To make this report more readable for teachers and still present all the data, it was compiled in two parts: (1) Report to Teachers and (2) Technical Report. The investigation was conducted (1) to compare the longitudinal effects of the initial teaching alphabet (i.t.a.) and traditional orthography (T.O.) beginning reading programs through and end of grade 3 and (2) to determine the feasibility of starting i.t.a. instruction in kindergarten. Approximately 700 pupils from nine school districts were grouped so that one-third of the pupils started T.O. in grade 1, one-third started i.t.a. in grade 1, and the remaining one-third started i.t.a. in kindergarten. The i.t.a. groups transferred to T.O. basal readers during the second semester of grade 2. Tests in i.t.a. in grade 1 demonstrated the superiority of i.t.a. pupils over the T.O. pupils in skills requiring sound-letter association. After the transition from i.t.a. to T.O., few significant differences were found between the groups on spelling and other reading subtests. Since the group with which i.t.a. instruction was begun in kindergarten maintained their advantage through the end of grade 3, it was suggested that it seems not only feasible but necessary to introduce i.t.a. in kindergarten. Tables and references are included. (DH)