The purpose of the current quantitative correlational study was to investigate the relationship between the variables of preschool teachers’ preferred placement of direct, conspicuous and intentional instruction when used to accompany students’ shared experiences and the correlation to archived language acquisition scores of the Work Sampling System (WSS) adopted in Arizona as one measurement to assess preschool curriculum/instruction. The study involved the use of specific inquiry to examine teacher preferences for placing instruction either before or after a shared experience and the relationship such preference might have on the archived WSS scores. The study included the use of 294 archived at-risk preschool students’ WSS language acquisition scores. All scores derived from three school districts located in the largest county of Arizona. The study also involved the use the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) questionnaire to measure teacher-preferred instructional placement, educational attainment, and years of teaching experience. A correlational study indicated no significant statistical difference regarding whether teachers preferred to place direct instruction either before or after a shared experience. Results did indicate a significant difference between entry and exit WSS scores for all students regardless of the timing of instruction. The literature indicated a relationship exists between teacher instructional input and student success. Further research regarding the correlation between the type of instruction and student achievement should follow. Future recommendations include additional study to delineate best practices for early childhood educators, particularly in the area of language acquisition.