The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Distar Reading and Language Program as a method for beginning reading instruction. The subjects in the Distar group were 24 prekindergarteners, 60 kindergarteners, and 68 first graders. There were 24 children in the control prekindergarten group, 61 in the kindergarten, and 72 in the first grade. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test was used on a pre- and posttest basis. The Boehm Test of Basic Concepts and the Wide Range Achievement Test in reading were used on a posttest basis only. The results showed that the first grade children in Distar averaged a 6.4 gain between the A and B forms of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, while the first grade children in the control group averaged a 3.5 gain between the two tests. Also, the kindergarten children in Distar had mean and median scores that put them on a first grade level when entering first grade. The kindergarten children in the control group did not reach this level. However, on the Boehm test of language concepts, the control group scored higher than the experimental group. (Author/WR)