Belief in the value of reading to young children dates to the turn of the century when certain educators suggested that reading to youngsters was beneficial in devel- oping their literacy skills (Iradell, 1898). As far back as 1908, E. B. Huey wrote: "The secret of it all lies in parents reading aloud to and with the child" (p. 332). Recently the importance of reading to children has been reemphasized. A debate exists between those who advocate literature programs for kindergarten children and those who argue for a skills-based approach for developing literacy. This investiga- tion sought to contrast the effects of a storybook reading approach to a more traditional program in a year-long study with at-risk kindergarten children.