This study assessed the first-year effects of Project Instruct on the acquisition of word attack skills by kindergarten children. Evaluation of the project was conducted in schools which contained a relatively large number of children classified as disabled readers. Kindergarten children in five elementary schools experienced the instructional system for the 1971-72 school year. Children from six elementary schools not participating in the project--matched with schools in the project in terms of size of population, geographic location, and reading level--provided the comparison group in the study. Both groups were administered a criterion-referenced test of word-attack skills, a standardized word-recognition test, and a standardized test of intelligence. Factorial analyses of variance were used to compare the achievement gain scores of children in the Project Instruct schools to those of children in the control schools. Results indicated that the children who did not participate in the project achieved significantly higher scores on the tests of word-recognition word-attack skills than children who participated in the project. Lack of teacher support, inadequacy of measuring instruments, and omissions in the instructional system were cited as possible causes. (Author/WR)