5) interest in books, story sense and sequence, and attention to reading tasks; (6) ability to follow verbal and written directions; and (7) emotional and social maturity. General goals and specific objectives for teaching applications are presented, along with suggested teaching strategies and evaluation tools designed to help meet these goals and objectives. Also included is a discussion of methods for evaluating the curriculum and the child's overall success with this program. A list of various screening devices and evaluation tools that may be utilized as pre- and posttests for the curriculum is provided in Appendix A. Appendix B discusses the use and importance of classroom book centers and lists various authors of children's literature. Appendix C supplies the names of some materials designed to enhance reading readiness skills. Appendix D gives the reader the names and addresses of publishers that produce reading readiness materials. A list of references for further reading is also provided. (Author/MP)