The present study compared the relative effectiveness of a phonetic approach (Distar) and use of a special alphabet (Johnny Right-to-Read) to reading instruction for children with low levels of reading readiness. Subjects were 12 male and 12 female second graders. While both groups made significant gains in word and paragraph meaning, children in the Distar group made significantly greater gains in reading comprehension than those in the Johnny Right-to-Read group. In addition to the Distar program's emphasis on the development of auditory and visual comprehension skills, the present results might be related to the highly structured presentation and comprehensiveness of this program.
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