This study addressed four research questions: (1) Can first graders comprehend and explain cohesive ties in reading?; (2) Can first graders comprehend and explain ungrammatical or ambiguous cohesive items in reading?; (3) Is the control of cohesive elements in reading related to measures of reading achievement in first grade?; and (4) What strategies do beginning readers use to comprehend cohesive ties in connected discourse? Subjects, 28 first grade students in California, were tested individually using 14 short items presented on index cards during 2 sessions. Each session included grammatical and ambiguous items. Subjects read each item aloud, then answered questions about it. Scores on the standardized Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills were collected for all subjects and the teacher ranked students on reading achievement at the end of the school year. Results indicated that first graders generally have good control over endophoric cohesive ties in reading. However, they are still unsophisticated in their ability to think about and express the basis of their judgments. The analysis of the cohesion comprehension measures suggests three levels of ability in comprehending cohesive ties in reading: the first level shows an inability to comprehend or explain cohesive ties; the second level has the ability to comprehend the content of cohesive ties but an inability to explain the basis of comprehension; and the third level has the ability to explain the basis of comprehension. At least two of the strategies used for interpreting ungrammatical ties parallel strategies used in general for comprehension of connected discourse. (Three tables of data are included and 10 references are attached.) (MG)