Preschool attendance is considered an important factor for predicting later success in literacy achievement. This quantitative ex-post facto study examined whether attendance of public prekindergarten is related to improved reading achievement in 2nd grade students in a rural, southeastern school district. The learning theories of Piaget, Bandura, and Vygotsky were used as theoretical frameworks guiding the study. Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) reading scores for second grade students were compared across experimental (those who attended public prekindergarten, n=46) and control (those who did not attend public prekindergarten, n=52) groups. Results from the multi-factor analysis of variance showed that reading achievement was significantly higher for students who had attended public prekindergarten which supports the positive effect of prekindergarten programs on the cognitive development of children. Implications for positive social change include understanding factors that can contribute to reading success of elementary school students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]