In an attempt to analyse more closely the training experiences of pre-service teachers, the author conducted an exploratory quasi-experimental study at a university located in the Rocky Mountain region of the USA. All students who were enrolled in the same reading methods course (but enrolled in different sections) were invited to participate in this study, and all students agreed to participate (n = 71). The purpose of the research was to determine whether there would be a difference in the perceptions that pre-service teachers had about their ability to teach reading based on the amount of field-based experiences they were provided with. Traditionally, this methods course is taught with nine weeks of coursework, followed by a full-time six-week practicum experience in an elementary school classroom. Findings suggest that more hands-on experiences with elementary students during coursework do not always result in pre-service teachers feeling more prepared and capable to perform teaching tasks, but more research is clearly needed. One key limitation in the current study was the small sample size. Therefore, this study is currently being replicated with a much larger sample size (n = 200) with pre-service teachers randomly assigned to the control or treatment group. This new research study will address the following research question: Do pre-service teachers who engage in weekly teaching activities with an elementary student during a reading methods course report higher perceptions of their ability to perform reading instructional tasks than pre-service teachers who do not have these experiences? This study is needed to understand more fully how clinical experiences influence the feelings of preparedness to teach in teacher candidates.