All four classes completed the required curriculum for the first grade. The 48 students in the whole language classes were instructed through the use of Big Books with whole class lessons and much writing incorporated into the program. The 47 students in the basal reading classes were instructed through the MacMillan basal series in reading groups.All four classroom teachers also included the same phonics program, separate from the reading program. The California Test for Basic Skills (CTBS) was administered to all four classes. The scores from the subtests of comprehension, word analysis, spelling and vocabulary were examined using t-tests. Results indicated rejection of the hypothesis of the study. Findings revealed that the basal series approach proved significantly better than the whole language approach.