The Common Core State Standards have influenced curriculum for primary grades across the country, requiring more sophisticated responses to written text from children than ever before. Yet readiness for kindergarten is still often defined in terms of constrained print-related skills. As early as preschool, children can be introduced to more challenging interactions with multiple texts that take advantage of their natural curiosity about the world. Through developmentally appropriate practices that invite them more deeply into exploration of text, children can be prepared to meet the challenges of literacy in the 21st century.