A study evaluated the effectiveness of the Success in Beginning Reading and Writing (SBRW) program which is based on the philosophy that children should be taught to read and write using materials they will rely on later in life. Subjects, four teachers and 48 students in the SBRW program and five teachers and 50 students in a Holt Basic Reading (HBR) program, reported on the processes and outcomes of the programs. Results indicated that the SBRW program generated enthusiasm amongst students, teachers and principals. Students in the program watch less television, read more, write more, and talk to their classmates more about what they have read compared to students in the Holt program. (One table of data is included, and the survey instrument and two appendixes of data are attached.) (RS)