In this study, eight groups of kindergarten children were trained to discriminate position and order differences in verbal and nonverbal item sequences in the context of a matching task or an associative learning task or both. Transfer was measured by having the subjects sight learn a list of words contrasting in position and order. Subsequently, new function and content words were learned in a sentence format, and all previously learned words were given additional practice in sentences. There was little indication that item-sequence training improved sight-word learning. Grammatical context failed to assist function word learning and showed some impairment of content word learning. While additional sentence practice showed significant improvement in word learning, substantial word recall errors following practice suggested that sentence practice was an efficient way to learn words. It was suggested that subsequent studies consider whether acoustic recognition accompanying the letter differences would improve word learning and that the list format be used for learning sight words prior to sentence reading. (Author/JM)