Abstract The “whole language” movement is the most discussed trend in language arts education today. Most educators resonate with classroom practices proposed by whole language advocates. Some, however, believe that the position taken against the direct teaching of phonics skills by whole language enthusiasts is ill‐advised, especially for first‐grade children. A recent review of studies comparing whole language approaches with basal approaches suggests that whole language approaches may not be as effective as basals in helping students master the word recognition skills prerequisite to effective comprehension. A modified whole language approach, focusing more directly on word recognition skills, was developed, implemented, and tested in three first‐grade classrooms in Provo, Utah. Nine of ten characteristics generally associated with whole language approaches were kept intact in the modified program. However, a daily 15‐minute period of total class phonics instruction was added to the program, which is n...