A study determined if a correlation existed between the use of predictable materials and the enhancement of reading skills. The specific reading skills in question were oral vocabulary, visual discrimination, letter and word recognition. Data were drawn from a group of first graders that represented a cross section of social, economic, and academic levels in a rural community setting. Subjects (n=15) were of Caucasian descent with English as their first language. C. L. Burke's Reading Inventory and the Reading Attitude Inventory were used in a pre/posttest procedure to gather data with t tests describing the differences. F test was used to determine if equal variance existed between the control and experimental groups. Findings suggest that the use of predictable materials is a successful alternative for reading instruction among beginning readers. (Contains 13 references and 7 tables of data.) (Author/RS)