DESCRIBES THE patterns of word recognition errors made by 41 pre-reading first grade children taught under two different instructional methods. Further, the reading error patterns related to the two instructional methods were compared with those that presumably arose from experience in contextual reading. (Biemiller, 1970) Word recognition error characteristics considered were (1) frequency of non-response to a word, (2) source of substitution errors (from among words taught at the same time, previously taught, or not taught), and (3) the graphic approximation of the error to the printed stimulus. When phonics instruction was given, incorrect responses tended to be non-responses or to come from previously taught or untaught words. By contrast with sight word instruction, the majority of incorrect responses came from other words taught at the same time. More errors with the phonics than the sight word method reflected graphic content. The findings supported the conclusion that different instructional methods influence differentially the pattern of word recognition errors. The error patterns found in this research and phonics learning, respectively, for sight word resembled those from the first and second stages described by Biemiller, (1970) This similarity suggests the possibility that children in Biemiller's study may have dealt with graphic sequences during the first phase through sight recognition and, during the second phase, by phonic and/or structural analysis.