A large body of research evidence highlights the required conditions for children to become skilled readers. Within the past decade, research also has uncovered the fact that the origins of skilled reading begin to develop even before children start school. The intent of this article is to provide a brief summary of what is known about the development of skilled reading in early elementary grades, to highlight the key findings concerning the developmental precursors to the successful acquisition of skilled reading, and to review recent advances in tools that can be used by early childhood professionals to identify children who may be at risk for reading difficulties before these children experience the negative consequences of reading failure. Use of these tools can provide the means for teachers and other early childhood professionals to provide the focused experiences and activities that will help children succeed in becoming skilled readers.