A study examined the effectiveness of IBM's (International Business Machines') "Writing to Read" (WTR) program in teaching kindergartners and first graders to read. Scores of 257 kindergarten students (enrolled in 2 experimental and 2 control schools) on the California Achievement Test were used to determine if the WTR program was more effective than the traditional programs. Writing samples from 272 first-grade students and their scores on the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Test in Reading and the Otis Lennon School Ability Test were used to determine if similar or better results can be obtained by programs which do not use computers to teach reading and writing. Nine first-grade teachers, six kindergarten teachers, and the principals of the two experimental schools completed a questionnaire. Scores of 163 second grade students on the Spelling subtest of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and the verbal subtest of the Cognitive Abilities Test indicated whether or not going through the WTR program adversely affects student abilities to spell at a later date. Results indicated that: (1) all teachers liked the "Writing to Read" program and the principals recommended continuation of the program; (2) there were considerable program effects in the areas of visual and sound recognition and no negative effects on student abilities to spell at a later date; (3) there were nearly zero effects for kindergartners in the area of reading; and (4) there were no differences in the writing samples of the groups studied. Findings suggest that spending relatively large sums of money on implementing this program can hardly be justified. (Nine tables of data are included; 22 references are attached.) (SR)