This study reviewed the literature on phonological processes and decoding in beginning reading, and sought to determine the effect of functional articulation defects on decoding abilities in 18 first-grade students. Results indicated that students without speech impediments did not score significantly higher on a decoding test than students with speech impediments. No significant differences were found between: decoding scores of males and females with speech impediments, scores of students with mild and moderate speech impediments, and total reading scores of students with and without speech impediments. (JDD)