A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE RELATIONSHIP OF READING METHOD AND COMPOSITION AND TO DISCOVER A WAY TO EVALUATE FIRST- GRADE COMPOSITION. PARTICIPANTS WERE 779 LOW INCOME, FIRST-GRADE CHILDREN FROM SIX CITIES. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS IN SOCIAL BACKGROUND, MATURATION, INTELLIGENCE, AND THE QUALITY AND EXPERIENCE OF THEIR TEACHERS. THE ONLY KNOWN VARIABLE BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS WAS THE METHOD OF TEACHING. THE RESULTS FOR WORD AND PARAGRAPH MEANING ON A STANDARD TEST INDICATED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN FAVOR OF THE EXPERIMENTAL PHONICS GROUP. THE ANTICIPATED HIGH CORRELATION BETWEEN READING METHOD AND WRITTEN COMPOSITION WAS CONFIRMED. THE CHILDREN IN THE LOW INCOME AREAS COULD WRITE COMPREHENSIBLE COMPOSITIONS OF SEVERAL SENTENCES. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT WRITING WAS A FEASIBLE EXERCISE IN THE FIRST GRADE AND WAS PERHAPS A DESIRABLE INSTRUCTIONAL TOOL FOR THE FIRST GRADE. THE INSTRUMENT DEVELOPED TO EVALUATE THE COMPOSITIONS WAS EFFICIENT AND RELIABLE. FOLLOWUP SUGGESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ARE PROVIDED. REFERENCES ARE LISTED. THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT THE INTERNATIONAL READING ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE (BOSTON, APRIL 24-27, 1968). (MC)