A study examined whether there was any difference in student achievement if students used computer-assisted instruction or traditional reading lab activities. Subjects, 42 students enrolled in 1988 in a 5-week summer early enrollment program, were placed in a reading improvement class based on performance on the Nelson-Denny Reading Test. Subjects in the experimental group spent 45 minutes per day using computer-assisted instructional materials while the control group spent the first 45 minutes engaging in individualized reading lab activities. Both groups were given the same type of instruction for the last half of each class. Data from classes taught the previous year by the same instructor were used to compare students' performance. Posttest results indicated that the computer group did as well as the comparison groups on the Nelson Denny tests and that they did somewhat better on the vocabulary subtest than the control group. Results also indicate that computer usage had a positive effect on students' attitudes towards computer-assisted instruction. (Four tables of data are included and 44 references are attached.) (RS)