The beginning reading progress of children may be linked to sentence structures used in reading textbooks and the syntax of the child's oral language. An investigation was made of the preprimers and primers of three major publishing companies and of Southwest Regional Laboratory for Educational Research and Development (SWRL) reading programs to compare written textbook patterns and child speech patterns, based on the presumption that the closer the former approximates the latter the child will be able to use his acquired language knowledge for learning to read. To compare oral language and textbook language, a number of research studies on children's oral language were utilized. The comparison revealed a disparity between these aspects of language, although there seemed to be an increased usage of realistic forms of sentence structure in the reading books under investigation. Some of the problem areas indicated were (1) reversed order forms, (2) time connectives, (3) sequence of tenses, and (4) complex sentences. Much research remains to be done before a full understanding of the effects of the child's language patterns on his comprehension of reading material is to be had. Eleven tables and a bibliography are included. (DH)