Fourth graders in Georgia were ranked 32nd in the nation in reading in 2005. For this reason, more than $200,000,000 was awarded the State of Georgia for Reading First implementation in Grades K-3. In 2007, more than one third of these fourth graders ranked below the basic reading level. The continued decline in fourth grade reading scores calls for an examination of the effectiveness of Reading First. This quantitative study compared the reading scores of students who had Reading First instruction in a Title I setting with those who had not. A purposive sample of 128 fourth graders in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia was used. Hypothesis 1 was tested utilizing a chi-square test of independence to examine the relationship between the reading scores of fourth graders who received Reading First instruction and those who did not. The relation between these variables was significant, X² (6, N = 128) = 24.940, p = 0.00. The results favored RF School 2. There was a statistically significant difference in the percentage of fourth graders who met the proficiency standard for the CRCT in reading for RF School 2. Hypothesis 2 was tested using a multiple regression analysis to determine if a statistically significant difference existed in the CRCT reading scores between students who received 3 years of Reading First instruction and those who did not. The results of the regression indicated that the predictors explained 69.0% of the variance (R² = .069, F(6, 121) = 0.183, p >.05). Gender predicted the CRCT reading scores but not race/ethnicity, ESOL, and SES status. There are three recommendations. First, the Reading First program is continued in Title I schools for K-3 disadvantaged students. Second, books in classrooms and libraries should contain high-interest topics for children, especially boys whose interests may be piqued by reading books that they like to read Finally, school districts should ensure that federal funds are available to all schools, especially Non-RF schools where K-3 students' scores are below the proficiency level in reading on the CRCT_ In conclusion, Reading First is effective, especially for at-risk students, with a higher level of reading proficiency.