Designed to promote the use of microcomputers in reading instruction, this paper attempts to dispell apprehensions that the errors made when adapting television to the classroom may occur again with microcomputers. Examples of the failure of television to teach reading in the 1960s and 1970s are presented, and it is pointed out that television, a watching medium that delivers a lot to the viewer while demanding little more than passivity, has not had any remarkable influence on student performance. It is then suggested that the microcomputer provides an interactive ability that television lacks, and specifically notes that it is a medium which combines the visual with the kinesthetic. It is suggested that the role of the reading specialist in the future will be first to teach computer literacy, then to transfer interest to books. The lack of successful software programs for reading instruction is noted; however, some promising college level computer assisted instruction (CAI) programs are identified and described. Concluding remarks cite the responsibilities of classroom personnel for microcomputer utilization and its potential for producing students who are competent readers and writers. A 14-item bibliography completes the document. (JB)