This report summarizes research related to the use of a conventional basal reading program with students in the Kamehameha Early Education Program (KEEP). Results of instruction were measured by the number of objectives gained each quarter, the total number of objectives gained, the number of lessons taken for each objective, and scores on the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test, which was also given to three comparison groups. KEEP students learned many objectives, but at a relatively slow rate. On the Gates-MacGinitie, first graders scored 1.4 rather than the expected 1.9. Measures of student motivation indicated that motivation was high throughout the year, but this was not enough to raise students to grade level. Rate of learning increased over the year; statistics on initial consonant learning indicated a learning-to-learn phenomenon rather than phonological interference. The results were interpreted as pointing to specific areas of further research: attention skills, training in language and cognitive skills to precede and accelerate reading achievement, and ways of teaching initial consonants. (Author/AA)