A review of the literature that examines the relationship between television and reading achievement reveals, in general, a negative correlation between television viewing and the acquisition of reading skills. These studies, however, have been somewhat limited in both number and methodology. To further clarify the picture, a study was conducted to compare the individual television viewing habits of students with their reading achievement levels. Subjects were 104 third grade students from a small rural community. Scores on the California Test of Basic Skills were used to determine the students' grade equivalents for reading comprehension and total reading, and parents were asked to complete a 14-response questionnaire about children's viewing habits. When the results from these two instruments were correlated, the data concluded that low reading scores are indicative of students who view excessive amounts of television, although a cause and effect relationship remains unproven. The findings suggest that steps should be taken to make parents and teachers more aware of the impact of television on children's reading skills. (An appendix contains survey materials.) (RBW)