The purpose of this study was to compare children's acquisition and use of reading strategies and their evolving stance toward reading in two instructional settings, skills-based and whole language. The authors used test-score and descriptive data to select case study children who represented a range of reading development, e.g., from emergent (least proficient) to conventional (most proficient). The authors observed and tape-recorded the subjects' in-class reading samples twice weekly during the second half of first grade, an active period of development in beginning reading. The children were also given a controlled, common reading task outside the classroom for comparison purposes. Children's reading strategies and stance toward literacy were coded and studied for the commonly known strategies such as self-correction and substitutions that are meaningful and have letter/sound correspondence, and other motivation-related responses such as effort, persistence, and willingness to take on difficult reading tasks. The children in the constructivists-based whole language classroom used more reading strategies and exhibited patterns of a positive stance demonstrated through perseverance and courage in the face of challenging reading, as well as persistence and effortful application of strategies such as self-correcting, etc. These results provide insight into some characteristics of young children's development in learning to read that are not often researched. (Contains 60 references.) (Author/CRW)